We talk about a lot of things here at the Pink Palace, but have we talked in-depth about stamps?
That noise you just heard was Amanda sitting up to text me exactly what dates and times we have discussed stamps. I know we’ve mentioned them, but I got a USPS Philatelic catalog in the mail (is this something that just happens as you age? You get AARP invitations and philatelic catalogs? Not a complaint, btw) and y’all.
First of all, look at the cover. How was I supposed to resist this? How cute is the Betty White stamp – the little paw earring!
But this catalog!
I’ve been reading it like it’s the Sears Wish Book combined with the Spiegel catalog.
Remember Spiegel? WOW did I think I’d be wearing all that as an adult. By which I mean, that entire grey ensemble. Gloves and all.
Did you know there are other products aside from stamps that are available when a new featured stamp is released?
Yesterday, May 2, 2025, the Goodnight Moon stamps were released. I LOVE these.
Goodnight Moon Stamps, USPS, $11.68
BUT WAIT. THERE’S MORE.
There are Goodnight Moon Field Notes notebooks – four for $23! (No, I’m not being sponsored by the US Postal Service. I’m just nerding out over nostalgia.)
The postmark stamp is the First Day of Issue postmark – the cow! The moon!
There are Betty White Field Notes, too.
There’s also a writing kit that 12 year old me would have flipped over:
Goodnight Moon Writing Kit, USPS, $28
The stationery! The seals! I would have written SO many letters.
Goodnight Moon is particularly near to my heart because my older child Freebird’s first word at about 9 or 10 months was, “Twoooo” while pointing at the two little kittens and the pair of mittens.” Every time I see an illustration from the book, or the book itself, a little piece of me melts in happiness.
Given that said older child is nearly 20 and coming home from college next week, thinking about them at 9 months is a particularly misty proposition as far as my eyes are concerned. (Yes, this is the same Freebird – not their real name – with whom I was pregnant when SBTB started.) (Yes, I’m as shocked as you. What is time.)
Also – did you know there were Dungeons & Dragons stamps, too?
And the Field Notes are VERY cool:
They’re for playing D&D, too! Per the description:
…these special edition notebooks specifically formatted with empty charts and tables for fantasy role-playing. The set includes 3 Character Journals, 1 Monster/Encounter Journal, and 1 Game Master Journal.
The Character Journals help you track your D&D characters’ statistics, spells, weapons, treasure, history, and more. Inside, you’ll find empty charts, tables, and spaces for all of the data normally found on a character sheet, including plenty of space to document your adventure level by level.
The first half of the Monster/Encounter Journal features space to design 15 unforgettable encounters, and the second half gives you ample space to create 15 unique and completely original monsters.
The Game Master Journal is the perfect companion for the big-picture world-building that so many game masters strive for. Inside you’ll find empty charts, tables, hex grids, and spaces for logging campaign information such as campaign names/players, inspiration, house rules, maps, and world overviews.
Clearly someone who was passingly familiar developed this collection.
I love looking at the new stamps online.
And, btw, did you know it’s pretty cheap and easy to set up a small mailing center in your house? The USPS will ship you different mailing options, including Priority Mail flat rate boxes in several sizes in sets of 10 for free.
I send packages at least once a month to Freebird and other folks, so I set aside a shelf in my office closet for boxes (folded flat), priority envelopes, and padded mailers. I have a packing tape dispenser, tape refills, and a small tape measure so if I’m using my own packaging, I can measure it. Then I can print postage labels at Stamps.com, Pirate Ship or directly from the USPS.
I love the Goodnight Moon stamps and can’t wait to see them on envelopes. I’m definitely buying some.
I also love buying fun new stamps, and was delighted to find Keith Haring stamps at my local post office last week! Until I asked the clerk at the counter for the Keith Haring stamps and he said, “Who? That guy from Brokeback Mountain?” so I asked him if he meant Heath Ledger (who is NOT Keith Haring) and he proceeded to tell me conspiracy theories about Heath Ledger’s death as I checked out. That was an interested one.
I know it’s dropped off the radar with everything else going on, but I think the plan to get rid of the independence of the post office is still a thing. DOGE cuts effected the Post office too. 5calls has a script on the issue: https://5calls.org/issue/usps-us-postal-service-takeover/
Good luck getting your hands on the Betty White stamp. There are three post offices local to home and work, and they all sold out in a week.
And yes, they’ve had the USPS, one of the few departments of actual use to the everyday person, in their sites for a long, long time. First burdening it with a pension burden that no other government department has to bare, then by reducing staff. There had been a mail box outside my office building for the entire 20 years I’ve worked there. Shortly after the holidays they put a bag over it to keep people from using it because they’d “lost the key”. A few weeks later it was removed, never to be seen again.
