Readers of this blog fall into several different camps. Some are specialised Machin or Post and Go collectors (the latter not finding that much to read or collect these days), and some are avid collectors of Great Britain's special (sometimes 'commemorative') stamps supplied by Royal Mail's Philatelic Service.
That used to be known as the Philatelic Bureau, indeed it still produces a Philatelic Bulletin, which fortunately contains some philatelic articles on pre-21st century matters, as well as plenty of puff and glossed images showing the latest offerings.
In the early part of this century we had a number of stamp issues for which cover producers were presented with certain licensing problems, but they were all essentially British. Lord of the Rings - the books (2004), Independent Television & The Ashes (2005), World Football Cup (2006), The Beatles, Harry Potter (books) and Scouting (2007), James Bond books, RNLI & HM Coastguard (2008), Album Covers & Wallace & Gromit (2010), Thunderbirds & Thomas the Tank Engine (2011), Roald Dahl and popular Comic publications - and of course the Olympics and Paralympics (2012), London Underground & Dr Who (2013), Children's TV & Commonwealth Games (2014) - all British.
It can be said that 2015, then, marked a sea-change in the Royal Mail Stamps & Collectibles issuing policy.
In the autumn of 2014 we were promised "an exciting programme (for 2015) with a great mix of issues that offer high profile opportunities and press coverage alike including stunning new illustrations for the eternally popular Alice in Wonderland. Despite being 150 years old the characters of Alice in Wonderland still bring enormous joy to many children around the world although perhaps a large part of thanks for that goes to Disney as the story features prominently in their Fantasylands across its Theme Parks".
And that news of the January issue was a taster for what was to come.
So what have we had since 2015? Here are just a few:
What do these have in common? They all - and others - require payment to license-holders, but more importantly they, and many more, have all been brought to the Royal Mail programme by Matt Parkes, Managing Director of Royal Mail Stamps & Collectibles since 2015.
In his profile on Linkedin (kindly sent to me by one of our readers) he writes that
"Since my appointment, I have pivoted what was a unit in decline into a
rapidly growing and sustainable IP licensing and collectibles business,
significantly exceeding revenue and profit targets each year.
I
have developed and overseen the implementation of a new content
strategy, acquiring major licenses including Star Trek, Marvel Comics,
Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, David Bowie and Queen.
I am a
member of the Royal Mail Group Products & Marketing Executive Board
and am Chair of the Stamps Advisory Committee, whose members are
selected for their specialist knowledge and outstanding achievement
within their area of expertise. I also act as a key liaison with the
government and Buckingham Palace."
He has "worked as a senior executive in the entertainment sector for twenty five
years, with a particular focus on general management, licensing,
business development and marketing" and came to Royal Mail after spells with BBC Worldwide, BSkyB, Virgin Media, Microsoft (Xbox), karaoke business Lucky Voice, and Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG). CPLG's clients include, according to Wikipedia, Spider-Man, Peanuts, World Wide Wrestling, Bob the
Builder, Sesame Street, LazyTown, Star Trek, Felix the Cat, Where's Waldo, England Rugby, England football, England Cricket & St Andrews.
It seems likely that his network of contacts from previous employments facilitated the inclusion of heavily-copyrighted and licensed subjects such as those pictured above.
It didn't take long to make an impact.
Whether or not it was underway before his arrival (and a two-year preparation period is normal) the first Star Wars issue came in October 2015.
After that we had David Bowie and more Star Wars in 2017, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter (films) in 2018, Marvel Comics, Elton John and yet more Star Wars in 2019, James Bond (films), Coronation Street, Queen Sherlock, Rupert Bear and Star Trek in 2020. This year we've only had Only Fools & Horses, Paul McCartney, and Dennis & Gnasher - so far; the second issue of next month has yet to be identified but a 'blockbuster' is usually included in the Quarter 4 programme.
Nasty or Nice?
