As a kid, I collected stamps. If I remember correctly, I ordered one or more of those packages of international stamps and sorted through many of the standard stamps that come in such collections, many of the same stamps over and over again. But, it was fun.
However, I must admit, I never gave much thought to postmarks until last week when I came across the Web site for the Postmark Museum, also known as the Margie Pfund Memorial Postmark Museum, located near Bellevue, Ohio.
The museum is affiliated with the Post Mark Collectors Club, which I also did not know existed.
But, when I discovered the hobby of postmark collecting, I started wondering what kind of special postmarks had been coming in the mail. I picked up a collection of old envelopes that I had stored for several years and started paying attention to the postmarks. These particular envelopes were from the late 1980s, early 1990s.
Right away, I noticed that several envelopes that had more than the traditional postmark. My favorite is one that says "Journey to a New Frontier...Collect Stamps." In the scan to the right, I've darkened it up a little so that you can see the postmark better. If you look closely, you can see a picture of the USS Enterprise from the TV show "Star Trek."In looking around on the Post Mark Collectors Club Web site, I found a list that describes the different kinds of postmarks that people collect. These are called "Slogans," and the few I found in this one stack of envelopes also promote Goodwill, children's dental health and the 1992 Olympics, as well as stamp collecting. One from New York, N.Y., encourages citizens to "Include Your Apt. # for Better Service."
I did a quick check of the new mail I've been getting...not very many slogans. One from January says "Happy Holidays," and another has a quote by John Adams:
"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write"
The newer postmarks look like they were applied digitally and are more difficult to read, in my opinion.
Now that I know about postmark collecting, I'll have to take a look and see what all I have.
is that not fun ? you go back and look and some of those things amaze you at how you missed them the first time . great blog .
ReplyDeleteWow - I've not noticed the post marks. I do have an old stamp on the kitchen windowsill that I found when we unpacked. It's a 13.2 cent bulk rate stamp titled Coal Cars and has a coal train car drawing.
ReplyDeleteWe have a large glass bowl of post cards my partner's father collected when he was young. I bet there are some interesting marks on those!
It makes me wonder how many other, little details are out there that we've overlooked. I'll be paying attention to postmarks from now on.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post ... wonderful!
Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
Here in Colorado in the town of Loveland they do a remailing program that is very popular because of the handstamping/postmark.
ReplyDeleteYou can send stuff to the town of Loveland during February (or a little before) and they will send it out from the town with a little Valentine poem and the Loveland postmark. So that your postmark and your Valentine comes from the land of love. I try to do at least one every year, just as a Colorado tradition. If you are interested in collecting that postmark next year here is a link with some info:
http://www.withlovefromloveland.com/about.shtml
We visited Hell, Michigan, a couple of years ago and I was all prepared with mailing labels, 114 of them, so I could send postcards with the Hell postmark. I bought the postcards in the cute little shop then went over to the little post office (a real USPS office, though I think it is a contract office so staff by non-USPS person) and thought I would get a surprised look because I had 114 postcards to mail at once (I had help writing them... my boyfriend is very patient with my mail obsession). The clerk didn't bat an eye. He assured me my postcards would get a Hell postmark and be "handled with special attention." Well.... one of the postcards was to me and it was one I handmade (Snowball's Chance Coffeehouse... a hell of a cup of coffee...the name and slogan I had planned for my dream coffeehouse) and when I got the card I was so surprised to see not only a great hand-stamped Hell postmark... all the edges of the card were singed! And when I checked with other recipients there postcards had all edges singed, too. Wow! Talk about going the extra mile!
ReplyDeleteAnd you know... I proofread my comment before posting and still missed the "there" where it should be "their." Hate it when that happens.
ReplyDeleteOh MAN!! I was JUST in NW Ohio and I think not far from Bellvue, OH. I so would have visited that museum. The good news is, I'll go back again to visit family and that museum will be on my list!! I wish there was a 'master' list of stationery stores and letter-writing places....like the museum...I could consult when I was planning a trip. I have the hardest time ferreting out paper and pens on my trips (until after I get home).
ReplyDeleteOh and also meant to say to Girlzoot: I got to participate in the Loveland remailing program this year. I live not far from Loveland. We sat in a room with two long tables and got instruction from the postmistress about proper canceling and proper placement of the "cachet" (the special valentine message stamped on each envelope). I'm a paper-crafter and rubber-stamper so was very familiar with using the stamps. There were some 'rookies' and it was fun to help them with this new-to-them craft.
ReplyDelete