The Stamp Collectors Corner

“Bugs Bunny” as we officially know him today originally made an appearance as a character called “Happy Rabbit” in the cartoon short Porky’s Building in June of 1937.  From the beginning, the rabbit was intent on driving Porky nuts as he was on the hunt for his favorite “wabbit” meal.  Happy Rabbit was an instant hit and soon began popping up in other cartoons.  He was given a voice and the famous Groucho Marx line “Of course you realize, this means war!”  In 1939, Happy Rabbit’s name was changed by chance to “Bugs” after one of the creators wrote “Bugs’ Bunny” on one of his drawings of the rabbit.  In 1942, Bugs Bunny was we know him today, took on his official name, voice, and silly personality that everyone loves.

Throughout the years Bugs Bunny has appeared in cartoons, movies, and short films.  He, along with Mickey Mouse was the first cartoon character to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Library of Congress even featured “What’s Opera, Doc?” for preservation in the National Film Registry.  The parody features Bugs and Elmer and is the first cartoon short to ever receive this honor.

Bugs Bunny was recognized by the United States Postal Service in 1997 when they issued a cool stamp cool souvenir stamp sheet.  It should be noted that Bugs Bunny was the first animated character to ever grace a postage stamp and at the time of its selling, the postage stamp ranked #7 as the best seller of all time!

Stamp Center is offering the 1997 Bugs Bunny imperforated stamp with souvenir sheet which is valued at $29 for only $18.50!  “That’s all folks!”

Vatican City, The World Meeting Of Families Vatican City is known as the smallest sovereign state in the world.  As such, the city has its own post office and issues its own postage stamps which are highly sought after by stamp collectors around the world.  It’s not surprising to learn that the postage stamps issued by Vatican City often focus on religion, holiday’s, Saints, and family.

The World Meeting Of Families postage stamp was issued by Vatican City in 2012 to commemorate the 7th World Meeting of Families.  The theme of the meeting was “The Family: Work and Celebration”.

It has been reported that the Pontiff recounted many of his childhood memories for attendees of the “World Meeting of Families” both in large and small type group settings.   He is said to describe his upbringing as “heavenly”.

The next World Meeting of Families will be held in Philadelphia, PA in 2015. Catholics around the world are hoping that the new Pope will be attending the meeting.

Stamp Center is offering the 2012 World Meeting Of Families Commemorative postage stamp for only $3.67.  It would make a lovely addition to any stamp collection.  Be sure to check out the other Vatican City postage stamps that we have in stock while visiting our online store.

The Wedding Cake postage stamps were first issued by the United States in 2009 and have been reissued in self-adhesive sheets of twenty for 2013.  The 66 cent postage stamps are sure to be a hit once again for brides and grooms sending out wedding invitations or those who want to add a touch of class to their oversized envelopes or packages.

The presentation, cutting, and eating of the wedding cake has been a long standing tradition that dates back to medieval times.  Despite the attempts that some couples make to smash cake into each other’s face, many years ago the wedding cake ritual was far more bizarre.  During medieval times, wedding attendees used to throw the cake at the bride as a symbol of fertility.

Years later in Great Britain, all baked goods supplied for the wedding were piled high into a giant mound.  The couple then worked to kiss over the giant mound.  If they were able to kiss, then their marriage was sure to be blessed.

It is believed that it was sometime in the 18th Century that the first actual tiered wedding cake was created in London.  The cake was not one that was thrown or kissed over; rather it was adored for its beauty and large size.

You can find the beautiful 2013 US Wedding Cake postage stamps at Stamp Center.  We offer many more stamps from around the globe.  Stop by our online store to see what we have in stock.  We always offer free shipping to our US customers and low cost shipping for our international customers.

There are amazing places to visit in Mexico with breathtaking beach destinations and fabulous archeological sites.  It is a country that is filled with history and culture no doubt.  People who have not visited Mexico may not realize that people throughout Mexico are extremely family oriented.

The people of Mexico not only celebrate the traditional holidays that are celebrated here in the United States as well as other countries, such as Christmas, New Year’s, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.  People throughout Mexico also celebrate “Children’s Day” which is a massive celebration that spills out to not only one day, but actually begins the day prior.  Some may believe that every day is “Children’s Day” and any parent will agree that that statement is true.  Children’s Day however is a special day for all children.  It is a day that is filled with gifts and special events, even for children that live in orphanages.

Mexico also celebrates “Family Day” in March and “Grandparents Day” in August.  To commemorate the “Grandparents Day” celebration, Mexico has issued a few postage stamps throughout the years.  Stamp Center is offering an adorable animated Grandparent’s Day commemorative postage stamp for only $1.31.  Stop by our online store and help celebrate “Dia Abuelos” everywhere.

Stingrays may look imposing, especially because their size can be immense. Quite different than other types of fish in the sea, the stingray is flat with eyes on top of its head and a mouth, nostrils, and gill slits on its bottom side.  Stingrays also have a tail that trails behind them.  The tail has a poisonous barb but it is only used for self-defense reasons.  The sting ray is considered to be a docile animal.

Stingrays are frequently found in areas of shallow coastal water where the ocean is calmer.  They spend much of their time buried down in the sand only moving by a shift in the sand.  The stingray is nearly always perfectly camouflaged to the same color as the sand so it is somewhat protected from predators.  Sharks and larger stingrays prey on the stingray.

When a stingray does choose to swim, it beautiful pectoral fins look like an elegant bird that is flying throughout the ocean with ease.

