Post and Go and other Stamps News round-up

As reported elsewhere I was fortunate to visit Kidderminster last Sunday and buy some different Euro20/World10 Faststamps from the Wincor machine in the WHSmiths branch*.  It seem unlikely that any more new stamps will now be found (other than Winter Greenery perhaps) so it is a useful time to summarise and link to the stock we have on our shop.

Click on the image to go to that stamp in the shop, and click on Recent Additions when there to see the others - while stocks last!

Spring Blooms

Machin undated and MA13

Sheep and Pigs

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Freshwater Lakes

 

Also reported but not yet stocked by us, Cattle, Union Flag and possibly other Freshwater Life.

It's not clear whether the Winter Greenery stamps will appear in Wincor-Nixdorf machines.  The manager at Kidderminster told me that they had not had Poppies or Symbolic Flowers, so it seems unlikely.  The situation is not helped by the Royal Mail Post Office split, the official response from Royal Mail being:

The intention was for Symbolic Flowers to be followed by the Poppy and then, on 13 November, to be replaced by Winter Greenery. Maybe some offices didn’t receive the information and therefore didn’t order the stock.

This indicates that the PO Supplies Department at Swindon is not sending the stock out automatically (although I think they ought to for new issues).  If we are reliant on individual branches ordering new stamps then it may be difficult in the future to be sure what will be on sale where, unless concerned collectors and dealers approach the branches a couple of weeks before a new issue is due.  Even then, it's reported that NCR offices, which mostly have at least 3 machines, received two rolls of Poppies and then were unable to order any more, meaning that some have no Poppies on sale in the period immediately before Remembrance Day.

* For those visiting Kidderminster, the branch is about 150 yards from The Bullring, where you can also find J D Wetherspoons Penny Black pub which serves a good all-morning breakfast and Sunday Roast!

New printings of reissued stamps

I checked Norwich's stock of definitive-sized Lest We Forget Poppies stamp on 21 October and found that they had a 2013 printing.  However, the 1st and 2nd class 2013 Madonna Christmas stamps are also reissued this year (the 2007 stamps having been retired), and the ones that Doug has sent pictures of are new 2014 printings, 11 June for the 1st class, and 23 June for the 2nd.  

UPDATE: Robert reports 12 June for 1st class and 20 June for 2nd.  (21st & 22nd were weekend)

These top-half sheets do not have the cylinder numbers but I don't expect any changes there, especially given the 5-Nov-2013 Sale Date still present in the left margin (but who knows otherwise?)

Thanks to John F for pointing out that on the examples he has seen the date in the phosphor is still ‘2013’ for both first & second class. This points to the same cylinders being used and means that there will be no new catalogue entry for these.  However, it doesn't mean that there will be no shade variations, as happened with the various printings of the previous long term 'alternative' Madonnas.

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Contents of Post and Go machines on change of tariff 2014

New postage rates will be introduced on 31 March 2014.  In Post and Go machines the Worldwide 10g and Worldwide 40g stamps will no longer be relevant and they will be replaced by Europe 60g and Worldwide 60g stamps.

The new 'values' or 'service indicators' are expected to be available on Machin head, Union Flag, and Spring Flowers stamps, but will also be available on previous issues where they remain in the machines.

If you find any of these I will be interested in obtaining stock of both new values, both for myself and for customers.  I still need Machin MA13, Union Flag MA13, Robin MA12, and all Freshwater Life.

Mock-ups of what we can expect

In order to keep track of which designs of Post and Go stamps are available this post is available for readers to record what has appeared, and where - and on which type of machine, as the NCR version is rolled-out through the country.  Mock-ups of what might be available

Some people have asked about FDCs for the new rates. Apart from the very first sets of brown which was sold in a pack of 5 values, and the first set of blue Machin heads, Royal Mail have only ever produced official FDCs for the designs, rather than the values.  However FDCs can be obtained by dealers and collectors.

Only on-topic comments will be published!

UPDATE 28 MARCH 2014
For both Wincor-Nixdorf and NCR Post and Go machines (and the BPMA machine) I have reliable information that the new stamps will be available from start of business.  A notice should tell customers wanting Worldwide 10g to buy Europe 20g.  At a later date the Worldwide 10g option will be reinstated under the 'post an item' menu.

See PostagelabelsUK blog.

