Canada Post 2011 Christmas Stamps and Christmas Postal Deadlines Schedule

Is it starting to seem like Christmas is right around the corner? That might be the case, especially with three key holiday symbols popping up in the last 24 hours. 1.) Today was Calgary’s first snowfall. 2.) I saw my first 2011 “holiday section” in a department store last night (although my friends ensure me these sections have been on display for days/weeks.) 3.) Canada Post sent the newsroom an e-mail with its 2011 holiday stamps.

For fans of philately and stamp collecting, here’s a look at two of Canada Post’s 2011 Christmas stamps. The artwork is taken from the beautiful stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Kingston, Ontario.

And, if you’re looking for an update from Canada Post on its holiday mailing deadlines, check out the following info.

 

From Canada Post:

(Ottawa) – A country as diverse as Canada means that holiday greetings are sent literally around the world, and Canada Post reminds everyone that it is already time to think about planning international holiday mailings. There are several mailing options to ensure delivery in foreign countries in time for the holidays and each product has its specific mailing deadline.

Holiday cards and packages can be sent through Canada Post to anywhere in the world and Canada Post has a service to suit everyone’s needs and budget. Holiday greetings can be sent via Letter-post, Surface Parcel, Air Parcel, Xpresspost™ and Priority™ Worldwide.

The earliest suggested deadline for the most economical parcel service is October 12 for Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Parcels for Central and South America, Asia and Australia should be sent by October 18; and October 25 for Carribean and European destinations. Parcels shipped to the US should be sent by December 8. Canada Post does offer priority services for those who cannot meet these early-bird special rates.

Below is a summary of all international mailing dates:

Holiday Cards		Holiday Packages
Mailing to…	I’m ready early	I want the most economical service…	Took me longer than I thought…		I’m at the last minute…
	Letter-post	Surface Parcel	Air Parcel	Xpresspost™	Priority™ Worldwide
Africa	November 22	October 12	November 22	December 1	December 15
Asia	November 29	October 18	November 29	December 6	December 17
Australia	November 29	October 18	—	December 6	December 16
Caribbean	November 29	October 25	November 29	December 6	December 17
Central/South America	November 29	October 18	November 22	December 1	December 17
Europe	November 29	October 25	November 29	December 6	December 17
Middle East	November 29	October 12	November 29	December 6	December 17
New Zealand	November 29	October 12	—	December 6	December 16
USA	December 13	December 8	—	December 16	December 20

Canada Post has a solution for domestic mailers as well, a package sent via Priority™ Next A.M. will be accepted up to December 22. Regular Parcels going across the country need to be in the mail system by December 12. Greeting cards going outside a province should be mailed by December 15; within a province by December 16; and local greetings should be in the mail by December 19.
Even though there is still plenty of time to send holiday greetings and gifts within Canada, last year Canada Post delivered over a million cards and packages during the holiday season. It really is important to mail holiday items in time to avoid disappointment.


Order you stamp supplies early and in time for Christmas delivery from www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2011/11/04/its-starting-to-feel-like-christmas-seasonal-stamps-arrive/

"The Adventures of Tintin" exhibition opens at Singapore Philatelic Museum

SINGAPORE: Rarely seen original stamp artworks of the comic series, "The Adventures of Tintin", will be on display for the first time at the Singapore Philatelic Museum from Friday till May next year.

The character Tintin was created in 1929 by famous Belgian comic artist Georges Remi, also known as Hergé.

The exhibition aims to celebrate the works of Hergé, explore the influences in his work and career, and the development of characters in the comic series.

It will feature a full range of Tintin postage stamps issued by Belgium, France, the Netherlands as well as from the Permanent Collection at the museum. The exhibition will also feature rare stamps, colour trials and other philatelic materials from the Museum Voor Communicatie in the Netherlands and L'Adresse Musée de La Poste in France.

The exhibition coincides with the release of the animated movie "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn".

"The Adventures of Tintin" series of comic books has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.
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Source:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1163297/1/.html

History in miniature - Stamp Collecting

WITH the art of letter-writing seemingly consigned to the dustbin of history by global internet usage, you could be forgiven for thinking that the sound of the death knell for stamp-collecting cannot be far behind.

But for philatelist and director of the Cyprus Postal Musuem Ploutis Loizou, nothing is further from the truth.

“Seventy per cent of collectors are actually under the age of 40,” he says.

The museum, housed in a traditional house in Nicosia’s old city, is a treasure trove of Cypriot history which, according to Loizou, is still highly relevant.