Palau issued a set of postage stamps that feature 4 beautiful stingrays.  You can find the souvenir sheet at Stamp Center for only $8.62.  Stamp collectors may also be interested in another stingray souvenir sheet at Stamp Center for only $6.04.

Stamp Center always offers free shipping to US residents and low cost shipping for our international customers.

In 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair, the world renowned German airship the Graf Zeppelin made its 50th Trans-Atlantic crossing. The Baby Zep is the nickname for the Baby Zeppelin.  To commemorate both the landmark crossing and the World’s Fair, the United States Postal Service issued the “Baby Zeppelin” postage stamp.

The postage stamp showcases Baby Zep, the hangar at Friedrichshafen on the right hand side, and on the left hand side is the Federal Building in Chicago.  The 50 cent postage stamps had “Century of Progress” written on each one.  Oh how true that was!

You can own a cool set of four hinged Bab Zep postage stamps from Stamp Center for the significantly reduced price of only $180, which is a huge cost savings considering they are valued over $300!  It’s a bargain you don’t want to miss out on!

At Stamp Center you will find a vast selection of postage stamps to choose from.  We specialize in supplying postage stamps that have been issued from around the world.  Stop by our online store to see our selection of flowers, animals, sea life, celebrities, artwork, classics, animation, and so much more.  We always offer free shipping to our US customers and only $4.50 for Canadian and overseas shipping.

Charles Dickens is a famed author from England who lived an interesting life.  Born in 1812, he was one of eight children.  His parents worked very hard, but despite their best efforts, they remained poor.  At the age of 12, young Charles was removed from school so that he could work in a factory while his father served time in jail because of the debts that he had accumulated.  A family inheritance allowed Dickens back in school when the family debts were paid, but at age 15 he was once again pulled out of school to work in an office to help support his family.  This he attributes to the beginning of his writing career as he began to do freelance writing.

Charles Dickens went on to write treasured stories that are still read today. Popular Charles Dickens stories include A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, and David Copperfield.

Antigua is celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Charles Dickens with some very interesting postage stamps.  This Charles Dickens collectible souvenir sheet has six stamps on it with pictures of Charles Dickens and special illustrations.  You can buy these and many other incredible postage stamps for your stamp collection at Stamp Center.

He was a Hollywood legend that was filled with mystery and intrigue.  Women adored him and men wanted to be him.  He was the coolest of the cool.  He was…James Dean.

James Byron Dean was and American actor who was best known for his performance in the film “Rebel Without A Cause”.  James Dean enjoyed one of the best screen careers of any young actor as he starred in three Hollywood films in the first year of arriving back in Los Angeles.

It is said that he lived fast and died young.

Born on February 8, 1931, James dean was raised on a farm by his aunt and uncle in Indiana after the early and unexpected passing of his mother when he was nine years old.  James Dean had a love for acting and racing.  On his way to a race in Salinas, California, James Dean was killed in a highway accident on September 30, 1955.

James Dean’s rebel attitude and casual style still makes him one of the most iconic men of the century.

The United States Postal Service honored James Dean with a set of commemorative postage stamps in 1996 as part of their “Legends of Hollywood” series.  Stamp Center is offering this commemorative sheet of 20 stamps for the discounted rate of only $21.40.

It’s easy to expect stamp errors in years past, but in today’s techno savvy world, it seems nearly impossible.  Stamps are after all created by machine!  BUT, the reality is that stamps are run by people, and before that they are programed by people.  Even before that, postage stamps go through an extensive design process where there are points of approval.  So one must wonder…at what point could there possibly be a stamp error in recent years?

The Legends of the West stamps had one of the most incredible stamp errors of modern times.  Apparently the stamp artist painted a picture of Bill Pickett, who was an African American cowboy who was credited with the invention of bulldogging or steer wrestling.  The picture that the artist used was previously published and used in exhibitions and magazines.

The stamp series was unveiled in December 1993 with much anticipation.  Unfortunately, in January 1994, the family of Bill Pickett saw the picture on the stamp and advised the USPS that they featured Ben Pickett, not Bill Pickett.  The postage stamps were immediately recalled, but the problem was that some had already been sold to the public making them extremely valuable.  The USPS made the decision to sell, via lottery, 150,000 additional sheets of the Legends of the West postage stamps to help defray the cost of reprinting the correct stamps.

You can pick up a copy of the Legends of the West and add a piece of American history to your stamp collection by contacting Stamp Center.

Liberia is known for offering postage stamps on a wide variety of people and topics.  In December of 2012, Liberia released a set of 6 postage stamps…The Three Stooges – The Movie.

The Three Stooges: The Movie was released in 2012 by Twentieth Century Fox Studios and C3 Entertainment. It received mediocre reviews by most that saw it.  Following suit to the original version of Three Stooges television series, the movie is filled with slap stick humor and violence.  The suggestive language and rude comments earned the move a PG rating in the US.

The original Three Stooges had a long and sorted past with group members coming and going throughout the years.  Beginning as a Vaudeville act in 1925 and continuing until 2004 was an amazing feat.  By the end of the long Stooges era, the group ended up appearing in 220 films and countless stage performances.

These postage stamps don’t feature the original actors from The Three Stooges, but they will still bring a smile to your face seeing their funny antics and silly faces.  Stamp Center is offering these funny Three Stooges – The Movie postage stamps for $10.64.  We offer free shipping to our US customers and only $4.50 for Canadian and overseas shipping.