Season 2, Episode 6, “The Botched Language of Cranes” Close your eyes. Wait, can you still read this? Open them! Open your eyes. Alright, don’t close your eyes. But before you read any farther, take a pause and name the top female TV fashion icons of the ‘90s. You probably remember “the Rachel,” the hairstyle... Continue Reading →
Message to the Shepherds, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi🇭🇺 Hungary, 4–30f | Issued December 1, 1943 | Scott 617–619 There are many ways to approach stamp collecting: by topic, by nation, by volume. But in any collection, primacy is a key component. What came first? The issue of what was the first Christmas stamp issue... Continue Reading →
George Rogers Clark 🇺🇸 United States, 2¢ | Issued February 25, 1929 | Scott 651 Picture this: You walk by the break room at work, and you see one. You drive home from work and check your mailbox before going inside, and there one is again. The doorbell rings, and there’s one sitting on your... Continue Reading →
International Geophysical Year stamp and official emblem on cacheted first day cover 🇺🇸 United States, 3¢ | Issued May 31, 1958 | Scott 1107 When did space exploration begin? Nailing down an origin point on such a subjective timeline is objectively impossible. Was it with the first human spaceflight in April 1961? Or when the... Continue Reading →
“Freedom” with Flag and Cigars 🇨🇺 Cuba, 2¢ | Issued December 6, 1948 | Scott CU 421 When I first saw this 2c stamp, I assumed it must have something to do with liberty, revolution, and national identity. Then I discovered it was just about cigars. I say “just”, but after doing the research for... Continue Reading →
Pan-American Exposition Issue 🇺🇸 United States, 1–10¢ | Issued May 1, 1901 | Scott 294–299 When you start to gain a grasp on early American commemorative stamps, you begin to pick up on certain series names: Columbian Exposition, “the Trans-Mississippis”, et cetera, et cetera. So, sure, I understand quality specimens can be very valuable. But... Continue Reading →
Lunar Voyage Cachets, set of 5 covers 🇺🇸 United States | Issued April 1972 Fifty years ago, three men did what barely a handful had done before them: They flew to the moon, landed, had a look around, and brought a few souvenir pebbles home. In fact, their accomplishment was much more astounding than that.... Continue Reading →
"The Little Mermaid" sculpture, Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark, 3.20 dkr | Issued February 16, 1989 | Scott DK 865 185 years ago today, the world was introduced to a story that has transformed from its original incarnation almost as fully as did its main character: “The Little Mermaid.” Written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the... Continue Reading →
Biltmore House | Asheville, North Carolina 🇺🇸 United States | Postmarked Nov 7, 1963 The Biltmore Estate bills itself as a timeless treasure. And based on this postcard photo, taken in the early 1960s, it is just that. No longer can you park your Chevy Bel Air directly in front of the home. And gone... Continue Reading →
Vincent van Gogh, “Self-Portrait with Straw Hat” 🇳🇱 Netherlands, €0.39 | Issued January 2, 2003 | Scott 1139, Michel NL 2083v Behind every painting is a story. And the same can certainly be said of stamps. Postage stamps have long borrowed from fine art, from presidential portraits painted by American masters to great works of... Continue Reading →
Armchair Philately 