UPDATE 10 April 2014

Apologies for not adding this earlier: I thought it had been done, but I now rectify the omission! Regarding the future value of obsolete Post and Go stamps Royal Mail have advised:

"Existing P&G stamps for WW 10g and WW40g and other previously issued NVI’s for which there is no current postage value e.g. WW Postcard, will continue to be valid for the next applicable weight step up from its stated value i.e. WW 10g stamp will be valid at the WW 20g value and the WW 40g stamp will be valid at the new WW 60g value."

I'm not sure of the position now that the basic Worldwide 10g and Postcard rates have been re-instated to the tariff.

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REPORT 31 MARCH 2014

Contrary to statements by some people who thought they knew something that Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail managers did not, the software changes for the new tariff were effected before the branches opened for business this morning.

Wincor-Nixdorf machines dispensed Europe 60g and Worldwide 60g stamps, and the Worldwide 10g and Worldwide 40g options were no longer available.  To cater for the restored world postcard and Worldwide 10g letter rate of 97p, a magnetic notice was affixed to the machine advising customers who wanted to post such items to choose the "Letter Europe (up to 20g) option" for a 97p stamp (see pictures).  Unfortunately the body of the machine is mainly plastic so the label placed on the red and white metal pictogram panel below the screen.  One unfortunate side-effect of the software change is that instead of dispensing up to 99 stamps the machine will now only take orders for up to 20, meaning far more transactions.  [However, it is still possible to purchase at least 5 x Collectors Sets of 6 in one transaction.  I regard the reduction as a fault and have reported it as it does produce longer queues.]

The IAR Machine at the BPMA produced Machin stamps with MA13 and Union Flag with no year code.

Reports from two NCR machine locations referred to software problems.  Apparently the machine displayed the 60g options, took the money, gave change and printed receipts but not stamps.  The fault was reported before noon and it is to be hoped that it will be rectified by tomorrow.  If it is, then 1 April will be the first day for NCR 60g stamps - unless anybody can tell me any differently ?
A second report was that when a 'Collectors Set' was selected, the 4 old stamp values were printed but the two 60g were not, so producing a strip of 4.

Contents of Machines

I'm grateful to the many correspondents who have phoned, left voicemail messages, and emailed, about what they have found in various machines from Truro to Glasgow and many points between.  I'll summarise this and put some more pictures up in this same blogpost later.

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a collectors set of the Spring Flowers from Norwich, demonstrating the small figures of value used for the two 60g stamps, compared with the others.  Also the weight line is inset compared with the Europe 20g but is in the same place as the Worldwide 20g.

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Table of contents as advised to 2 April.
Please see added comments for ongoing details of machine contents, 
which will only be shown here if they are new stamps to the list. 

Location	Contents	Comment
Norwich	Machin undated. Also Robin MA13 Spring Blooms	1 out of order
York	Machins in both.
Barnsley	Spring Blooms
Camden High Street	Cattle, Union Flag
Truro	Flags Birds 3	Birds 3 available on 31 March, only just reported.
Sutton (1 m/c)	Spring Flowers
Croydon (6 m/c)	#1,3,6 Flags no year code; #2 spring blooms;  #4 Machins no year code; #5 Robins MA13
Darlington	#1 Cattle; #2 had Flags on Saturday
Trafalgar Square	#1 Spring Blooms,   Rivers in all other machines
Aldwych	Machins (no year) in both
Old Street	Sheep; Flag (no year); Machin (no year)
Holborn	Machin (no year); Rivers 8 April update: Lakes
Baker Street	Rivers (both) 8 April update: Ponds
Paddington	Flag (no year)
Glasgow (branch?)	Pigs, Cattle
Harrogate	Sheep, Flags
Leeds	Birds 4, Pigs
Birmingham Pinfold St	2 out of order; most had Machins One: Flowers jammed, second flowers jammed, so replaced with Flag
Basildon WHS	Machin no year	(no magnet)
Southend-on-Sea	1. Spring Blooms; 2. Machin (no year)	(magnet)
Golders Green	Machin (no year)	(magnet) 'Newvision' on receipts
Blackfriars Bridge	Machin (no year)	(no magnet)
Cirencester (NCR)	Machin – Col Set of 4, no 60g
Stroud (NCR)	Machin – Col Set of 4, no 60g
Bristol	2 x Flags; 3 x Spring blooms	(machines labeled with contents)
Durham	Spring Flowers; Robins MA12
Plymouth	Machins (no year)	All 3 machines
Macclesfield	Spring Blooms (1st and 2nd)	-
Manchester (Spring Gardens)	Machins in 2 m/c)	One machine not working
Sydenham (NCR)	Machins (1st and 2nd)	All working well Tuesday 1 April with upgrade.
Grimsby	Birds 2	Seen on eBay 20 April, with April purchase date (see below)

