Stamp Of The Week

A few weeks ago, I acquired a banker’s box worth of older United States Post Office issued year books; each with a packet of that year’s commemorative stamps. The years of these books run from the mid seventies to the early nineties. They are all in post office fresh condition, never opened, which made this an extra special procurement.

I have to say, they are really neat offerings celebrating a given year’s commemorative issues.

The early issues of these books, from the nineteen seventies, consisted of just a glossy folder to mount the stamps in. The folder included a paragraph or two of information on the subject of each stamp.

By the nineteen nineties, the post office developed them into bound, hard cover books. They are smartly designed and the graphics are lavish. The quality of the printing, weight and finish of the pages, and the album’s cover, are of impressive quality. The background story of each stamp’s subject was expanded to several pages. Photos of the stamps’ designers are included in the table of contents.

Over time their price tags have increased substantialy too; from around eight dollars to a current price of sixty four dollars.

Here are a few pics of the 1995 album.

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After looking at a few of these albums I am definitely including them in my collection. The shelves of stock books and vinyl binders full of sheets in my office need a little verity.