There has been a declared strategy to “Extend Beyond Philately” by
making available products such as special edition PSBs (wherein the
stamps are the same as the standard one), 'fan sheets' (Music Giants),
and framed products which are marketed to the niche fan markets. But the fact is, the subject of most of the stamp issues which lend themselves to this approach are ones of which the traditionalist collector might not be in favour.
So is Matt Parkes Mr Nasty, responsible for driving thousands of collectors worldwide away from British stamps while developing the business to attract income from the non-philatelic fanbase of all the colourful and well-known subjects for which stamps have been issued?
Well no, Matt is a nice guy really, I've met him and had email exchanges. I suspect he has just been doing the job he was hired to do when Moya Greene was CEO of Royal Mail Group.
But there is no doubt that the income for the Stamps and Collectibles business which comes from genuine stamp collectors (while still the bigger proportion) has swung - which was the idea all along - towards non-collectors due partly to the income from some traditional collectors drying up altogether.
An excellent comment, Ian. Whether we like it or not Royal Mail is a business which exists to make a profit for shareholders and as big a profit as possible. We do not have to buy its products and increasingly I do not and that’s my choice. I do feel relieved that by his strategy and actions Mr Parkes has taken away my previous need to buy one of everything. My collection does not seem any the worse for it and my bank balance is much the better.
ReplyDeleteIs the Stamps Advisory Committee open to suggestions from the public like An Post is over in Rep. of Ireland? What happened to the survey that was carried out for the 2019 stamp programme?
ReplyDelete1. Yes
Delete2. All responses are considered but our thoughts are not the only determining factor in what eventually appears.
I don’t think they sent a list last year?
A very interesting read, Ian. There can be no doubt that traditional stamp collectors are a dying breed and the hobby has failed to attract fresh blood as children are far more occupied with other pursuits and less likely to take up the Hobby of Kings. It is therefore understandable that Royal Mail should look to new markets to sustain their business. I do regret not cutting-off my collection with the Millennium issues as the last twenty years or so has seen a huge increase in the cost of acquiring new issues. Perhaps I'll call it a day once Her Majesty's reign finally ends.
ReplyDeleteI have decided that if I live that long haha when the Queen does pass away I will get a set of the new monarch's definitive stamps & the 1st commemorative issue, I will then stop collecting, a hobby I have been pursuing since 1960. This decision has been made owing to the cost of modern sets and the fact I have no more shelf space for my Windsor albums of which I have 12 at present & a nice collection from the 1st 1p Black through all reigns to the present day.
ReplyDelete"But there is no doubt that the income for the Stamps and Collectibles business which comes from genuine stamp collectors (while still the bigger proportion) has swung - which was the idea all along - towards non-collectors due partly to the income from some traditional collectors drying up altogether. "
ReplyDeleteI think that hits the spot Ian...
There's also the fact that day to day stamp usage is declining (whether replaced by labels or by electronic correspondence). So the market for Smilers or personalised sheets has declined - with the latter following the same route of selling to "Collectors of X" rather than stamp collectors.
Neil....at the Post Office the clerks immediately will print a postage label rather than use stamps now and if you ask for any special stamps they think you're some kind of strange person or don't know that they have been issued
DeleteDom - you just have to train them :-) My local sub-PO is OK; they know me. At another (near work) it took me about 3 visits then one member of staff started to recognise me and expect me to ask for stamps.
DeleteThat's an extensive CV that Matt Parkes has ...but when I can't buy commemorative stamps in my local Post Offices (as I was told in a sub post office, "No one sends letters anymore") and have to order them from Edinburgh, I feel that Royal Mail are no doubt proud of their monthly issues that they feel are profit making but they have lost sight of promoting their issues to the general public and stamp enthusiasts like me who just simply like to use interesting postage on letters and cards...This year's National Parks issue was at least a very colourful and informative way of reflecting the UK but there needs to be a mix of such issues so that the commercial/licensed issues don't dominate. Otherwise Royal Mail becomes a bit like Equatorial Guinea issuing stamps for the Winter Olympics (like the free gifts I used to be excited about when I was a boy starting to collect stamps)
ReplyDeleteIan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing to a wider audience the Linkedin quotation that I emailed you.
