A set of 7 unused postage stamps from the 1940s to the 1980s. These valid stamps issued by the USPS WILL WORK to mail your letter!
Get yours here.
1935 Charter Oak
This beautiful pinkish purplish 1935 stamp celebrates 300 years (the tercentenary!) of the Connecticut Colony. The stamp features an image of the Charter Oak, an ancient (and long gone) tree, the hiding spot of the Connecticut Royal Charter, which was placed there by colonists to conceal it from British overlords.
The Charter Oak is believed to have been from the 12th or 13th century, living until it fell in 1857 from a storm.
The Charter Oak, oil on canvas, Charles De Wolf Brownell, 1857. Wadsworth Atheneum
If you wanted to style these stamps with others, see how I did it below! The first image is a curated set I have for sale in my shop (see it here) and includes the 2003 Audrey Hepburn, 1977 Sound Recording and 1957 Architects postage stamps.
In Fall of 2020, I styled this stamp with a few others for a North Virginia wedding postage set. Read more about that set here.
Ellis + Cote November Styled Shoot
I was delighted to participate as a vendor in a styled shoot organized by Ellis + Cote. This Charlotte based business organizes styled shoots to help photographers and vendors build their portfolios and (bonus!) my sister-in-law Chelsea, florist extraordinaire, is a founder! This shoot took place in the coolest modern-meets-cozy cabin in the North Carolina mountains with a number of photographers. Today I’m featuring the work of Erika El. I love how she captured these stamps alongside paper goods by Darcy Nellis Design.
Interested in postage for your styled shoot? Please email me gracie @ enfieldpost.com
Scroll to the bottom to see credits for all the vendors.
Host + Planning: @ellisandcote
Photographer: @erikapackett
Design + Floral: @bloomingbranchcreative
Venue: @cozy_owl_cabin
Bridal Attire: @ladiesoflineage
Groom's Attire - @omjclothing
Hair/Make-Up (November 16) - @canvasboone, @caitlynbrookeaesthetics, @heather_rogers12
Hair/Make-Up (November 17) - @canvasboone, @bridalbysierra
Jewelry - @emiconnerjewelry
Paper Goods: @darcynellisdesign
Stamps: @enfieldpost
Dishes: @eastforkpottery
Placecards: @pinepressedflowers
Tabletop Rentals - @partyreflections
Rentals - @oldsouthcollection
Model (November 16) - @anahlabeauty
Model (November 17) - @rachellmcwaters
Virginia Wedding Postage Set
I was delighted when I got a message from Jamie Lynn Signature Weddings about wedding postage for one of her clients. I was happy to put this set together for her that included birds, flowers, trees, and symbols. We worked together with her clients and landed on a great set. The stationery by Ettie Kim Studio was a perfect match. Don’t you love her lettering on the envelopes?
Take a look through these photos by Ashley Peterson and scroll down to see all the credits.
Interested in vintage postage stamps for your wedding? More info here.
Venue | Virginia House @virginiahistory
Design + Planning | @jamielynnsigweddings
Photography | @ashleypetersonphotography
Video | @rachaelcurryfilms
Stationery Vendors:
Stationery | @ettiekimstudio
Wax Seals | @artisaire
Vintage Postage | @enfieldpost
Event Design Vendors:
Florals | @oliverafloraldesign
Cake | @sweetfix
Lighting | @lightingprofessors
Catering | @mosaiccatering
Ceremony Music | Somerset String Quartet
Entertainment | @samhillentertainment #adriandukeproject
Rentals | @cprofva
Charger Rentals | @thecollectionbycourtneyinghram
Specialty Rentals | @paisleyandjade
Table Runners | @latavolalinen
Beauty + Attire Vendors:
Dress | @avalaurennebride
Alterations | @seamsalterations
Shoes | @bellabelleshoes
Veil | @bhldn
Bridesmaid Dresses | @birdygrey
Makeup | @suzcmakeup_artistry for @mab.artistry
Tux | @theblacktux
Fine Jewelry | @diamondsdirect
A Classic Wedding Postage Set
A bride recently approached me looking for classic and muted palette of stamps for her wedding invitations for her Charlotte wedding. Together, we came up with this set, which is absolutely classic.
Stamps included
1971 Emily Dickinson 8c
1998 Flowering Trees, Dogwood 32c
1996 Centennial Olympics 32c
1983 US and Germany 20c
2002 Audubon 37c
If you’re interested in stamps for your wedding, find more info here.
Valentine’s Day Postage Set
Happy to introduce this new Valentine’s day postage set! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Get one for yourself here.
It features:
1994 Dove and Roses 29c
1949 Airmail UPU 25c
1952 Betsy Ross 3c
1957 Lafayette 3c
Calligraphy on this envelope by @nobhilljane
Decimals in Face Values
I’m here to answer some recent questions I’ve received about what to do about the decimal points in the face value of vintage postage. Some older stamps from the 1950s to 1980s will have these, mainly found on coil stamps. In a Forever Stamp world, they are a bit of an oddity and hard to wrap your head around at first.
