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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations 
May 18-19, 2002:


A Flood Of New Stamps


The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.
 
Here come a bunch of new stamps, all for the rate change at the end 
of June: Two types of Antique Toys Stamps, three versions of the 
three-cent star stamp, and 17 or 18 varieties of the flag stamp .


Some of the versions will be identical, others easy to tell apart, 
and others will require careful scrutiny. Many serious U-S collectors 
will want at least one of each version for their collections. That'll 
start to add up.


Why so many varieties? Well, first, some of these will be coil stamps --
that is, stamps in a roll -- and others will be in booklets sold over 
the counter or sold through vending machines. Each of these formats 
requires a slightly different printing.


Some of the stamps won't have a price on them. They were printed in 
advance, to make sure there would be enough stamps for the new rates, 
even BEFORE those rates were approved. They'll be replaced by otherwise 
identical stamps that DO have denominations. 


And...each printer produces slightly different stamps, making even MORE
varieties.


That's stamp collecting this week. 


I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News.

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