Stamp Collecting

Many collectors looked forward to the debut of the Bob Hope stamp on May 29, 2009.

Not only stamp collectors, but also fans of comedy in general and Bob Hope in particular anticipated the stamp’s release.

The history of the Bob Hope stamp release and the first day cancellation caricatures is an interesting one that bears repeating.

The best first day cancellations do what is fairly difficult to accomplish when designing a postmark – capture the essence and personality of the subject in a way that attracts and interests collectors, but make it so that it can be reproduced in a small enough size and simple lines that are needed for a cancellation.

Many wondered if it would be possible to capture the larger-than-life personality of an American icon like Bob Hope in such a cancellation.

The research team studied reams of material in developing the Bob Hope stamp cancellation. In the process of this research, the team came upon drawings of Hope by a popular artist, Al Hirschfeld.

The team thought the drawings captured Hope and his personality well, but discarded them because they assumed the legal issues including copyright would prohibit their use. They put the drawings aside for a time, and moved on with researching other possibilities.

However, once a member of the team decided to give it a try, they found success. In short order, all obstacles were removed, and the caricatures were incorporated into the cancellations.

Stamp collectors and Bob Hope lovers alike are delighted not only with the Bob Hope stamp, but also the cancellations which, in this case, an important completion to the image on the stamp itself.

The drawings add the touch of whimsy and delight to the stately portrait of a smiling but subdued Hope. In the combination, you see not only Hope the ambassador of good will and humor, but Hope the cutup on the Road to Morocco or wherever else he was traveling that day.

On Friday, May 29, 2009 the stamp was officially launched. The date was chosen because it would have been Hope’s 106^th birthday. He died at the age of 100 in 2003. His wife, Delores, celebrated her 100^th birthday the Wednesday before the ceremony, but she was not able to travel to the release ceremony.

The Bob Hope stamp first day ceremonies were held on board the USS Midway in San Diego. Hope was well known for his charitable performances for the troops in cars since WWII. He’s the first citizen to receive a Congressional recognition as an honorary U.S. Armed Services veteran, event though he never officially served in any branch of the military.

He performed twice on the USS Midway during his military visits.

Collectors can purchase the first day issue of the stamp through July 29. The stamps can be purchased at their local post office, the Post Office web site (www.usps.com) or over the phone at 1-800-STAMP-24.

The stamps should be placed on envelopes addressed to the collector or others, placed in a large manilla envelope, then mailed to

Bob Hope Stamp

Postmaster

PO Box 85530

San Diego, CA  92186-5530

The envelopes will be postmarked with the first day postmark and mailed to the recipients with no additional charge.

Photo Credits: dbking

Originally posted 2009-06-02 10:46:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Stamps -> United States -> Possessions

If you’re a stamp collector or you want to start collecting stamps, there are many resources available to you to help you determine stamp value. Books, websites and organizations allow you to look up a stamp and determine the likely value of it based on the type of the stamp and its condition. How exactly a stamp’s value is determined might seem a vague process to you, but it’s actually a very detailed one.

Stamp value is determined by a variety of factors such as centering, gumming, the degree of cancellation, and the perforation condition.

How the stamp design is centered is the first marker of stamp value. There’s no system or scale for precisely grading how a stamp is centered, though, just a careful examination of the stamp lets you determine if the design is centered. Not surprisingly, this “eyeballing” approach leaves lots of room for some interpretation and argument. A professional who studies stamps, known as a philatelist, can judge the centering with a more practiced eyes.

If a glance tells you the design is off-center enough that the design is lost to the edge of the stamp and the perforation, the centering is considered to be poor. Average centering means that the design suffers from lack of space on one side or two, without the perforation cutting into the design. A fine to very fine center will have a more centered design, but with uneven borders ranging in degree. Superb centering is perfect, and much more valuable, while jumbo refers to stamps with over-sized margins, which generally carry the most stamp value.

Gumming also determines stamp value. The condition of the back of the stamp, whether the stamp has been hinged for collection, whether the gum is in its original condition or has been removed, all affect the price and can be a major factor in determining the value of early 19th century stamps.

The degree of cancellation is used to determine stamp value when the stamp is used and the gum is gone because of it. The cancellation or postage mark on the stamp either makes the stamp lightly canceled and more valuable, when the design still shows well, or heavily canceled, which means the design is obscured and rarely visible.

The condition of the perforation is also considered when determining stamp value. Some stamps aren’t perforated at all and need to be cut, while others are designed with a straight, cut edge. Perforations are judged by whether they show some design of the stamp next to it on a sheet, whether they’re shorter than normal, and whether or not the punch is good or bits of paper remain between the teeth of the perforation. The least valuable type is reperforated, where someone has trimmed and reperforated a stamp to give it a more uniform appearance.

Judge your stamp by these benchmarks and you’ll be better able to determine stamp value with a book, or when browsing for new stamps in stores or auctions.

Originally posted 2008-10-11 05:00:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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