🇦🇺 Australia Post, with the prospect of its almost universally adversely criticised Sticker Stamps lurking just around the corner, has released the details of its vast outpouring of new issues planned for the first 2 months of 2019. Those who run Stamperija and IGPC have lessons to learn in exploitation from Australia Post and then some.
8 January 2018 - Issue inscribed 'Christmas Island Australia' - Lunar new year, The Year of The Pig - 2 gummed stamps, 1 miniature sheet, 1 self-adhesive stamp with attached label for personalisation, 1 gold-foil miniature sheet on sale for $99 issued (naturally) in a limited edition of 500, 1 'Zodiac sheet' containing 14 different stamps on sale for $8, 1 'silk minisheet' pack containing 3 similar miniature sheets but each printed on different materials sold for $25 and 1 'Lotus sheet' containing 12 different stamps on sale for $11.20c. There is also a Peppa Pig pack containing 2 different panes of 10 x $1 Greetings stamps with attached labels on sale for $23 and inevitably there is a Prestige booklet containing several different panes on sale for $20.95c. There are also numerous other philatelic products related to this issue but the above details the various forms in which stamps have been prepared for this issue. According to my calculations 'one of each' will cost the collector a little short of $200 (approximately £113!). Rating:- 0.
22 January 2019 - issue inscribed 'Norfolk Island Australia' - The original settlement of Norfolk Islanders by Pitcairners - 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Jo Muré and lithographed by Egotrade and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.
17 January 2019 - Australian Legends - 5 gummed stamps and 5 self-adhesive stamps sold in individual booklets of 10 x $1 (total cost of booklets is $50). Details awaited.
5 February 2019 - 'Moments To Treasure', Greetings stamps - 8 gummed stamps (7 x $1 and 1 x $2), 8 Self-adhesive stamps (from booklets of 10 x $1 [7 different booklets] and 1 booklet of 10 x $2, total cost amounting to $90), 1 gummed sheetlet containing 1 of each stamp and 1 Prestige booklet costing $32.95c containing 16 x $2 Weddding stamps with attached labels. Rating:- 0.
12 February 2019 - Centenary of the Birth of Robin Boyd, architect and architectural commentator. Designed by Jo Muré and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.
26 February 2019 - 150th anniversary of the 'Welcome Stranger' gold nugget by John Deason and Richard Oates at Moliagul. Designed by John White and lithographed by Egotrade and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ****.
8 February 2019 - Stamp packs sold for $23 each. Each pack contains 2 panes each of which is made up of 10 x $1 stamps with attached labels (the packs are therefore sold at a premium of $3 each). The subjects have nothing to do with Australian culture - Mary Poppins, Popeye and Looney Tunes. Rating:- 0.
Good grief...
ReplyDeleteOne question I have....will Australia Post be cotinuing to release these Special Sheets like the Mary Poppins after they launch these new "Sticker Stamps" or will the "Sticker Stamps" replace the "Special Sheets"?
Gene/DJCMH
I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question but it seems hard to imagine that Australia Post will miss any possible opportunity to extract money from collectors or the Australian general public from the sale of stamps and related products.
DeletePossibly Australia Post is looking to expand their business by competing with Stamperija and IGPC? They can claim experience with Christmas and Norfolk Islands. Why not add some other "postal authorities" to the remit. No different really that the Royal Canadian Mint producing coins for other jurisdictions.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Island and Norfolk Island are Australian Territories and have for many years had their own independent post offices. However due to Australian law changes these territories now have postal services run by Australia Post. Australia Post decided to keep issuing stamps under the names of these territories to reflect their unique identities. Hence the Chinese New Year issues are issued under Christmas Island due to the very large percentage of the population with Chinese heritage. When stamps celebrating a Muslim festival are released they are issued under the name of the Cocos Keeling Islands due to the significant Malay Muslim population.
DeleteOf course putting the names of the territories on the stamps also disguises to those who don't know the number of issues being released by Australia Post. If Cocos, Norfolk Island etc is the the names printed on the stamps then it seems that 'Australia' is issuing rather fewer stamps than it actually is
DeleteThings in some countries are beginning to look desperate aren't they?
ReplyDelete