Images from Norwich and supplied by readers. (Click on each for larger images)

Norwich

BPMA

Old Street, London, Sheep

Trafalgar Square/William IV Street Rivers

Old Street Flags

Durham Silver Street

Glasgow St Vincent Street
Pigs and Cattle

Harrogate Sheep

Leeds Birds 4

Spotted on eBay (not bought on 31 March but in April)
Birds 2 from Grimsby

And lastly, Lakes and Ponds from Paignton (update 15 May)

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Christmas Robins Post and Go stamps make a return

As expected some Post Offices and other outlets are to use Robins Faststamps again this year.  This post will help keep track of what is happening where.

There is no formal 'first day' of Robins with the MA13 code at post offices.

1. The new stamps have been installed at the British Postal Museum and Archive in Phoenix Place effective 5 November.  These have the BPMA inscription and are sold from the Hytech/Next Generation machine.  (For images see here.)

2. Stamps with no additional inscription were on sale from machines A3 and A4 at the Stafford Stamp Fair on Friday 8 / Saturday 9 November. (For images see here.)

3. Use at ordinary post offices will be varied.  Some will continue to use MA12 stock which they have left over from last year.  Replenishment orders from Swindon stores may be MA12 initially then MA13.  Available at Trafalgar Square on 12 November - others see below!

4. It is likely that any 'pop-up' post office, as at Camden Lock last year, will use new stock. We have no details of such a post office yet - expect it in early December.  Details now available here.


Update 7 December - Summary of comments so far:

Old St London    5 November - robins not yet available
Farringdon St      5 November - no robins available
York (Lendal)      5 November - Christmas Pigs 
Glasgow              5 November - Flags in 1 (since exhausted), Machins in 2+3.
Edinburgh           5 November - Rivers in 1,2,3
Stockport             6 November - Robins MA12
Plymouth             6 November - "have no intention of having Robins" (they say!) §
London Baker St  6 November - Rivers
York (Lendal)       8 November - Pigs (thanks PB!)
London Farringdon R 12 November - Ponds (Christmas Newt)
*Exeter                  11 November - Robins MA12
Devon/Cornwall  11 November - MA12 Robins widespread
Exmouth              12 November - Birds 4, Christmas Ringed Plover
Tonbridge             12 November - Pigs
Trafalgar Sq       12 November - ROBINS MA13

Aldwych              13 November - m/c 1 Rivers, m/c 2 Flags
Norwich              13 November - ROBINS MA13 
Reading               13 November - Rivers in both machines
Harrogate             13 November - Machins (1), Rivers (2)
Maidstone            14 November - Machin (1), Rivers (2) 
Plymouth  §          16 November - Robins MA12 in all machines
Macclesfield         16 November - Pond life
* Exeter               16 November - Robins MA12 in 1+2, MA13 in 3
Paignton               16 November - Rivers (update - see 19th)
Yeovil                   16 November - Rivers
Balham High St    18 Nov - Lakes
Clapham High St  18 Nov - Rivers x 3 m/c
Lavender Hill        19 Nov - Cattle (Clapham Junction)
New Malden         19 Nov - Rivers (1), Robins MA12 (2)
Croydon               19 Nov - Robins MA13 in all machines
Paignton                19 Nov - Robins, MA12  
Tudor Street (L)  21 Nov - MA13 Robins, Flag + Machin (* flag MA13 only briefly)
Aldwych (Lon)    21Nov - Robins MA13
Bristol Galleries   22 Nov - Robins MA12 in all 5
Aberystwyth         22 Nov - Cattle 
* Exeter               23 Nov - still Robins MA12 in 1+2, MA13 in 3
Blackfriars Road   25 Nov - Lakes
Great Portland St  25 Nov -  Machin Head original
Baker Street          25 Nov -  Rivers in both m/c
Paddington            25 Nov - Union Flag (original) in both m/c
Birmingham        27 Nov - Flag in #2; Machin in #3, 7 and 8; Fish in #4-6; Robin MA13 in #9-10
Plymouth   §        28 Nov - Robins MA13

Update 13 December
Farringdon Road - Ponds
Blackfriars Road, Southwark - Sheep (not Lakes)
* Tudor Street - Machins, MA13 in machines 1 & 3. Union Flags, no date in machine 2
Aldwych - Robins, MA13 in both machines (no Rivers)
Covent Garden - 2nd class & 2nd class Large Machins, MA13 in one machine
.... and because no Rivers at Aldwych:-
Baker Street - Ponds (not Rivers)

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Faststamps update - recent reports on Flags & Pigs

This is a round-up of recent information I've been sent by several collectors.  Thank you all.  This does not (intentionally) duplicate anything that has been in previous entries or comments on those entries.

