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Tuesday 22 May 2007

Royal Mail Are Driving Us Potty

John who is moderator and group owner of the Stamps of Great Britain web site brings us news of a new miniature sheet ( and a set of stamps) added to Royal Mails program at the last minute.

The miniature sheet will consist of of 5 x 1st class definitive stamps showing the Hogwarts crest and the crest of the 4 school houses - Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. The issue date for these new stamps is 17th July 2007.

Are Machins on the way out and being gradually replaced with these trivia type definitives? God knows what they have planned for next year.

Take a look for your self and you decide. Do we really want these? My tongue in cheek comment on these new issues is reproduced below.

Wow!

We still have a gap in the program for 2007.

Im sure if Royal Mail thought deeply enough they could give us a couple of more new issues for August as well. Fanny Cradocks pudding recipes, or the anniversary the nine o clock news come to mind.

My am I so pleased ( and richer) now I no longer have an account for new issues.

These people at Royal Mail are now clearly taking the micky, and stamp collectors for a ride ( not on Harrys magic broomstick ), how on earth do collectors let them get away it?

What do you think? Are to many GB stamps issued each year?

If you are interested and wish to take a look, a link has been placed below to an image of the Harry Potter commemorative stamps. This is a to good an opportunity to miss, to glean more revenue so expect a smilers sheet too.

http://groups.msn.com/StampsofGreatBritain/newstampstobeissuedin2007.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=710

5 comments:

Postman Phat said...

Yes, Royal Mail are taking the piss. They know that stamp collecting is still a money-spinner. But what is so special, really, about the Harry Potter books? The recent Beatles albums, depicting a still-living non-Royal? How did they get away with that?

Anonymous said...

I agree royal mail seem to think that collecters will buy "any old tosh" especially where they seem to get at us best is stick one stamp you can't buy individually (sp) with a load that cost £2.50 or a £5 for the set.
I do however think the Beatles set was a statement with all the perfs being multi faced, quite a nice touch :)

Anonymous said...

Just because Royal Mail calls the stamps in the miniature sheet definitives doesn't make them definitives. There is, I think, a pretty widely accepted definition of what a definitive is. Unless these stamps appear later in a more convenient format (sheet or booklet) and remain on sale for a prolonged period of time, they are just commemoratives that have drunk Polyjuice Potion and look somewhat vaguely like definitives.

Anonymous said...

Larry stated "Polyjuice Potion and look somewhat vaguely like definitives"

I do know a smilers sheet is planned with a difference, but I think perhaps Larry is correct, these will be known as commemoratives..

Just one thing, did you NOT mean UGLYJUICE POTION?

Anonymous said...

You are going to hate me...although I agree with you that Royal Mail are issuing FAR too many stamps (not to mention all the ridiculous miniature sheets, Smilers sheets, Prestige Booklets etc etc etc) and I agree that it is getting stupidly expensive and all about Royal Mail profits ... BUT! I like the Harry Potter stamps and I think it is fantastic that Royal Mail are making stamp collecting relevent and accessible for younger generations. It should evolve. I just hope we'll see some of the Harry Potter stamps actually used for postage so kids get to see them. There you go, now you can shoot me! :-)