#justphilatelythings

[philatelythings]

making paying taxes a little bit prettier.

The deadline to file tax returns in the US is April 18th this year.  Since I just finished mine, I thought it would be a fun time to look back at the history of tax stamps in America.

The US used stamps to pay for certain taxes from the 1860s up to the 1950s.  Without getting into too much detail, this week’s blog post is a crash course on the history of US revenue stamps with several pictures of designs throughout the years.

Shown in the image above are two simple money transfer notes from the 1860s.  The taxes on these documents were paid with 2¢ “bank check” stamps.

Read more at #justphilatelythings on wordpress.

[philatelythings]

sending a tweet the vintage way.

Happy Easter (to those who celebrate it) and a joyful springtime!  This week on #justphilatelythings I show off a few vintage Easter postcards from my collection, and talk briefly about the role of the picture postcard in communication history.

The idea of a postcard as a short, sweet update - complete with a little picture or joke, is somewhat similar to a tweet, text, or status update today.  It allowed people in the early 1900s to share art, politics, and humor in a cheap and easy way.

[philatelythings]

sharing your hobby with your pet.

I’ve been thinking a lot about cats lately, so this week on #justphilatelythings I’m talking about the time when Belgium attempted to train a team of cats to deliver the mail!

Just a short post this week, but I hope you’ll enjoy it.

And speaking of cats/pets - the stamp featured on the image above is from the “Pets” stamps booklet that will be issued by the USPS this year.

[philatelythings]

creating new designs with old images.

This week on the #justphilatelythings blog, I talk about my trips to fabric stores and the postage themed fabric I’ve found there.  I also discuss how the same stamp design can be modified by artists through the years through forgeries and fakes.

[philatelythings]

collecting the thing you love.

It’s Pokémon’s 20th anniversary!  This series holds a special place in my heart, so I wanted to make a post that combines two of my favorite hobbies.

This week on #justphilatelythings I talk about pokémon on postage stamps - focusing on a comparison between philatelic “wallpaper” stamps and the Pokemon Trading Card Game.

[philatelythings]

the romance of communication without borders.

It’s thanks to air mail that early aviation was able to flourish and make way for the air travel we benefit from today.  While our abilities to travel the world are still limited by money and politics, we still experience much more freedom to travel to and communicate with the rest of the world than we’ve ever had in the past.

This week at http://justphilatelythings.wordpress.com, I take a look at the iconic imagery of air mail stationary.

Also in this week’s post - a link to a file full of isolated air mail labels, logos, and borders for free to download!  All of the icons featured in the image above are scanned from my personal collection are are available for free use.

Enjoy crafting or building graphics with a romantic vintage air mail images!

[philatelythings]

knowing that sometimes, what’s on the outside counts, too.

Picking the perfect stamp can be a special part of sending a letter.  Even back in 1848, letter writers enjoyed being able to use social stamps to mark the outsides of their messages, indicating a romantic or important letter was inside.

Read the whole story at https://justphilatelythings.wordpress.com

[philatelythings]

witnessing modern postal history. A First Day of Issue Ceremony is held to celebrate when a new postage stamp design goes on sale in the United States. These events provide a chance for collectors to learn about the stamps and to create beautiful momentos of the occasion. Read the whole story at https://justphilatelythings.wordpress.com !