Message Board Home Bookstore Hot Links

Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

A look back at 2010.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

It was quite a year for stamp collectors.

The top three officials of the U-S Postal Service who oversee the issuing of stamps are 
retiring, all at once ― Postmaster General Jack Potter, Stamp Services Chief Dave 
Failor, and the manager of Stamp Development, Terry McCaffrey. who says it was just 
coincidence

"I think it was just sort of an odd coupling." :02

McCaffrey suffered a major heart attack a year ago, and decided to call it a career. 

"If I had left anything undone, I'd probably still be here." :03

Failor turned 55 and is going to the United NATIONS Postal Administration. Potter is 
also 55, but we don't know his plans yet.

The Postal Service also announced that ALL future commemoratives will be Forever stamps -- 
good to mail a letter, even if rates increase.

Meanwhile, the agency continues to lose loads of money, which affects services for stamp 
collectors.

Scott Stamp Monthly became a part of Linn's Stamp News, a weekly newspaper owned by the 
same company, thus ending 90 years as an independent magazine.

The National Postal Museum persuaded half a dozen or so members of Congress to display 
parts of their stamp collections on Capitol Hill ― a first. The Museum, part of 
the Smithsonian, also announced plans for a major expansion, thanks to financier Bill 
Gross, who donated 8 million dollars.

At the American Philatelic Society, the nation's major stamp collectors organization, 
popular staffer Ken Martin was promoted to executive director, but ― in unrelated 
moves ― the top two librarians left.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamps collecting, 
and to see what 2011 brings, visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

----------------------------------------------------------
Go to Previous Report
Go to Next Report 

Go to Report Index
Return to Virtual Stamp Club Home Page