Stamp collectors count on birds of prey
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The U.S. Postal Service gets well-deserved criticism for closing small post offices and running deficits. But it is also a great source of outstanding art that anyone, even children, can afford to collect. Wildlife watchers are sure to enjoy some of the new stamps scheduled to appear this year.
On Jan. 20, a new series will feature five birds of prey: northern goshawk, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, osprey and northern harrier. Each is depicted in a colorful portrait from the neck up against a white background. These five stamps are being issued at the 3-ounce rate. Previews of these and other 2012 stamps can be viewed at www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview.
Other nature-themed stamps coming in 2012 include a stylized Baltimore checkerspot butterfly and a forever-stamp envelope featuring purple martins, one perched and one in flight.
I began collecting stamps when I was in graduate school because it was the only form of art I could afford. One of my favorite sets is a matted group of three 20-stamp panes featuring 1-cent American kestrels (1991), 2-cent red-headed woodpeckers (1996), and 3-cent eastern bluebirds (1996). My total cost for all 60 stamps was just $1.20. A friend did the matting as a favor.
I limit my stamp collecting to wildlife and outdoor themes. My oldest stamps date back to 1956, gifts from relatives. That 3-cent wildlife conservation series featured wild turkeys, pronghorn antelope and king salmon. Thereafter, wildlife appeared on stamps at least every few years.
In 1971, a wildlife conservation series of 8-cent stamps appeared that has become one of my favorites. A trout, an alligator, a California condor and a polar bear with two cubs starred. The next year an 8-cent conservation series featured fur seals, a cardinal, a brown pelican and a bighorn sheep.
The USPS has chronicled the history of wildlife conservation by making it collectable. And I haven't even mentioned the state bird and flower stamps from 1982, the hummingbird series from 1992, or the endangered species from 1996. Do yourself and your children a favor -- start a wildlife stamp collection with the birds of prey series this month.
First Published January 8, 2012 12:00 am