First, the WHY…
Some older stamps have a 1/2 cent because that was the 1 oz rate at the time. Nowadays, USPS will up postage from 50 to 55 cents without batting an eye, but when the postage amount was 4 cents, a 5 cent jump would be crazy. We didn’t have half penny coins at the time, but when buying a sheet of stamps or a coil, the math would work out to an even number.
USPS worked within existing (Americana) and new (transportation) series through the late 20th century to provide bulk mail stamps, which have a slightly lower rate than regular first class rates. This resulted in decimal points.
But do they work?
Yes! They are worth exactly what the face value says they are. However, you should NEVER round up when it comes to postage with decimals. a 4.9 cent stamp counts as 4.9, NOT 5 cents. One way to make them work is to add together two whose decimals equal a cent. A 4.9 cent and a 7.1 cent, for example.
Want to take a look at more of them? See decimal points postage & coils here.
Unused Postage Sale
Please enjoy 25% off unused postage stamps during my annual end of year sale! Shop sale here.
Sale through 12/31 and excludes custom orders.
Be in touch with questions gracie @ enfieldpost.com
Poinsettias
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I'm exploring the USPS's long love of the poinsettia plant. The flower is featured on four stamps, these two from 1985 and 1964 and also a 2013 Forever stamp and a Global Mail circular stamp, still available at USPS.com.
The poinsettia plant is native to Mexico and began its association with Christmas in the 16th Century: Legend tells of a girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. An angel approached the weeping girl and sent her to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Watered by her tears, crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became poinsettias.
Nowadays, the star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus' Crucifixion.
In 1828, the plant was brought to the United States by Robert Poinsett (1799-1851). While serving as ambassador to Mexico, he sent a few to his home in South Carolina where they were propagated and given as gifts to friends and local gardens. Before long the plant had a new name, the Poinsettia.
Later, in the early 20th century, the plant was bred to have fuller leaves and color variations by the Ecke family. Paul Ecke would send plants to local TV stations between Thanksgiving and Christmas for their sets, amplifying their visibility. The family was the leading seller of poinsettias for decades.
In 2002, Congress passed a bill making December 12 (the day of Poinsett's death) National Poinsettia Day.
USPS Operation Santa
A dear friend alerted me to Operation Santa a few days ago. The USPS receives thousands of letters to Santa every year, and now there is a team of people scanning and uploading them to their site. Anyone who wants can "adopt" a letter, respond to it and buy the gifts the child has requested. An example of a letter posted today (dec 21) is posted below.
The organization has requested that gifts be shipped by the 19th, so it's a bit late in the game to be adopting a letter. However USPS continues to upload them, so check back daily if you want to participate.
While researching this project, I came across a documentary that came out this month all about how USPS handles the many letters sent to the North Pole. Looking forward to watching DEAR SANTA soon (on youtube, amazon, or a variety of other places).
I definitely DID NOT* cry while watching the trailer. NOPE. Not at all.
*I definitely cried
Gift Suggestions for Mail Carriers
This week on instagram I asked my followers for suggestions for gifts to give their mail carriers. As usual when crowdsourcing suggestions, it led me to a path a did not expect.
90% of the responses were related to money: cash! gift card! etc!
But then I found this:
Carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount.
Because it’s pandemic-time, giving someone something edible or drinkable is a bit questionable, but because the money situation is out, the options are quite narrow. Other suggestions came in, and included baileys (if I know them well), homemade cookies, dog treats (because most carry them and why not give good quality?), and prepackaged candy. I bet a hand-written note would get you far too.
Don’t forget to be kind to your mail carriers and deliverers this year. They’ve been through it!
My Christmas Card stamps
I just wrapped up sending out my 2020 Christmas cards and I wanted to show you the stamps I chose to use. I went a non-traditional route by making blue my main color and working with a wintry theme. I used the 1960 winter olympics stamp with a snowflake on it, the 1978 owl (I started with just the snowy owl but quickly ran out and used all four designs), and wrapped it up with the 2006 snowflakes, which also come in four designs.
While I’m a big fan of covering envelopes with gorgeous vintage stamps, I kept it simple with just three this year. The biggest factor in making that decision was the amount of time I had. Between managing the littles and keeping my shop going through its busiest month, I knew I would be lacking in leisure time. I always underestimate how much time it takes to stamp these envelopes, and I was determined to do something manageable this year. I’m really pleased with how they turned out!
See more holiday postage stamps here.
Tis the Season for Giving.... Grace to the USPS
The texting would work. I was sure of it.
Did I want to turn on text notifications for the orders I’d sent out that had yet to be acknowledged by USPS? No I did not. I did not care to receive the countless notifications updating me on the status of my packages: We have it! We moved it! We moved it to another place! We may deliver it today! Oop, nope, not today, maybe tomorrow! But I was grasping at straws, and this was a worst case scenario.
Last week, I had put 11 time sensitive orders in the hands of the USPS tracking system. These were Christmas postage stamps that people wanted to use on their cards, or ornaments to hang on their trees, or gifts for loved ones. Over a span of 5 days the number continued to grow, but they weren’t being checked in. They were in an abyss, a dark void that existed between my home and the regional processing facility. I imagined a pile of packages a mile high, something from a cartoon, with my small turquoise packages buried like needles in a haystack. I couldn’t find them if I wanted to.
