Birth. Stamps. Death.

The Boston 2026 World Stamp Expo is here folks! And we're over the moon to be chatting in this episode with Ana Campos, founding and long-time team member at Postcrossing. If you're new to Postcrossing —or were unaware that the USPS is unveiling its first ever stamps to commemorate the project during the show—you're in luck. Ana tells us all about what it took to get here, and why Postcrossing is...

With the World Stamp Expo officially kicking-off tomorrow—Saturday, May 23, 2026—we're thrilled to chat in this episode with Zeppelin mail expert Jim Hill and fellow aero/astrophilatelist and friend of the show, David Ball, current President of the American Air Mail Society (AAMS). In addition to opening some excellent listener mail, we chat with Jim and David about a new project debuting next wee...

Our count-down to the World Stamp Expo in Boston (May 23-30) continues folks! And we are absolutely thrilled to have a very special guest on the show this week: Lisa Bobb-Semple, Director of Stamp Services at the United States Postal Service. Lisa's a 20+ year veteran of the USPS, and was appointed to lead the national stamp program in 2023. In this rich conversation, Lisa tells us all about the c...

We are long overdue to catch up listeners, and very glad to be back in your feeds after a busy April—especially to cover such a riveting topic with returning guest and friend of the pod, Graham Beck (Exploring Stamps, CSAC, piXPost). Graham's helping us kick-off our "Road to Boston" series, where—in the weeks ahead—we'll learn all about the much-anticipated World Stamp Expo taking place in Boston...

In this episode we're diving into our first batch of listener mail (much more to come folks!), as well as a topic of long-standing interest to (at least one) of our hosts: the USPS's iconic Standard Collection Box, aka the "blue box." For well over a century these sturdy steel sentinels (and their many predecessors) have helped move mail around the country's vast delivery network. And though their...

In this episode we look at an iconic series of U.S. stamps, the so-called "Fourth Bureau Issues"—a quintessential example of early twentieth-century American definitives produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) starting in 1922. This series ushered in major changes in both the speed and scale of stamp production—moving from flat plate to rotary presses—as well as the kinds of images...

The Birth. Stamps. Death. team is joined by Haley Maloney to discuss the USPS's iconic zip code mascot Mr. Zip! Mr. Zip dragged the mailing public reluctantly into the zip code era, improving the efficiency of mail delivery and endearing millions to his cheerful orange visage. We also talk about what Haley collects, what got her into collecting, and the joys of the regional stamp club. We would LO...

We're back, dear listeners, with sincere apologies for our prolonged absence. Today we talk about Grand Central Station, the post office near Grand Central Terminal, where we have recently opened a P.O. Box for all of your fan mail. We also have a brief guest appearance by the pod's Irish correspondent Katie Swabb, who offers us a tantalizing postal riddle. She'll join us again on a future episode...

Sam and Chris are joined by Graham Beck, pioneer of digital philately, host of the excellent Exploring Stamps Youtube channel, and member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee. Topics include making digital content about stamps, topical collecting, the cricket world cup, and the process of getting a stamp from idea to postage. Notes Exploring Stamps PixPost (find Chris @chrispy_stamps and Sam...

This week we’re talking about a curious 5c stamp released in 1967 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Voice of America (VOA) radio program, a first of its kind global broadcast born in the crucible of WWII and transformed over the course of the Cold War and modern eras. Sam and Christopher chat about the VOA’s 83-year history and the stamp’s designer, legendary artist Georg Olden—the first African...

Sam and Chris welcome their first guest, David Ball, to talk astrophilately (stamps in space!) and the remarkable story of C-76—the stamp released to commemorate the July 1969 moon landing. We touch on why David collects, the crazy story of NASA and the Postal Service joining forces to covertly produce stamps marking extraterrestrial achievements, and as always, the general joy of modern stamp col...

Join Chris and Sam as they dive into the 1933 NRA issue. Topics include the National Industrial Recovery Act, the National Recovery Administration, the politics of stamp design, the minor Red Scare the stamp caused, postmaster general James Farley, and philatelist-in-chief Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Links Our Website Our Instagram The NRA Issue To see the art that inspired the stamp, head over to...

Sam and Chris preview the podcast and briefly discuss their interest in stamps and stamp collecting. Mentioned: Show Website NRA Stamp Great Americans Issue