Halloween stamps - rerun from Rachael

 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled post to discuss Halloween stamps. One of our pen pals expressed disappointment at the non-availability of Halloween stamps this year. I've been watching the USPS website  (where you can order stamps) and noticing that Day of the Dead have been consistently available - and then WHAM - they are gone. 

I have a theory that they thought they had enough to get us through 2024 - but - there was a run on them and they are all gone - although you can always check your local USPS stations - you never know what they have in the leftovers. 

Then I wondered how many Halloween stamps there have been and how often they come out.

The first one was in 2016 and it was a set of 4 different jack-o-lanterns. They were adorable. The next ones did not come out until 2019 and those were the silhouettes of windows stamps - called Spooky Silhouettes. Very nice. And the third one was Day of the Dead which came out in 2021. 

As I recall - there is a tiny date on each stamp that designates what year the stamp came out. Those were the only ones I could find. If there are others - please let me know.

I'm guessing that we will get a new Halloween stamp next year. Or perhaps they will re-issue one of the old designs. I have no idea if they ever do that. All I know is that one time a long time ago, one of my postal worker friends told me that they always announce how many stamps of each design are printed. He saved me a sheet of the Wisconsin stamps because he knew it was a very low run and that they would not be available for very long since the collectors would be snapping them up. 

So, we have no idea how they calculate the number of stamps that they think the public will want. Some of them sell out quickly. I think the Peanuts stamps went really fast. 

I can't imagine that the number of people who are just buying stamps to send mail art is a very large number - so we would not have any pull if we asked for specific things. Or, perhaps we need to band together and make ourselves a force to contend with. I do have that blog set up that is 

The American Union of Mail Artists.   

Maybe there would be a way to reach out to our kindred spirits. My fondest dream was always to become a department within the USPS - but, I'm not sure I can make that happen. If only I were younger - I'd be all over this.

Sorry to ramble on -- I put in a couple hours digging and transplanting - and then a couple more hours finishing up all but 3 of my exchange envelopes - so I am treating myself to real-time chit chat. It's actually Sunday afternoon.

I suppose I could post one envelope today. One of my favorites that I have appropriated.

This was the blurb online that went with the silhouette stamps.

Spooky Silhouettes

Halloween has long been a holiday that lets us delight in the things that scare us. With the approach of autumn, Spooky Silhouettes stamps will offer fun, frightful scenes that symbolize this annual celebration. Four stamps feature digital illustrations in which traditional Halloween motifs are rendered as black silhouettes in eerily backlit windows. Artist Tyler Lang created the artwork. Art Director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

This is a link to a much longer blurb announcing the very first Halloween stamp.

https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2016/pr16_075.htm