An update on Royal Mail's plans for Autumn Stampex, held this year from September 12-15 at the Business Design Centre, Islington north London.Post and Go
As in spring, there will be no Royal Mail Post and Go kiosk at Stampex so there will be no special printing for the Mail by Bike issue on 12 September. The stamps will be in the machine at the Postal Museum so there will be a special inscription there. We understand (not from Royal Mail) that the island Postal Administrations will bring their Post and Go machines.
Guernsey will have a commemorative inscription for the Royal Air Force Centenary on their flag stamps. The flowers issue will be available without additional inscription. The RAF/Flag stamps will also be available from their bureau.Jersey Post will have a new set showing Nautical Knots which will also be available from their bureau. At Stampex they will also have a RAF Centenary inscription on their flag stamps; this will also be available from the bureau.
World War I Centenary
The final set in Royal Mail's five-year series will be issued on 13 September and for the first time include a retail booklet. This will contain the usual Machins (coded M18L MCIL) and two different Poppy stamps.
Royal Mail will also be issuing a Composite Sheet containing all 30 stamps in the series, at their original face values. These are shown on two FDCs on the Buckingham Covers website. This is a limited edition sheet which will not be distributed on standing orders.
Royal Mail have reminded collectors preparing FDCs that only one handstamp can be used on any one date, and that the official day of issue postmarks can only be used on the new stamps. Therefore any FDCs of the Composite Sheet can only be cancelled with an operational or a sponsored handstamp. This would, of course, include the WWI Centenary and National Arboretum variable date handstamps shown on our website.
Disappointed re no Post & Go at Stampex as always obtaining the o/p strips. Pleased that they have cut back in general but this was a proper collector service that should continue. How come they still provided same at Perth? Are they dropping overseas also? Brian Warren - Dublin.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
DeleteThey didn't do Perth this year, or any overseas. I don;t think the costs are wort it, bearing in mind shipping the machines, manning by consultant's people, accommodation. Even if the German and Spanish dealers spent, say, £5,000 you can't in accounting terms offset that against these costs because what has been sold has to be accounted for as 'postage in the hands of the public' which could sometime be used for mailing letters and parcels.
There's literally nothing in it for them after the publicity in the early years has got people interested (write that off to marketing). You can't write the costs off to marketing for ever; money can be better spent on marketing proper stamps perhaps, or paying PTS for the stand at Stampex?
It's a pity that there is not just one Post & Go machine at Stampex especially as there is a new issue of P&G stamps on the 12th September. Another lost opportunity for Royal Mail.
ReplyDelete