Postage Stamps

2-22-10 Postage Stamps

Two of my hobbies collide!

The curious items pictured are, in fact, postage stamps from England. That’s right – if one lived in England, you could purchase a “Ziggy Stardust” stamp!

I am very OK with most of these (Pink Floyd, Blur, Rolling Stones, The Clash, Mike Oldfield, David Bowie). I don’t think you can actually buy them separately.

They come in a nice “presentation pack”, and on the reverse is information about the year of issue etc. The blurb on the back is about ‘Hipgnosis’ showing Brand X “Moroccan Roll”! And this is printed by / for the British government! Also pictured on the back are Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon”, Led Zeppelin “Presence” and 10cc “How Dare You”. I wonder if there are other designers on other ‘folders’?

I collected British Commonwealth postage stamps for several years, when I was a youth. After that, I did US Commemoratives. Up until about 1970 or so. I had a flirtation with coins, followed by back-issue magazines (Mad, National Lampoon etc.) I think my stamp collection is around here, someplace. Haven’t seen it lately, however.

Just imagine if every country did this – putting famous LP’s onto postage stamps? Would New Zealand have a Split Enz postage stamp? Would Holland have a stamp for The Nits? Or Golden Earring?

These stamps were sent to me by a pre-internet friend in England. I read about them on-line, and I actually asked for them. They are a lot cooler than they looked on-line. I think when I first asked him, I said I wanted a sheet of “Ziggy Stardust” stamps, or something like that.

Interesting that the British government (who made the stamps) appear to be unconcerned with the personal lives of some of the artists here – I mean, they had recently arrested members of The Rolling Stones when “Let It Bleed” came along. And aren’t New Order faux neo-nazis? Weren’t Pink Floyd famous for being an ‘acid’ band? And I believe there are some outspoken aspects to Primal Scream.

I want the U.S. to make stamps of Ernest Tubb, Porter Wagoner, Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Waylon Jennings, Stringbean, Minnie Pearl, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves etc. (They’re never going to make “Psychedelic Heroes” postage stamps, with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison etc.)

Which brings me to: I guess the British must be able to make stamps with living people on ‘em? The guy smashing the bass on The Clash album, David Bowie…still walking around…