We have been advised by several collectors about some new Faststamps listed for sale on the online auction site eBay.
These stamps are printed from Hytech Post and Go machines A3 and A4 (the ones used at Stampex were A1, A2, B1, B2) and both the Machin and the new Robin stamps have been used. This means that the Robin is in strips of 6 for the first time.
All the sales so far seen are for the benefit of
Royal Mail's 2012 charity, Prostate Cancer UK.
Full details are awaited, but my guess is that these are not available anywhere with public access. We will provide more details as soon as we have them.
We now have details from Postagelabelsuk:
In a new venture for Post Office and Royal Mail, a totally new type of
Post Office (Similar to ‘Pop- Up Shops’ previously seen in shopping
malls in the lead up to Christmas) opened last
week in the very busy Camden Market, London NW1. This new branch is
called ‘Camden Christmas Post Shop’.
This
new outlet is offering selected items from the Royal Mail
‘Collectibles’ range , personalised Christmas 2012 Instant ‘Smilers’
and, more importantly from a Post and Go collectors point of view, it
has given rise to the first outing of the brand new Royal Mail ‘Hytech’
Next-Generation machines No. ‘A3′ and ‘A4′.
This
new branch offers full Post Office ‘Postal’ facilities where purchasers
can post their gift items purchased from the shop or elsewhere
worldwide.
The Post Office is open seven days a week from 10am to 8
pm every day apart from Sundays when it opens at 11am. Machines A3 and
A4 are visually identical to those previously seen at Stampex – and
appear to function the same, although, as they are in a full functioning
Post Office branch rather than in an Exhibition setting , they do not
have any overprints.
It is worth noting that this is the first
time Hytech units have been primarily positioned for Post Office
customers- posting mail specifically Christmas cards and gifts– and
not for stamp collectors purposes.
Each
of the twin-reel Hytech machines are loaded with Christmas (MA12) Robin
stamps as well as Machin Stamps – which for the specialist gives rise
to two totally new and
exclusive products to this Branch.
The Hytech Machin ‘Worldwide 40g’ stamps have not been previously issued - as
when un-overprinted Hytech Machins previously appeared at Stampex, the
WW40g had yet to be added to the range.
Additionally, this is the only outlet
where ‘Hytech Christmas Robins’ (MA12), printed in strips of six, will
be available. (These are not expected to appear at Spring Stampex
2013).
For Postmark Collectors the counter datestamps in use at the Post Office are ‘Equipment Team Temporary’ No. ’32′ and No. ’42′.
DID ANYBODY PRODUCE ANY FDCs ? Cusomers asking!
Pictures of the two Collectors Strips available:
