I will start by quoting from Royal Mail about this issue.
This special issue celebrates 20 years of Peppa Pig.
Peppa Pig, the British animated TV series for preschool children, has been delighting and charming viewers of all ages for two decades. Created by animators Neville Astley and Mark Baker, Peppa Pig is a multi-award- winning series, watched in more than 180 countries around the world. Today, the character has grown into a truly global phenomenon, with theme parks, live shows, toys, books and even music albums to her name.
The adorable Peppa and her family and friends first appeared on UK screens in May 2004. Each five-minute episode follows the adventures of Peppa and her family – younger brother George, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, Granny Pig and Grandpa Pig – as well as her diverse and inclusive group of friends from playgroup. As well as being funny and great fun, part of the show’s appeal is that it reflects the everyday experiences of preschool children and their families, from visiting the dentist and making new friends to going on holiday and having a sleepover. Episodes always end happily, with plenty of laughter, loud snorts and lots of jumping up and down in muddy puddles.
Fair enough, this animation, created in the UK, has been sold worldwide into 180 countries.
Children around the world enjoy it and the merchandise obviously sells well. There are even lines for adults - T-shirts, socks, key-rings and fridge magnets.
But does it really deserve more merchandise from Royal Mail? While our postal authority ignores the Royal National Lifeboat Institution centenary and the Universal Postal Union which governs postal relations between countries for 150 years (and many other laudable anniversaries, people, and cultural events) we are faced once again with a set of stamps on a subject of minority interest. Not only that but half of them have a face value for no specific postage rate.
The Stamps.
The set of eight stamps, 4 x 1st Class and 4 x £2.00, features "Peppa Pig and her friends and family, all the key characters loved by young Peppa Pig fans."
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| Set of 8 Peppa Pig stamps, 4 x 1st class and 4 x £2 issued 16 May 2024 |
Design Details:
1st Class Peppa and George, Suzy Sheep and Danny Dog, George and Daddy Pig, Mummy Pig and Peppa.
£2.00 Grandpa Pig and Polly Parrot, Granny Pig and her Chickens, Mr Bull and Madame Gazelle,
Mr Zebra and Miss Rabbit.
Miniature Sheet
An additional set of four stamps are included on the Miniature Sheet, celebrating 20 years of Peppa Pig with Peppa and her friends. Two first class and two £2.00 stamps featuring Peppa, George, Zoë Zebra and Suzy Sheep all having fun whilst celebrating Peppa’s Party with balloons and bunting, candles and cake!
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| Miniature sheet of 4 Peppa Pig stamps, 2 x 1st class and 2 x £2 issued 16 May 2024 |
£2.00 Zoe Zebra and George, 1st Class Peppa, 1st Class George, £2.00 Suzy Sheep
Technical details
The stamps and miniature sheet are designed by Michael O’Shea © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2024. The 41 x 30 mm stamps are printed in sheets of 48 stamps in se-tenant strips of 4, by lithography on gummed paper by Cartor Security Printers, perforated 14½ x 14. The 190 x 67 mm miniature sheet contains 35 x 37 mm stamps printed on self-adhesive paper. (All other details the same).
HASBRO and PEPPA PIG and all related trademarks and characters TM & © 2024 Hasbro / Hasbro Consumer Products Licensing Ltd. Peppa Pig © 2003 Astley Baker Davies Ltd and HCPL Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.
Products available
Set of stamps, miniature sheet, two first day covers, presentation pack, stamp cards, two Fan Sheets (see below), branded stamp packs, press sheet of 12 miniature sheets, limited edition medal cover, framed stamp set, framed miniature sheet, framed stamp print.
Fan sheets
An edition of 10,000 A4 stamps with four stamps perforated into the sheet, price £7.50 each (face £5.40). Basic Fan Sheet has 4 x 1st class Peppa and George stamps and is gummed. Peppa's Party Fan Sheet has 4 x 1st class Peppa stamps and is self-adhesive. The stamps included are therefore the same as the basic stamps.
As a reader has commented on Commonwealth Stamps Opinion, "No longer scraping the bottom of a barrel, this is now through the wood and well into the ground below."
Well, I wanted Bagpuss.
ReplyDeleteI expect I'll still get the miniature sheet. £2 isn't the international economy rate these days....
One was plenty.
ReplyDeleteTen years ago.
At 60p, not £20.10.
Yes. Eight stamps and an MS, half of values that aren't a postage rate. They could have selected second class values if they needed that many values. What a contrast with so many other nations. I feel a bit ashamed of our stamps these days. It's not even as though we have a respected definitive series anymore given the ghastliness of the KC3 design and the huge barcodes.
ReplyDeleteGolden opportunity missed to have 4 x 2nd class instead of the £2 value to try and encourage kids into the hobby perhaps? Would it be possible for the PO to instruct counter staff that, where possible, commemoratves are to be used until stock exhausted when people are purchasing postage, to spread the 'message' about our hobby? Perhaps thats too optimistic and I'm flogging the proverbial dead horse.