It was interesting growing up as the child of two philatelists (one from childhood, the other a convert). One of the ideas that sticks with me is that revenue from stamps purchased by collectors is pure profit to the USPS because those stamps – individual, sheets, and corner blocks – are tucked into folders and drawers. Yet it is and has been for 20 years or so difficult to find post offices with a full, or even good, selection of current stamps – even when the PO staff repeatedly requests these stamps for their customers. The PO loss is revenue and a couple of generations of stamp collectors. I KNOW surface mail is greatly reduced – but it still exists, as the recent releases and news of the releases show.
How funny to see this today as this has been a week for stamps. Yesterday a friend sent me a package that included her first stamp album from 1974 as well as a large assortment of foreign and domestic stamps both cancelled and uncancelled. Friends will soon be getting some colorful envelopes when I mail cards and letters. Stamps I’m not keeping will be placed in a nearby Little Free Trinket box (it’s like a Little Free Library but contains many items besides books).
OMG! I just had such a nostalgia seizure upon seeing that Spiegel catalog! I would cut out the pics and paste them in a notebook (OG Pinterest, ya’ll) under the title “Me in 10 years.” Thanks for memory gals!
I think there should be a Romance Novel series of stamps. At least a Fabio collection! Something.
I LOVE stamps and the newest catalogue is awesome! So many great new ones coming out.
@LML and @DonnaMarie-I buy all my stamps online through the USPS website. Our post offices have very limited supplies of stamps, and just waiting in line can be a pain. Super easy to buy online.
I don’t collect stamps but love seeing and using them. I belong to Postcrossing-which is a exchange of global postcards. Many of the people enjoy stamps so it is really fun to match the stamps to the interests of the person if possible. Everyone is always so appreciative, and it makes me smile to think of someone across the world getting a kick out of a postcard I send them.
I process the mail and checks at my day job and I love seeing these stamps come across my desk! I have been seeing a TON of the Betty White stamps, as well as the Roy Lichtenstein and Shaker Furniture. Black History stamps are perennial favorites. One of my coworkers collects the special edition stamps and gives them to the nuns at her church, who trade them for food for the poor (I do not know the mechanics of this) but sometimes if I come across ones that I really love (like the beautiful Tomie diPaolo set they did a few years ago, or the D&D stamps, or the Solar System stamps, or the annual Charlie Brown Christmas stamps) I will keep them for myself.
@DonnaMarie, I know many places have removed free-standing post boxes because of escalating mail theft. People put chewing gum on a string or stick and feed it down into the box to pull out bills and other mail that may contain checks, steal the checks, “Wash” the fronts with alcohol to remove the ink, then make the check out to themselves for exorbitant sums. (I have been a victim of this; fortunately the tellers have been trained to look out for this and have caught them every time.) It has been a huge problem around here, to the point that even the post box in front of the Post Office has the front opening sealed so you can’t deposit mail there and have to go inside.
Wow, something else to exclaim over! I feel especially fortunate that I was able to nab a sheet of the Betty White stamps the last time I was at the post office–they happened to still have them in stock! And I haven’t been using many notebooks lately but those Field Note sets are SO darling!
I’ve bought a few collectible stamps over the years. What we need to do is sell my late FIL’s collection before they lose anymore value–the big collectors are aging/dying out.
I love getting the free shipping boxes sent to me from the USPS.
I purchased my kitchen island from the Spiegel catalog. I might have one last dress in the closet I bought from them, too.
That clicking sound was me just signing up for the catalogue.
I always make it a point to buy the Eid Mubarak stamp – I’ve gotten it in dark green and gold, red and gold, and my current sheet is a lovely blue and gold. I did have to order from the USPS website because the local post offices don’t usually have them in stock.
With the current administration trying to downplay the contributions of POC, I make it a point to buy commemorative stamps that honor them (hooray John Lewis!). I will certainly make an exception to buy several sheets of the Goodnight Moon stamps, as that book was much beloved in my house and is my go-to gift for new parents.
Oh the Goodnight Moon stamps are perfect!! I learned my lesson with the Tomie de Paola Strega Nona set – I kept forgetting to order some and missed out on it. It’s really helpful to have cute stamps – I like to keep some floral ones and some LOVE ones on hand. Just a nice little detail for when I send a card, especially if it’s for an event I can’t make it to.
I love this post. My all-time favorite stamps were the monster stamps with tiny hats and word bubble stickers that you could add to them. I also love sending heavy letters so I can add the additional ounce stamp, which at one point was a rabbit, which could be positioned next to other stamps to appear like a giant rabbit (e.g., Strega Nona and her giant rabbit friend).
We must have the grouchiest postmaster here in my town because he never orders the fun ones—or they sell out the first day. So I do order online but I hate that they come each wrapped in a plastic sleeve.