I think their design selections simply reflect the interests of the younger generation. Perhaps they will inspire the younger stamp collectors or at least mail something. Seems like the only stamps I see on my mail come with stamps in the envelope.
"the interests of the younger generation"
To be honest, I do not really understand why this particular theme is so upsetting or trivial and frivolous as you call it. As far as US stamps go, there have been numerous stamps dedicated to dinosaurs, Disney characters, super heroes, star wars, famous sports personalities including football coaches (over here in the Netherlands we respond to that with "lekker belangrijk!") etc. etc. There have been stamps dedicated to popular culture for more than 30 years.
I have never been much into role playing games, but just looking at the stamps I would say these aren't the worst I have seen. And besides that, this is based on games people play and not just a marketing stunt for hyper commercial film characters.
But that is just my opinion.
Jan-Simon
The game came out in the 1970's. There are many older people who have fond memories of the game. I am one of them.
Great Britain is also coming out with a sheet of stamps for Dungeons and Dragons. Although I have no interest in this subject, I would bet that they will sell better than the now politically correct Henry Aaron stamp or the Alex Trebek stamp.
I think these stamps were a great idea. Nerd culture rules!
Josh
Seriously? A stamp for Hank Aaron, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is "politically correct"?
@Logistical1,
Love the Jim Beam in your Avatar picture! Honestly, I don't think there is ANYTHING they could put on postage stamps to get younger people interested. They simply don't care about stamps or mail for that matter. In my opinion, they never will.
@Jan-Simon,
I hear ya. You've got your opinion; that's cool. I just grew up thinking that the subjects of postage stamps were reserved for the HIGHEST ideals, our best citizens, the most important values that our society had to offer. We went from Thomas Jefferson "we hold these truths..." to Bart Simpson "eat my shorts". Not an improvement. Just another sign of the times Dawg. Additionally, why do we want to memorialize and endorse a commercially available product like Marvel Comics and D&D (produced by Hasbro)? What's next? The McDonald's stamp? the Coca-Cola Christmas stamps (oh, wait..they already did that.)?
@joshtanski,
Nerd culture, yes! We also need Garbage Pail Kids, Voltron and Big League Chew on stamps!
As to Santa Claus and Coca Cola: yes, that's old news in a way. The way father Christmas evolved from St. Nicholas to red cheeked chubby Santa has a lot (everything?) to do with Coca Cola marketing.
" that's old news in a way."
I believe the USPS policy is to sell that people will buy them (some topical interest) and mail use is not one of them. The US Mint has been doing it for years. It is just for the money and little about collecting. In the past we would usuallt see ONE design, now we get many with the goal to get you to buy an entire sheet. It is like the Alex Tribek stamp. He is not even shown on the stamp. Of course, I do not think he deserves a stamp more than many other people either,
"I believe the USPS policy is to sell that people will buy them....It is just for the money"
@ernieinjax I agree with Garbage Pail Kids, those would make a great sheet of 20 stamps. Voltron is technically Japanese, unsure if the USPS is allowed to commemorate. Transformers or He-Man/She-ra maybe. Not Big League Chew - unsure what that has to do with nerd culture, nerds do not play sports. I personally would love stamps featuring 1980s - 1990s cartoons or video games. But video games have the same problem as Voltron, a lot of the good ones were Japanese.
Here's another question - can USPS commemorate someone who is not American is they contributed something of significant international impact? I am thinking like a Shigeru Miyamoto or Linus Torvalds? They did honor Mother Theresa.
Josh
Josh,
Good question. Are there any non-Americans on US stamps? I feel like I should know the answer right off the top of my head...
Many people are featured on US stamps that are not US citizens. Churchill, Pulaski, Shakespeare, many explorers, foreigners who assisted with our fight for independence. There is a long list.
Vince
The USPS's Harry Potter stamps were the ultimate sell out in my opinion?
