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While the 1993 Elvis stamp continues to hold court as the most popular stamp of all time with more than 124 million collected, three sets of stamps issued during 2006 rank among the top 10, Postmaster General John E. Potter announced recently.
"Stamp collecting continues as one of the world's most popular educational hobbies that the entire family can enjoy," Potter said in announcing the 25 most popular stamps of all time. "Three stamp subjects issued this year were extremely popular: Wonders of America, Land of Superlatives, came in at number two for all time with more than 87 million collected; DC Comics Super Heroes hit number five with 73 million; and, Art of Disney: Romance was number eight with more than 57 million."
Since 1988, the Postal Service has annually surveyed more than 10,000 households to determine the number and types of stamps purchased versus stamps saved.
The Postal Service receives stamp ideas from about 50,000 people every year, yet only 20 to 25 subjects make the cut. To narrow down the selection, the Postmaster General's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee -- a cross section of designers, historians and academics -- reviews the suggestions and make recommendations to the Postmaster General for final approval.
"The fact that 10 of the top 25 were issued in the last three years serves as a testament to the Committee's expertise in selecting dynamic subjects and America's continued interest in the hobby," he added.
This year proved to be the best ever for stamp shows. The Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition -- as the world's largest stamp show and held only once every decade in the U.S. -- attracted nearly 140 postal administrations and more than 200 stamp dealers to showcase the world's rarest stamp collections worth hundreds of millions of dollars to nearly a quarter of a million visitors.
The Postal Service encourages individuals with stamp ideas to submit their suggestions in writing to:
Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee Stamp Development U.S. Postal Service 1735 North Lynn St Rm 5013 Arlington VA 22209-6432
To see the top 25 most popular stamp subject images, visit: www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2006/sr06_055.htm
To see the 2007 Commemorative stamp program and learn more about the stamp selection process, visit this link: www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007stamps/.
Top 25 Most Popular Commemorative Stamps
Stamp Subject Year Stamps Saved
1) Elvis 1993 124.1 million
2) Wonders of America 2006 87.5 million
3) Wildflowers 1992 76.1 million
4) Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues 1993 75.9 million
5) DC Comics Super Heroes 2006 73.0 million
6) Greetings From America 2002 71.4 million
7) Insects and Spiders 1999 61.0 million
8) Art of Disney: Romance 2006 57.2 million
9) Legends of Baseball 2000 53.9 million
10) Art of Disney: Celebration 2005 52.8 million
11) Baseball Playing Fields 2001 49.0 million
12) Art of Disney: Friendship 2004 47.7 million
13) Civil War 1995 46.6 million
14) Legends of the West 1994 46.4 million
15) Marilyn Monroe 1995 46.4 million
16) Advances in Aviation 2005 45.8 million
17) Bugs Bunny 1997 44.1 million
18) Lunar New Year SS 2005 42.7 million
19) Comic Strip Classics 1995 40.8 million
20) Jim Henson: Muppets 2005 40.6 million
21) Cloudscapes 2004 40.1 million
22) Stars and Stripes 2000 40.0 million
23) Baseball Sluggers 2006 39.5 million
24) Summer Olympics 1992 39.5 million
25) Lucille Ball 2001 38.7 million
Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 146 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $72 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume -- some 213 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year -- and serves ten million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.
Source: U.S. Postal Service
Web site: www.usps.com/
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