Loizou has put his life and soul into making the museum an alluring place ever since it fell under his auspices in 2004. Originally set up at a different down town location in 1981, it took a lot of work to get the new space organised when Loizou took over. But it was a labour of love for Loizou who has collected stamps ever since he was a young boy when relatives in Africa would send letters back home.

“Imagine how I felt when we would see stamps with elephants and tigers on them when I was eight years old!” he reminisces. As years went by and his stamp collection grew, little did he know that he would one day be surrounded by not hundreds, but thousands of stamps lined up in glass cases along the whitewashed walls.

“This is our history, it’s all here,” he says passionately as he gets up to take me into one of the exhibition rooms that take visitors back in time.

“Look at this, take a close look,” he says. Before me is a ‘Penny Red’ stamp boasting a portrait of Queen Victoria with a characteristic overprint of the word “Cyprus”. Dating back to 1880, it’s the first official stamp to have ever circulated in the country, issued by the British shortly after their arrival on the island in 1878.

Ploutis then engages in a full blown explanation of how the post worked before this date. Apparently Cyprus philatelic history began in 1343, with the first known letter sent from Famagusta to Constantinople. Foreign mail was carried by the captains of various ships and the foreign consulates in Larnaca. Inland mail was carried by privately hired muleteers. In 1837 Austrian Lloyd opened an agency in Larnaca and a post office was immediately established to carry mail via the shipping company’s steamers. At this point, blue and black imprints were simply used to mark the letters. Once the British took over, the Austrian post office immediately closed down and British stamps came into circulation shortly after.

But what’s perhaps most interesting, are the images that the stamps begin to portray as the years go by. “Although for a great number of years they only depicted British monarchs - albeit always overprinted with the word Cyprus - the stamps later take on a more local character as the British begin to include scenes from the island,” explains Loizou. “And these stamps were so successful among collectors that they kept on releasing more.”

He points to a series released in 1928 to mark the 50th anniversary of British rule as one of his “absolute favourite” with their images of Bellapais, Richard the Lionheart and the Larnaca Tekke.
Once Cyprus gained its independence in 1960, Cypriot philately really came into its own. We soon enter a different room which sheds light on a definitive set of three stamps bearing the map of Cyprus and commemorating the proclamation of the republic. “Stamps show you the history of your country and of the whole world,” he proclaims. He goes on to highlight stamps used to commemorate a number of important events including a Kennedy series issued in his honour for speaking out about “self determination for Cyprus” in a speech given in 1956.

The issue of a refugee stamp depicting a crouching lady behind barbed wire priced at 10 mills after the 1974 invasion is an obvious indication of political unrest. Other more modern issues show the wild flowers of the island, birds of prey, sporting events and political milestones.

One of the latest additions now circulating is a rather innovative scented ‘Rosa damascena’ stamp aimed at giving the receiver of the letter a whiff of the roses of Cyprus. And when it comes down to the design process, apparently it’s a long ordeal, with the modern day issues resting on the creativity of a group of young artists who take part in specialised seminars to learn about new technology and techniques. Sketches are then prepared months in advance before the final image goes to print, with about four to five series issued each year.

In the final room of the museum, you’ll come across scales used to weigh letters in days gone by, charming old bicycles, typewriters and sticks of original red brick wax used for sealing packages.
And with the man in charge himself excited about delving into every little detail about what’s on show, it comes as no surprise that he is keen on anyone interested in valuing their stamps or starting a collection to get in touch with him.

At this point I wonder how many people really take stamp collecting seriously on the island. “Oh there are thousands of collectors,” he replies.

And the government is trying to encourage an interest in stamps with schoolchildren now given packages on stamp collecting with a slogan reading “miniature treasure that grows with time”. And with that, Loizou pulls out a number of thick books that point to the history of the island through stamps.

“The adventures of people on the island, the great figures of history, the culture, the tourist attractions we have, our monuments. It’s all here,” he beams.

Out comes another bulky book, but this time, it’s a price catalogue. Turns out that the Penny Red, the very first stamp issued here by the British in 1880, could be worth a staggering €50,000. In an era that’s now taken over by computer and mobile communications, maybe it’s high time we paid more attention to that good old fashioned pen and paper.