A customer messaged me, “Can you update me on the status of my order?”
“It’s in God’s hands,” I said aloud.
What she read in my response was a stream of drivel about how swamped USPS was, how they didn’t see this coming, how Covid is having an impact. While I typed with one hand, the other was balled into a shaking fist: Hey, USPS! You knew this would happen! How could you not have been more prepared!
The truth is, this happens every year. But 2020 is not every year. 2020 is a Dumpster Fire. In addition to staff shortages because of Covid, the system is also still reeling from the sudden and drastic changes made by the new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Not to mention all the extra packages being mailed to family we won’t see, or the extra presents we’re ordering online because we’re all still avoiding stores.
My mail carrier, who usually comes at the dark winter hour of 6 o’clock, is now coming at 8 o’clock, too late for my kids to open our christmas cards because they’ve been asleep for an hour. I caught her as she raced through our neighborhood last night. Usually one to chat, she waved as she looked behind her shoulder, shouting “just trying to finish up and go home!”
It’s a lot easier for me to say this now that my 11 packages have been delivered, but it’s time we all gave USPS a little grace. They’re doing their best.
___
While meditating on all of this, my son shoved a miniature red mailbox in my face. “Mail’s Here!” he shouted. He showed me how the tiny letters went in the slot then opened the little door to take them out again. “It’s for you!” he exclaimed.
This was part of a LEGO set, a gift from our new babysitter who has only come over a handful of times. I was caught off guard by the generosity of this college student, who took the time to go to Target and pick out small, thoughtful gifts and wrap them. It was touching. That kind of surprising generosity is something I hope to emulate. No, I need to emulate. It is the season for giving, after all. The first recipient is going to be the postal system.
USPS 2021 Price Increases
Back in October, USPS announced their new pricing for 2021. It doesn’t affect the rate of FOREVER stamps, which will remain at 55 cents, but the extra ounce rate will go from 15 cents to 20 cents. Postcard rates will also go up by 1 cent. You can learn more on the USPS website.
Postage Ornaments
Happy to share these postage stamp ornaments that are back in stock! Unused vintage US postage stamps suspended between two panes of glass in a metal frame. Simple, classic and beautiful… and just in time for the holidays! Shop here.
The First Christmas Stamp
I've been buried in US Christmas postage the past few weeks, and in sorting, organizing and packing orders I've had time to think about how it all began. I did a little research and discovered this image of the first Christmas postage stamp ever. Some people will debate it, but the general consensus is that in 1898, Canada issued the first ever Christmas themed stamp while announcing the British Empire penny post (you could send a letter within the British Empire for the same rate). I love the bright red ink indicating which countries were in the British Empire, notable because it was Canada's first bi-color stamp. It's curious how non-committal they were about claiming the Christmas holiday (no symbols of Christmas, and not even spelling out the whole word), but the truth is, the pro-Christmas postage contingent was small and unsupported. and "XMAS 1898" actually indicates the day that Imperial Penny Postage rates began. While researching I came across this anecdote quite a few times, so it's worth sharing with you all:
There is an oft-repeated story that Canadian Postmaster General William Mulock developed the stamp and proposed that it be issued on November 9 to “honor the prince,” meaning the Prince of Wales. But when Queen Victoria asked “what Prince?” in a displeased manner, Mulock realized the danger, and answered “Why, madam, the Prince of Peace.”
Source
Christmas themed postage as we know it didn't get it's day until at least the 1930s and 1940s in various countries around the world. Then the US didn't get a Christmas stamp until 1962. Now, 160 countries issue Christmas stamps, with the exceptions being Islamic countries.
Traditional Christmas, Valley Forge 1977
In the late 1970s, the enthusiasm for the Bicentennial era was loud and clear at the presses of the US Postal Service. As I've shared before, both traditional and contemporary Christmas stamps were issued annually, with the traditional theme being overtly religious. Although these typically depict a mother and child scene from a Renaissance painting, here we have George Washington at prayer.
In December of 1977, following a few crushing defeats in the Revolutionary War, Washington and his troops began a 6 month stay in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The winter was exceptionally harsh and nearly 3,000 men perished in the frigid conditions. However Washington's dedication to his men saw them ending their stay in Valley Forge a bit tougher and more disciplined.
This stamp was the second to depict Washington during his Valley Forge encampment. The first was a souvenir sheet published a year earlier.
Things I would buy from USPS.com right now
USPS has a rich history of trying to sell anything they can think of related to stamps. No judgment. I’m here for it! I’ve compiled a few things I would buy that are currently available at USPS.com.
Christmas Postage Pins
The world of vintage postage is by no means relegated to just stamps.
There is an abundance of product out there produced by or in conjunction with USPS over the years, and one of my favorite of those things is the enamel pins. While the post office still produces these for current stamps, the best ones replicate images found on stamps from the 1980s and earlier. I just restocked some of my favorites here.
Garden & Gun Interview
This summer I was lucky enough to be interviewed by CJ Lotz for Garden and Gun Magazine. You can read the full interview here.