Erniejax said, " I just grew up thinking that the subjects of postage stamps were reserved for the HIGHEST ideals, our best citizens, the most important values that our society had to offer."
In theory, yes. As you said, that's what stamps were supposed to portray. But did they? I hope that we citizens of free, democratic counties have matured enough to realize that our best-known politicians, educators, scientists, musicians, actors, soldiers, sailors, Marines, generals, admirals, artists, presidents, philosophers, explorers, poets, kings, queens, princes, princesses, authors, journalists, mathematicians, etc. are at the end of the day just people, sharing similar intelligence, desires, interests, and problems. Just as "ordinary citizens," like most of us, do not necessarily operate with the "highest ideals," neither do those "best citizens".
Read a bit of history, read some biographies and autobiographies, delve into various archives, and you'll soon learn that the people who are often greatly honoured (and remunerated) by society are not people you would want your daughter or your son to marry. You probably wouldn't want to sit down for a cup of coffee with them, loan them money, or introduce them to friends.
I consider that something like 99.9% of stamps are nothing but little propaganda labels that governmentsand oligarchs learned, long ago, they could use line their pockets. Which is to say that most stamps are political in nature.
Bob
@Bob,
Never said or thought they were perfect. But many did contribute to the betterment of society.
Maybe we just scrap the idea of honoring anyone or anything on stamps and just slap a denomination/bar code everything.
JFK? Perfect man? Perfect husband?
I think not. Worthy of a stamp? You betcha.
Ernie
Given we have forever stamps, there is no need for endless annual refreshes except to try to sell something new. Not many have a need for wedding stamps every year (meaning same person getting married). This can apply to holiday stamps (CNY, Christmas, etc). These annual issues crowding the issues program are probably used as an excuse to not release more history relevant stamps.
If you look at the CSAC criteria many of these issues fail to meet every justification except the one general excuse clause.
It's been said that a nation's stamps are a reflection of what's important to its people. The USPS Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee's descent into the trivial and frivolous is complete.
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
I think their design selections simply reflect the interests of the younger generation. Perhaps they will inspire the younger stamp collectors or at least mail something. Seems like the only stamps I see on my mail come with stamps in the envelope.
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
"the interests of the younger generation"
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
To be honest, I do not really understand why this particular theme is so upsetting or trivial and frivolous as you call it. As far as US stamps go, there have been numerous stamps dedicated to dinosaurs, Disney characters, super heroes, star wars, famous sports personalities including football coaches (over here in the Netherlands we respond to that with "lekker belangrijk!") etc. etc. There have been stamps dedicated to popular culture for more than 30 years.
I have never been much into role playing games, but just looking at the stamps I would say these aren't the worst I have seen. And besides that, this is based on games people play and not just a marketing stunt for hyper commercial film characters.
But that is just my opinion.
Jan-Simon
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
The game came out in the 1970's. There are many older people who have fond memories of the game. I am one of them.
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Great Britain is also coming out with a sheet of stamps for Dungeons and Dragons. Although I have no interest in this subject, I would bet that they will sell better than the now politically correct Henry Aaron stamp or the Alex Trebek stamp.
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
I think these stamps were a great idea. Nerd culture rules!
Josh
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Seriously? A stamp for Hank Aaron, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is "politically correct"?
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
@Logistical1,
Love the Jim Beam in your Avatar picture! Honestly, I don't think there is ANYTHING they could put on postage stamps to get younger people interested. They simply don't care about stamps or mail for that matter. In my opinion, they never will.
@Jan-Simon,
I hear ya. You've got your opinion; that's cool. I just grew up thinking that the subjects of postage stamps were reserved for the HIGHEST ideals, our best citizens, the most important values that our society had to offer. We went from Thomas Jefferson "we hold these truths..." to Bart Simpson "eat my shorts". Not an improvement. Just another sign of the times Dawg. Additionally, why do we want to memorialize and endorse a commercially available product like Marvel Comics and D&D (produced by Hasbro)? What's next? The McDonald's stamp? the Coca-Cola Christmas stamps (oh, wait..they already did that.)?