The Cyprus Postal Museum, 3B Ayios Savvas St, across from Ayios Savvas Church, Old Nicosia. Monday-Friday 9am-3pm. Saturday 9am-1pm. Tel: 22-304711

Stanley Gibbons Opens new Office and is Welcomed to Hong Kong

News-Antique.com - Oct 31,2011 - The Stanley Gibbons Group plc, the AIM listed Company which trades in rare stamps, rare coins and historical documents and signatures for collectors and investors marked the opening of its new Asia office with a champagne reception for clients and dignitaries at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong last week.

Assistant Trade Commissioner, Claire Ip, speaking on behalf of the UKTI said, “We in UKTI Hong Kong have been working with Stanley Gibbons since 2008 and we are delighted to see that they have now established an office here. This demonstrates their commitment to what is a very important market. We look forward to continuing to work alongside Stanley Gibbons in the future to help build on their success”.
Deputy Trade Commissioner John Woodruffe gave a short speech at the reception welcoming the Stanley Gibbons Group to Hong Kong which was followed by a presentation by Stanley Gibbons CEO, Mike Hall, who spoke about Stanley Gibbons plans for the future.
The reception marked the culmination of more than twelve months preparation by the Group, who have also recently launched a China Rare Stamp Index which tracks the change in prices of rare Chinese stamps and shows an average annual growth of 44% between November 2006 and April 2011.

Examples of rare stamps and autographs traded by the Group were on display throughout the event including a signed, hand-written Mozart manuscript, original Einstein letter and Bruce Lee martial-arts manual.
The Hong Kong office is a major step forward in the Group’s plans for international growth. It also places Stanley Gibbons in a strong position to buy rare Chinese stamps to satisfy increased market demand both in Britain and in Asia as well as satisfying demand in the region for stable, tangible investments and trophy assets from a highly reputable source.

Visit www.boscastlesupplies.com for your stamp collecting supplies.

Tasmanian plate block sets itself apart from the rest at Australian colonies auction

'Stamps continue to perform admirably' with Tasmania the star at Prestige's Australian sale.

If a stamp is rare enough, condition is less important for the knowledgeable buyer. That's the message given by the ugly little piece of paper shown below, which sold for $4,830 at a recent Melbourne auction.

Prestige Philately achieved this remarkable result in their "Australian Colonies/States" auction, though the star was a plate block in fine condition.

The initials 'I.E.' stand for "Intestate Estates", one of the most elusive of the 50 or so South Australian government departments that used their own official issues between 1868 and 1874. Only a few examples of this stamp are recorded in private hands.

The auction was the latest in a string of "name sales" and concept sales held in recent years by Prestige Philately.

Auctioneer Gary Watson said "This offering was a bit of a risk, because some aspects of Colonies philately have been rather soft over the past decade".

No looker, but desirable just the same: The Intestate Estate Southern Australian overprint stamp

He was therefore very pleased that, of the 1100 lots on offer, 82% were sold, with the total realisations being equal to 90% of the total estimates. The all-inclusive final result was a very healthy $741,000.
The auction kicked off with a fine collection of colourful American Fleet Cards formed by well-known collector and one-time auctioneer, Hugh Freeman from Sydney.

Issued in 1908 to commemorate the visit to Australia of the American "Great White Fleet" this visually appealing material attracted strong interest. Top price of $6,900 was paid for the unique New South Wales 1d card with 'OS/NSW'' perfin.

One highlight of the Tasmania section was an interesting collection of revenues formed by Michael Blake from Adelaide. $1,437 was paid for a master die proof of the 1880 Platypus design. Errors in this series were popular, with a plate block of 6 with double 'REVENUE' overprint selling for $2,990 or almost three times estimate.

Unissued Tasmanian stamp plate block in wonderful condition (The devil's in the detail)

This section also included the highest priced lot in the sale. $29,900 was paid for plate blocks of 8 of the unissued 2/6d and 10/- prepared in 1886. These blocks were previously sold in the first Australia Post archival sale-by-tender back in 1987. The price on that occasion was a mere $1,200.

Summing up the auction, Gary Watson observed that the market for fine material remains very strong.
"With the financial markets fluctuating wildly, with shares and property prices under pressure, it's great to see that stamps and covers continue to perform admirably.

"Many of our clients find that their collecting interests take their minds off the pressures of day to day life, and that has to be a good thing", he said.

In general Prestige's results will bring confidence to collectors of the British Empire/Commonwealth. Of course they should be contented in any case, given the successes of the Steinberg and Chartwell collections.

Source:http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/STAMPS/Tasmanian-plate-block-sets-itself-apart-from-the-rest-at-Australian-colonies-auction/8715.page?catid=80