MORE MONSTER STAMPS

A few more stamps from my collection. The Dracula stamps are from Ireland.

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS STAMPS

Issued on 30 September 1997 by the USPS, this set of commemorative stamps was released at Universal City on the first day of issue to launch National Stamp Collecting month. The monster theme was mainly intended to attract young people to stamp collecting. The images were painted by Thomas Blackshear, who himself was a monster fan. He said that the job was a "treat" as “monsters have always been a passion with me.  I used to collect Famous Monsters of Filmland when I was a kid… Also, I had almost every monster model kit that was ever put out.” 

Printed for Stamp Venturers by J.W. Fergusson & Sons of Richmond Virginia, there were 145,000,000 million produced and they are not hard to find these days at reasonable prices. However, one thing I didn't come across were sheets with this presentation folder. Click on the images to view the details.

MONSTERS GO POSTAL

Somebody must've had fun putting this project together. THE HORROR COLLECTION is a spiral-bound illustrated collection of stamps and other monster-related goodies in collaboration between the postal systems of the United States, England, Ireland & Canada. Published by The Marketing Tree in 1997, the book features sealed sets of horror themed stamps : Universal monsters - USPS, classic monsters - Canada Mail-Poste, literary monsters - Royal Mail, & Dracula - Ireland Post - The book also features a game, a full-color poster and two bound in masks.

THE HORROR COLLECTION is widely available through eBay and other web outlets at reasonable prices.

EDGAR ALLAN POE 3-CENT STAMP

While I was scanning the covers for yesterday's post, inside the book I found the laminated and tasseled bookmark that has been with it for years. I also found a block of 4 unseparated  3-cent Edgar Allan Poe U.S. postal stamps. I didn't even remember I had them!

The stamp is officially identified as U.S. #986, with an issue date of October 7, 1949 for the City of Richmond, Virginia. A quantity of 122,633,000 was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using a rotary press. The color is designated as bright red violet.

Here is the story of how the stamp was made:

U.S. #986 was issued to honor Edgar Allen Poe on the 100th anniversary of his death. Poe was orphaned as an infant in Boston, and was taken in by a family in Richmond, Virginia, where he grew up. Richmond hosts the Poe Museum, and was the site of the First Day of Issue for this stamp. Poe was nearly included in the “Famous Americans” stamps in 1940. This 1949 stamp is designed in a similar manner to stamps from that series.

[SOURCE: Mystic Stamp Company.]

UNIQUE HORROR STAMP COLLECTION

As of this writing, still waiting for it's first bid is this interesting horror stamp booklet that, besides the stamps. collects poster masks, a board game, and more. Unusual and odd, this would make an interesting addition to a horror fan's collection.

You can view the auction HERE.

UPDATE: The final bid for this lot was $25.00.

Description of Lot #53183
The Horror Postal Stamp Collection (The Marketing Tree, 1997) Near Mint+. Collectible Stamp Booklet (8.5" X 11.75"). Horror. A joint project between the postal services of the U.S., England, Ireland, and Canada, this fantastic booklet comes chock full of features for horror fans to enjoy. Inside it contains examples of four sets of artistic collectible stamps, an optical decoder for the U.S stamps that reveal hidden background details, a foldout poster, cut-out masks, a board game, a stamp sheet order form, and an narrative original story. A very lightly used, unrestored stamp booklet with fresh, saturated colors. The book and included items should have no holes, no tears, and no paper loss. Near Mint+.

KARLOFF/LUGOSI HOLLYWOOD STAMP BOOK

Up for auction a couple of years ago was a "Screen Stars Stamp Album" from 1947. At one time, stamp albums were very popular as a hobby. So popular, in fact, that even shrewd marketing moguls designed campaigns around stamp collecting with promotional gimmicks like "Blue Chip" and "S&H Green" stamps that were used to trade in for goods at particular supermarkets of the day. The album contains a few stars of interest to monster fans. albeit heavily caricatured as to be almost unrecognizable without the label.

Winning bid: $1,391.50.

 
"10.5x13" with 40 pages ©1947 Harlich Mfg. Co. and approved by the National Poster Stamp Society. Embossed cream cardboard covers with string binding has center illustration designed like a stamp with facsimile signatures around margins including Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Roy Rogers, Bob Hope, Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis, Betty Grable, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, and more. Inside front cover has text for "Hollywood Starstamp Collectors" along with numbering system. A total of 25 packets were available to complete the series of 474 star stamps. Each of the numbered pages has a print design and text, most with facsimile signature of the appropriate star. Pages are divided into various series and include Starland, Star Quiz, Spotlight,Shootin' Star, Younger Set, Junior Set, Stage & Screen, Poster, Symphony of Stars, Stars of Note, International, and Academy Awards.Everyone and anyone who was involved in the movies or Hollywood appears to be represented here. Some of the myriad of stars include Raymond Massey as Abraham Lincoln, Spencer Tracy as Thomas Edison, Don Ameche as Alexander Graham Bell, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Henry Fonda, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Clark Gable, Robert Mitchum, Van Johnson, Alan Ladd, Burt Lancaster, Vincent Price, Ronald Reagan, Cesar Romero, Orson Welles, John Wayne, Robert Young, Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Rosalyn Russell, Greer Garson, Merle Oberon, Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Joe Kirkwood Jr. as Joe Palooka, The Andrews Sisters, Smiley Burnette, Trigger, Lassie, Gene Autry, William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), Johnny Mack-Brown, Gabby Hayes, Tim Holt, Allen Lane, Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers, Janet Leigh, Audie Murphy, Bobby Blake, Natalie Wood, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Roddy McDowell, Jackie Cooper, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Burgess Merideth, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers, Yvonne DeCarlo, Jane Russell, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Xavier Cougat, Judy Garland, Jane Powell, Alice Faye and several stamps featuring star illustrations on face cards as if from a deck of cards. Included are: Boris Karloff (illustrated as Frankenstein), Bela Lugosi (as Dracula), Edward G. Robinson, Joe E. Brown, Jimmy Durante, Laurel & Hardy, Phil Silvers, Jack Benny, Harpo, Groucho and Chico Marx, Bob Hope, Eddie Cantor, Abbott & Costello and Harold Lloyd. An international series of stars from all over the world includes: Desi Arnaz, Glenn Ford, Sonja Henie, James Mason, Peter Lawford and Maureen O'Hara. Also included are Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier, Edgar Bergen, Wallace Beery, Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper, Hattie McDaniel (Gone With The Wind). Series included American Historical Characters, Star Land Series, World Famous Women, Star Quiz, Movie Quiz, Shootin’ Stars, Spotlight Series, New Faces In The Hollywood Spotlight/Stars Of Tomorrow, Younger Set, Junior Set, Stage & Screen Series, Hollywood Screen Stars, Poster Series, Symphony Of Stars, Maestros of the Movies, Stars of Note, Star Deck Series, International Series, Academy Award Series representing award winners of 1929-1946.

Center of front cover has a few lt. scuffs and faint moisture marks. Light bumps at corner tips. Inside pages are lightly but evenly tanned and upper top edge margin at right is missing a few small bits of paper in 2" area. Album is Fine overall with complete set of Exc. stamps. High quality with nice printing and wonderful images."

And here's something a little extra . . .