@joshtanski,
Nerd culture, yes! We also need Garbage Pail Kids, Voltron and Big League Chew on stamps!
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
As to Santa Claus and Coca Cola: yes, that's old news in a way. The way father Christmas evolved from St. Nicholas to red cheeked chubby Santa has a lot (everything?) to do with Coca Cola marketing.
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
" that's old news in a way."
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
I believe the USPS policy is to sell that people will buy them (some topical interest) and mail use is not one of them. The US Mint has been doing it for years. It is just for the money and little about collecting. In the past we would usuallt see ONE design, now we get many with the goal to get you to buy an entire sheet. It is like the Alex Tribek stamp. He is not even shown on the stamp. Of course, I do not think he deserves a stamp more than many other people either,
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
"I believe the USPS policy is to sell that people will buy them....It is just for the money"
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
@ernieinjax I agree with Garbage Pail Kids, those would make a great sheet of 20 stamps. Voltron is technically Japanese, unsure if the USPS is allowed to commemorate. Transformers or He-Man/She-ra maybe. Not Big League Chew - unsure what that has to do with nerd culture, nerds do not play sports. I personally would love stamps featuring 1980s - 1990s cartoons or video games. But video games have the same problem as Voltron, a lot of the good ones were Japanese.
Here's another question - can USPS commemorate someone who is not American is they contributed something of significant international impact? I am thinking like a Shigeru Miyamoto or Linus Torvalds? They did honor Mother Theresa.
Josh
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Josh,
Good question. Are there any non-Americans on US stamps? I feel like I should know the answer right off the top of my head...
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Many people are featured on US stamps that are not US citizens. Churchill, Pulaski, Shakespeare, many explorers, foreigners who assisted with our fight for independence. There is a long list.
Vince
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
The USPS's Harry Potter stamps were the ultimate sell out in my opinion?
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Erniejax said, " I just grew up thinking that the subjects of postage stamps were reserved for the HIGHEST ideals, our best citizens, the most important values that our society had to offer."
In theory, yes. As you said, that's what stamps were supposed to portray. But did they? I hope that we citizens of free, democratic counties have matured enough to realize that our best-known politicians, educators, scientists, musicians, actors, soldiers, sailors, Marines, generals, admirals, artists, presidents, philosophers, explorers, poets, kings, queens, princes, princesses, authors, journalists, mathematicians, etc. are at the end of the day just people, sharing similar intelligence, desires, interests, and problems. Just as "ordinary citizens," like most of us, do not necessarily operate with the "highest ideals," neither do those "best citizens".
Read a bit of history, read some biographies and autobiographies, delve into various archives, and you'll soon learn that the people who are often greatly honoured (and remunerated) by society are not people you would want your daughter or your son to marry. You probably wouldn't want to sit down for a cup of coffee with them, loan them money, or introduce them to friends.
I consider that something like 99.9% of stamps are nothing but little propaganda labels that governmentsand oligarchs learned, long ago, they could use line their pockets. Which is to say that most stamps are political in nature.
Bob
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
@Bob,
Never said or thought they were perfect. But many did contribute to the betterment of society.
Maybe we just scrap the idea of honoring anyone or anything on stamps and just slap a denomination/bar code everything.
JFK? Perfect man? Perfect husband?
I think not. Worthy of a stamp? You betcha.
Ernie
re: New Dungeons and Dragons Stamps
Given we have forever stamps, there is no need for endless annual refreshes except to try to sell something new. Not many have a need for wedding stamps every year (meaning same person getting married). This can apply to holiday stamps (CNY, Christmas, etc). These annual issues crowding the issues program are probably used as an excuse to not release more history relevant stamps.
If you look at the CSAC criteria many of these issues fail to meet every justification except the one general excuse clause.