Flag Faststamps

Despite statements that all faults on Post and Go machines using the original font had now been corrected Harrow's kiosk 2 dispensed Flag stamps on 22 May with the large font and missing weight from the 10g Worldwide value.  

Thanks to Dennis for this picture of the set as sold early on 21 May:

 
A wide-ranging census of machines revealed that on 21 May ....

Clapham High Street London SW4 had Machins in both machines

King William IV/Trafalgar Sq London WC2 had two machines with Flags and two with Pigs

Blackfriars London SE1's machine had Pigs – the receipt has 'newvision®' at the foot.

Flags Presentation packs were available at William IV/Trafalgar Square (015010) but limited to only 2 per customer as they were waiting for the rest of their stock.

Other offices canvassed had Flags installed.

Update: Darley Street Bradford installed Flag stampson the day of issue when requested to do so.
 

Earlier reports on the Pigs

"St Albans (010033) were selling the Pig Faststamps on the 25th April. Font 1 was in use on this kiosk. 

On the 24th, Trafalgar Square (015010) was using Pigs on all four kiosks but kiosk 4 was giving problems. Aldwych (010011) and Broadway (008010) were using Pigs on all kiosks."

Miscut Packs

No reports have been received of miscut Bureau Packs of Pigs, but 5 different versions of the Sheep packs have now been reported, with this report coming on 16 May:

"It appears that there are now 5 variants to the sheep P&G pack, only the Jacob bread to appear first in the strip. On closer inspection of the images on ebay, there appear to be different numbers after the 002012 02, 03, 04, which are presumably the month that the strip was produced."


I haven't had a chance to verify this, and nobody else has mentioned it.   All those currently on eBay appear to have 002012 02.  Please take a look at your packs and let me know the coding - thanks! 

Pigs Post and Go experiences

For various reasons I couldn't get to a Post and Go office to get the Pigs Faststamps until yesterday, and what a laboured exercise it turned out to be! 

Now I appreciate that collectors and dealers test these machines to their limits, but problems with the mechanical aspects are frustrating and cause delays for all PO customers with a facility which ought to make life easier.

Post and Go machines are, in some ways, the most flexible way of buying stamps because you can pay in cash, or by debit or even credit card.  However, you cannot buy more than 99 Faststamps in a session.  Indeed if you want only Worldwide 10g stamps you cannot buy 20 at a session, through the 'post an item' menu.

I wanted more than 20 sets of 36 stamps: 6 values x 6 designs.  The new 'Collectors Set' menu option makes this easier than before, but with a maximum of 99, you can only buy 16 sets (= 96 stamps).  I had armed myself with a pocket full of £20 notes and duly selected the first £86.40 worth of pigs.  The machine refused to accept £20 notes - or £10 notes - or £5 notes.  Fortunately the branch assistant was willing to go and change my notes into £1 coins.

So I had 16 sets with the Saddleback as the 1st class stamp.  Next, buy a single 1st class Saddleback. Then buy 16 sets with the Berkshire as the 1st class stamp. Then a single 1st Berkshire, and 16 sets with the Old Spot as the 1st class, and so on.  Inevitably with so many £1 coins going into the machine, the coin-bucket filled up and more coins were not accepted.  Cancel the transaction, with a sound like a fruit-machine paying a jackpot, as over £40 came tumbling back out.

Pay by card.  This is eminently sensible if you want up to 200 stamps in two transactions.  But card companies will not accept that anybody will repeatedly use a card to make similar transactions through a vending machine all morning!  Your experience would vary but you may find your card blocked after 4, 5, 10 transactions.  I'd had this problem previously, which is why I had bought cash.  But I reverted to cards - a selection of debit and credit cards.  Problems previously associated with bad card-readers didn't occur this time, and all my cards were accepted - much relief all round.

So with a mixture of cash and cards, and using both machines, I scuttled away after over 2 hours with all the sets I wanted and a few spares for postage.

Thanks to the patient staff at Castle Mall, Norwich, for their assistance with this exercise!  See you in September for the Cattle.

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