It's no surprise that the Philatelic Bulletin hasn't quoted Matt Parkes's boast about "a rapidly growing and sustainable IP licensing and collectibles business" and "the implementation of a new content strategy, acquiring major licenses including Star Trek, Marvel Comics, Game of Thrones, .....".
Having worked for them I well know that "Royal Mail is a business which exists to make a profit for shareholders and as big a profit as possible" as 'White Knight' so pertinently explains. 'Ordinary customers' as well as us (ex) "genuine stamp collectors" fondly remember Royal Mail primarily being a public service in earlier decades.
Yes, my apologies, I fully intended to acknowledge somewhere in that, that I had been supplied with the quote by one of our readers. I'll work it in this afternoon.
DeleteI think another reason for not included that quote in the Bulletin is the ‘unit in decline’.
DeleteStamp collectors have never been a really large contributor to the bottom line, but when the Bureau was set up in 1963 that term was not in our vocabulary!
On the subject of rising costs I have just received my order advice note for the September 17th issue ( unknown at present ) which is £47.15 inc handling charge WOW!
ReplyDeleteIf you have retail booklets included you might be able to work it out!
DeleteMy Order Advice for the 17th September issue say that there will be two retail booklets. One BM and the other WW. Does this give a clue as to the topic of the issue ?
ReplyDeleteI am at a loss Ian 2 retail books each with a different 2 letter code which stumps me oh well c'est la vie
ReplyDeleteIan I think I have cracked it, I am expecting some colourful stamps haha
ReplyDeleteSo not Marvel - D.C. (Batman & Wonder Woman)
ReplyDeleteThat was exactly what I had thought, but the decision to publish your musing (when I had thought there would still to be an embargo) makes me wonder if that is a joke that I don't 'get,' and if the actual subject still eludes me.
DeleteThe big problem as I see it is that Royal Mail shoots itself in the foot because, presumably, its biggest single customer for 'stamps' is the Post Office and Post Office Counters. It is rare that when I visit a Post Office (and except for the Covid era I have 'done' most of the country in the past few years), very few Post Offices have available stocks or are even aware of new issues. Seldom are there any 'posters' etc announcing new issues. Comments such as "oh nobody buys them so we send them back", Also regarding the Retail booklets - "we just get what we are given ..."; I keep a small folder containing photocopies of the issues but when shown to counter clerks the usual repose is "never seen those, when were they issued?". At one Post Office which I thought might be a bit co-operative as it was more rural than city I did get an unexpected response - "We haven't got time or space to deal with this ..." referring to stocking or selling anything other than just routine stamps and services. I did contact PO customer services complaints and this was followed up. On the other hand there are examples of stock being in the safe, but the regular clerks are unaware - just the manager or supervisor is aware and if they are away nothing gets done. I have tried to cultivate an interest at several local POs and this has paid off, but this work is undone due to frequent staff changes in the franchised outlets. Sadly, like many industries there is no real interest in the job and there is no motivation to go out and sell. One PO did have examples of Presentation Packs on display and it was interesting to see an 'embargoed' issue also on display! Saying all that - I do still find the 'Golden Clerk" and they can be most helpful and I always send in the "How did we do" complimenting the staff involved. Maybe less secrecy and forget about embargoes and get publicity out there well in advance may well just do the trick. The brief 'mention' on a tv news item or a few words in a Newspaper on the day of issue is totally pointless. Nobody is then going to rush out and get the new issue. The advertising and marketing should also be at 'the point of sale'. Generally Nowadays if I was given a stamp which I had to lick and stick, I may just ask for a self-adhesive one. They are certainly no good for sending small packages with plastic outers etc. It would be very interesting to see what 'real' profits are being made with all the marketing items and I just wonder if the equivalent of what was once the "Smilers" issues really do generate much 'profit'. Doug (Enfield)
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed D.C. comics according to The Commonwealth Stamps Opinion Blog that is showing the 10 stamps & miniature sheet very colourful
ReplyDelete