Christmas 2017 2nd class Postage Paid Impression

Whatever you do and wherever you go it always pays to keep your eyes open for new material!  Needing two new tyres today I booked into my local independent garage knowing that I would get good service and a friendly crew, without anybody telling me I also needed a new exhaust and should have the brakes checked.

While chatting to the office lady, I spied some mail on the desk and thought one item looked 'different' - and it was.  For 18 months now Royal Mail have allowed direct mailing houses to use printed impressions of stamps on their mailings. Most prolific is the 2nd class Machin, but the 2nd Large and 2nd class Alice in Wonderland have also been used.

Now this year's Christmas stamp joins the club.

This is one that householders are unlikely to see as it is aimed at the motor trade but it could be used by the mailing house for other clients, or by other companies.

Apart from all being predominantly blue colour, one thing that all the stamps have in common is that the copyright in the image is owned by Royal Mail.  Thus the company is able to use them in any way that they wish to.

Look out for this on Christmas charity mailings.  I don't know when RM made it available, but this was used within the last week.

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