Stamp collecting focused on beginning stamping, USA Philatelic Catalog, US first day covers, African American culture, technology, art, & digital stamping
The HUB (an online community for stamp collectors/philatelists in the American Philatelic Society) had an interesting discussion. The moderator had tried to explain the difference between stamp collecting and philately to someone and wanted some advice from the group. My take on it is that stamp collecting is the actual activity of researching, acquiring, storing... Continue Reading →
This week the US Postal releases its list of upcoming commemorative honorees for 2026 here. I have to admit that at first, I wondered who Harriet Powers was. After seeing the beautiful folk quilt work, I quickly realized that a quilter was being honored. As an abstract art quilter for over 20 years, I feel... Continue Reading →
This week the US Postal releases its list of upcoming commemorative honorees for 2026 here. Being an avid boxing fan for over 40 years, my obvious excitement is towards the Muhammed Ali stamp! He was one of the most entertaining fighters of his time. I was introduced to the world of boxing through my father... Continue Reading →
Whether you are attending the show as an enthusiast, collector, dealer, auctioneer, etc. This show has something for everyone all in one place at the Boston convention and Exhibition Center. There are many stamping societies that have donated to this show. For Boston 2026 World Expo, you can find the list here - https://web.cvent.com/event/bbbdc1d9-e50e-44dd-8bef-eb36c9d1251f/websitePage:6a862a43-ae88-499f-b035-fe7c9a6999b3 Also,... Continue Reading →
There was a recent discussion in The Hub @ Stamp SCHOOL (https://stampschool.stamps.org/main/groups/132438/lounge) about the declining membership for young people in stamp clubs. The discussion centered about thoughts that folks had on attracting more of the current generation to stamping. I answered with some thought off the top of my head but wanted to share here... Continue Reading →
The Fall 2025 philatelic catalog is here. I didn't get my Philatelic catalog from the post office but noticed that the new book was available as a PDF from the USPS. One highlight that I noticed right away is that former president Jimmy Carter's stamp will be available for sale in October 2025. According to... Continue Reading →
This First Day of Issue dedication ceremony on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 10:30 am Eastern. The ceremony will be held in Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y, located at 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY. Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose work detailed the stories of the... Continue Reading →
You can pre-order the 2026 12-month stamp "A Year in Stamps" calendar from Mystic Stamp Company starting August 2025. It gives their year in review for amazing stamps highlighted for the year. Looks great! Also, they have a free catalog which I love as well. It is a whopping 164-pages which includes some collecting tips... Continue Reading →
GASPEX 2025, hosted by the North Atlanta Stamp Club, will be held August 22-23 at Mimm's Museum of Technology and Art. The museum is located at 5000 Commerce Parkway, Roswell, GA 30076. Show Hours are - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Show Features include - 32 dealers with 150+ tables of stamps, postcards,... Continue Reading →
The USPS has released its 27-page Summer 2025 philatelic catalog. The "treasure hunt gaming" cover is called 250 Years of Delivering since this is the US Postal Service's anniversary. Art director, Antonio Alcala explains, "I thought it might be nice to create an urban scene with various postal-related objects to find." The art designer is... Continue Reading →
This June 10th, the USPS is celebrating the unveiling of a commemorative Forever Stamp for First Lady Barbara Bush. It is a First Day of Issue Dedication Ceremony to be held in Kennebunkport, Maine. You can RSVP at http://usps.com/barbarabushstamp. Barbara Bush was first lady from 1989 to 1993, married to George H. W. Bush. She... Continue Reading →
The USPS has released its 49-page Spring 2025 philatelic catalog with Betty White gracing the cover! Each year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) publishes 3-4 catalogs of the stamps and commemorative material produced for that year. RESOURCES Spring 2025 USPS Philatelic Catalog(Note: this catalog is not downloadable once a new catalog is available)https://www.usps.com/stamp-collecting/assets/pdf/usa_philatelic_catalog.pdf USPS... Continue Reading →
The USPS has released its 52-page Winter 2025 philatelic catalog. Each year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) publishes 3-4 catalogs of the stamps and commemorative material produced for that year. RESOURCES Stamp Smarter website (a collection of all the USPS Philatelic catalogs - up to 2024)https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fx6T93JDbaAskJMFxmtVyp5Xt5RJZrO0/view 2024 USPS Philatelic Catalog(Note: this catalog is not downloadable... Continue Reading →
Upon re-entering my stamping hobby, I learned of a publication called USA Philatelic as a stamp catalog from the US Postal Service. Immediately I started researching these beautifully designed documents. Each year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) publishes 3-4 editions of the USA Philatelic. The first catalog of the year showcases the stamps and... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/98vVrxeXQNU This is a great American Philately Society (APS) chat session with Howard Summers. Howard has been trying to integrate stamp collecting with film in his works. He points out that media stereotypes of stamp collectors emphasize monetary value. They neglect the aesthetic beauty and the science seen in stamp collecting. The conversation includes how... Continue Reading →
