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Sometimes when I talk to other stamp dealers, they mournfully tell me their business is "in the toilet."  No new collectors, few serious buyers, no shows or travel during the pandemic, etc. Well, now not only can new issue dealers refer to their business in bathroom terms, but  Austria has given them the opportunity to sell an actually semi-postal stamp sheet made from toilet paper!Austria's 2020  innovative stamp is unique for the material used in production: in an ironic allusio …

The small independent monarchy of Monaco is renown for many large international events. Celebrated on stamps are its dog and cat shows, car races, art festivals, stamp and coin shows, but even of greater notoriety are its stamps celebrating circuses and circus performers.The International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo is an annual festival established in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to recognize and promote outstanding circus performers .  During the festival, circus …

From the very early issues of US stamps at the beginning of the 20th Century, American art has played a central role in the themes and design of commemorative stamps.  Early classics such as Whistler's Mother to more contemporary art such as Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can,  have provided a unique perspective on the arts and culture in America.Earlier stamps usually featured just one example of an artist's work, but more recently, multi-value stamp sheets have provided a broader view …

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960's. The original series aired on NBC for three sessions and continued in three subsequent television series for over 40 years.  Additionally, a series of feature films were widely distributed world-wide and greatly successful. Star Trek has had a cult following  for decades. It's popularity is reflected by the number of countries that have issued stamps, stamp sheets, and sp …

Some of the most commonly collected topics include domestic animals, pets, and animated cartoon animals.  It seems somewhat surprising to me that a mammal that does not have  "cuddly" and lovely features is so sought after by stamp collectors.  Yes,  "Chiroptera", commonly known as bats is a popular stamp collecting topic.Besides the mythology and misconceptions related to these winged creatures, their ecological importance can not be underestimated.  As pollinators, the …