ReplyDeleteBut Dogs at £11 next month looks like five First Class and five second Class. Common sense for once.
DeleteCorrect.
DeletePersonally, I always refuse commemoratives for postal usage if they are this poor. Reflects badly on me otherwise.
DeleteProfit! Profit! Profit! That is what most Royal Mail stamp issues are now centred on. Well, it is a commercial company and I presume its first priority is to maximise profits on behalf of its shareholders, the most invested of whom is a Czech billionaire. The sale of these products has nothing to do with stamp collecting, philatelists please note, so don’t be disappointed when the show biz senior manager responsible for policies leading to the release of such trash, presses on with inflicting it on stamp collectors and the nation. It has nothing to do with promoting the national image; indeed some of the products are nationally embarrassing - the issue under present discussion for instance. It surprises me that Buckingham Palace approves this stuff in the King’s name. Perhaps, at the very least, the company should be made to drop the ‘Royal’ from its name. In the meantime they must still be selling these tasteless products & so they carry on producing them, profiting from them & pleasing their shareholders so don’t expect any change any time soon - White Knight commenting.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is not the only recent issue that is contrary to the "Philatelic Code of Ethics for the use of UPU member countries" (https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/DL.PHIL/RecommandationC13-2016CodeOfEthicsEn.pdf).
ReplyDeleteFrom a quick look it appears that there is much in that document that is not complied with!
DeleteTrevor,
ReplyDeleteMost Post Offices don't sell "Special" stamps, except the Christmas ones, so "No" will be the answer to your "Would it be possible for the PO to instruct counter staff that, where possible, commemoratves are to be used until stock exhausted when people are purchasing postage, to spread the 'message' about our hobby?"
My recent attempts to buy commemoratives to use on letters have dismayed me with the dearth of understanding by post office clerks. When I sought weather forecasting second class stamps in Essex I was told that it was forbidden to sell commemorative stamps if the post master were not there. At the next nearest one I was told that they are issued only for Xmas. A Crown Office was on my way back so I called in there. I was admonished for wanting a few 2nd class stamps and was told that they were only issued as prestige packs : 'you cannot just stick them on letters any more...'
DeleteIn Kent I was told that the 'commemorative' stamps - I sought the Viking ones - were available but I was given CIII definitives. When I questioned this I was told that they had been issued to commemorate the coronation. To cap it all a fortnight ago I went into a post office in Cornwall to get some commemorative commemorative 1st class stamps. After a puzzled rummage in the safe I was offered the Peppa Pig stamps. Those of us with children are sick of Peppa Pig and never want to see her again so I persisted and got the commemorative commemoratives I asked for. The fact that the Post Office clerks seem to know so little is not just that they are not trained enough, but I suspect that our hobby has waned so much that they are seldom sought. Still, at least the forthcoming dog ones seem as if they have useful 2nd class stamps on offer for letters to the Isle of Dogs in London. And perhaps one with an Alsatian on for letters to Alsace...
Just 2 of the many points in this document that RM are ignoring:
ReplyDelete4.2 - Issuing postal authorities shall take care to ensure that they issue stamps which help meet market demands. They shall ensure that the number of stamps issued each year is limited to that which their market will accept. If policies are still to be decided, issuing postal authorities should respond cautiously to market demand to avoid oversupply. They shall not saturate the market and thus drive philatelists and collectors away from the hobby.
8 - Issuing postal authorities shall not produce postage stamps or philatelic products that are intended to exploit customers.
I simply stopped after the last QEII issue. Too expensive and frankly, often uninteresting.
ReplyDeleteWith the various questionable themes and designs in the last few years, I'm 100% fine with these. And the colour are great.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think there's been a dud issue all year. It's only the £2 denomination that seems questionable to me. Well, and the shear quantity - but that's a different issue.
I'm wondering if there's been a change in the management of those involved with design selection—I have no idea how that works.
Agree about the unusable £2 values; 4x 2nd or 2 each of 2nd and £2.50 would make more sense. I definitely agree with Trevor that there was a missed opportunity to encourage young Peppa fans into stamp collecting or even into writing letters and cards.
ReplyDeleteRW
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to get commemoratives on Mail but alas not very often also when they are used the Royal Mail have very special Handstamp for such Stamps it's called a PEN the large number of old past special Stamps I received have almost all been defaced with the pen.
Bur Royal Mail don't care it's the revenue they arte more interested in.Robert
I like the £2 values. There are useful for postcrossing. I can add 20p and reach the International Economy level for outside Europe or add a 50p to make the airmail postcard rate.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I shall not buy these though, but at least these are a crappy British series, rather than some American flying about with his pants over his trousers...
ReplyDelete