Not so much an embargo breach, but certainly the possibility for early release.
One of our readers sent this picture with the comment below:
ROYAL MAIL HAVE ORDERED
ME TO REMOVE THIS
PICTURE
so it is hidden until
they allow it, ie less than 24 hours later
"I saw this [Prince Charles Presentation Pack in a Post Office branch] the other day from a distance but today investigated. I was asked "Do you want any?" I was a bit surprised, and 2 packs were produced. Only problem was that item not on the system to sell. No instructions to PO about sale dates.
I was told that as nobody had bought any he was going to send them back to stores on Monday!"
(My emphasis - IB)
Crazy, isn't it. Royal Mail has no proper philatelic outlets
in their retail partners' network, and those retail partners have no idea when - or more particularly when not - to put new stamp issues on sale, and take them off again.
It certainly is crazy and to think that so many of our Post Offices will be going the same way.
ReplyDeleteNow available to buy on Royal Mail site.
ReplyDeleteAll this embargoing of upcoming issues is sheer nonsense. Hong Kong Post releases a whole year's worth of designs several months before the start of each new year and then reinforces collectors' knowledge of them as they are coming up to the release date. That way collectors know what they will be dealing with and can plan what appeals enough to them to want to buy. Other major philatelic sources such as New Zealand Post, Australia Post, Pobjoy Stamps and An Post give good forward news and release the designs of stamps ahead of time to whet collectors' appetites.
ReplyDeleteIt seems particularly inane that first day cover producers get to depict the new stamps a long way ahead of release when respectable dealers such as yourself - and few I suspect do as much to maintain collectors' interest in modern British stamps as you do - must wait to the last minute to bring news of what new issues look like to their potential customers and the general new issue buying public.
Royal Mail seems to remain remarkably out of touch with regular collectors who still, surely, must remain the backbone of Royal Mail new issue buyers.
As for non-collectors who may buy stamp issues because a popular theme such as nostalgia or science fiction appeals to them, I find it hard to believe that they are waiting breathlessly for news of what new stamps look like made known on the actual issue date which then whips them up into such a frenzy of desire to buy that they instantly rush out to post offices and splash out on said stamps.
Yet another Royal Issue in a Mini Sheet containing three (3) Stamps that no one in the Commonwealth will see if they must issue high Values why use a £1.55 Stamp which is for 100g to Europe a place we are getting out of.
ReplyDeleteA set of 1st Class would be better as they could be used on normal Mail.
Just one 1st Class Value has a picture of HRH Prince Charles but other Countries such as Jersey has 6 Stamps, Guernsey has 6 Stamps, Isle of Man has 6 Stamps, and Gibraltar has 6 Stamps.
And all these Countries have one thing in common they are all single stamps (very good Stamps) with just the Prince on them after all it is his Birthday so WHY can't a Country like Great Britain issue a set of just the Prince, and what do we get not very good designed Stamps again!!
1. If you are using the MS to send something to Commonwealth countries worldwide, use the £1.55 and a 1st class plus 3 x 1p = £2.25 Worldwide >20g. Job done.
Delete2. All the stamps picture Prince Charles, some show him with his family. I'd rather have these than some going back to his teens, 20s, 30s, etc.
3. I really wish Royal Mail had a blog, then people who have to complain about everything could do so there. I don't object to comments, after all that's what the comment box is here for. But there's nothing I can do about it. All you are doing is either preaching to the converted or getting another reader to counter your suggestion.
Received my standing order from Royal Mail today, is this the flimsiest Presentation Pack ever? It's just one side of very thin card, and half of the limited amount of text on it is all in Welsh (I'm not complaining that it's in Welsh, but that it is effectively the same text twice, so even less to read). A very very lazy and cash-in stamp issue, sad.
ReplyDelete