The 2024 Yearbook from Stamps Forever, the online store of the US Postal Service, is an investment at $112 but contains stunning visual narratives of commemorative stamp highlights throughout the year. It includes 108 postage stamps along with water-activated stamp mounts.This hardcover, 64-page catalog is available on the site here: https://www.stampsforever.com/catalogs/philatelic-2025-v30-q3/20-21/992420 From the Stamps Forever... Continue Reading →
Dec. 15, 2024 is the start of submissions for the American Topical Association (ATA), 1-page virtual stamp exhibitions. This is free for all to enter topic based exhibitions of stamps. Submissions closes Feb. 15, 2025. The display should tell a story that can be endearing, funny, mysterious or any style you like. The more innovative... Continue Reading →
https://stamps.org/news/c/news/cat/us-new-issues/post/usps-provides-sneak-peek-at-2025-stamps USPS stamps for 2025 will focus on leaf stamps like Maple, Oak, Sweetgum and Sassafras. A 10 stamp Dahlia flower series is included as well. There are 14 stunning Appalachian Trail stamps. These stamps feature states covered by the 2,200 mile footpath along this iconic natural wonder. Pop culture is represented with a new... Continue Reading →
The Allen Toussaint stamp is part of the Black Heritage series from the US Postal Service. In recent year, they have alternated with these stamps a man and then a woman. Next year, the 48th stamp in this series will honor Allen Toussaint (1938-2015). He was a virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer.... Continue Reading →
Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER) has a wonderful cover of Tito Jackson (1953-2024) here - https://www.esperstamps.org/product-page/tito-jackson-memorial-cover. https://www.esperstamps.org/product-page/tito-jackson-memorial-cover I remember enjoying the Tito with his brothers from the famous Jackson 5 boy group back in the '70's. He played the guitar while little Michael Jackson was the lead singer. Tito was also a... Continue Reading →
Have you noticed that the end of the year has come soooo fast! It seems like we have been thrust into Winter time just like that. To honor the winter, check out the Winter Whimsy stamps for the USPS. I LOVE these Forever stamps! 😍😍😍 https://stamps.org/news/c/news/cat/us-new-issues/post/usps-releases-a-flurry-of-winter-whimsy-stamps The snowflake image is in white over the flattering... Continue Reading →
There is a great Topical Reference Page at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum site dedicated to African Americans in philately. Topical Reference Pages are essentially compilation pages. They include all links to exhibitions about a topic by the staff at the museum. These pages are well-organized, easy to understand and loaded with background stories to... Continue Reading →
You're InvitedThe United States Postal Service cordially invites you to attend the Hanukkah Commemorative Forever Stamp first day of issue dedication ceremony. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The ceremony will be held at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, located at 575 3rd Street NW, Washington, DC. For... Continue Reading →
Event is May 2-4. Check it out and register here: https://stampex.vfairs.com/
I ran across this Instagram post of the lovely commemorative stamp of Mister Rogers released in 2018. Fred Rogers was host to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television show that ran for 31 years and had 895 episodes. The Neighborhood Archive is a wonderful online treasure trove of artifacts about the show which ran for 31 seasons!... Continue Reading →
Formed in 1856, Stanley Gibbons is a highly-respected rare stamp dealer. They have a publishing house (https://www.stanleygibbons.com/publishing/publishing-house) and have published award winning stamping catalogs for stamps from Great Britain, The Commonwealth, Germany, and other countries. I really love their Guide to Stamp Collecting (https://www.stanleygibbons.com/collecting-stamps/new-stamps). It is a must see for newbies to stamping like me.... Continue Reading →
This Saturday morning, I spent 2 hours researching for stamps about the invention of the computer. I also looked for stamps commemorating African American artists. Do you need a good place to purchase stamps for your collection? StampWorld (https://www.stampworld.com/en/ ) is a good online site for stamps. The signup is completely FREE and easy. Once... Continue Reading →
Each year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) publishes a Philatelic catalog of the stamps and commemorative material produced for that year. RESOURCESStamp Smarter website (a collection of all the USPS Philatelic catalog)https://stampsmarter.org/Learning/PostalPhilatelicCats.htmlUSPS Philatelic Catalog (Publication 508) requesthttps://about.usps.com/publications/pub9/PUB9_508.htm
Mystic Stamp Company is a mail-order postal stamp dealer based in Camden, New York since 1923. They have an extensive website and online store selling US and foreign stamps, supplies, albums and more. They have a great learning center with resources for beginners and advanced stamp collectors. One feature is "This Day in History". You... Continue Reading →
If you are a member of American Philately Society, you can login and then download the 2023 stamp album pages of the stamps issued that year. There are stamp issue album pages dating back to 2008. These PDF files are completely free and in color! There are pages from the Our Nation Series (US states), States/Cities,... Continue Reading →
In 2020, the US Postal Service commemorated Gwen Ifill on a postage stamp. My mind immediately traveled back to the many nights that husband and I watched Gwen and Judy Woodruff on the PBS Newshour each night. It was like watching two girlfriends tell you the news. Their style together consisted of an unmatched professionalism... Continue Reading →
Thanks for visiting SOSC, (pronounced "so-sh") and stands for State of Stamp Collecting. Here I showcase postage stamps and postal-related material with special emphasis on USA Philatelic Catalog, US first day covers, Black culture, technology, art and space.
State of Stamp Collecting 