Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

Olympic Disqualification.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

For the first time in 32 years, the U-S Postal Service won't issue a stamp or stamps for
the Olympics.

And the reason is licensing fees. The Postal Service won't pay them. It feels it's an
honor to be on a stamp, and it shouldn't have to pay for the privilege.

Last summer, reporters were shown a set of four stamps commemorating Olympic sports -
beach volleyball, hurdles, diving and javelin.  But there was no use of the "O" word.
Instead, the Postal Service called this issue "Athletes in Motion."

We were told that until just before the briefing, those had been the Olympics stamps - but
the International Olympic Committee insisted on licensing fees. The U-S Postal Service
refused.

This has happened before.  Each time, the Postal Service just removed the words "Olympics"
and "Games" and the five-ring Olympics logo, and substituted something else.

That was the plan this year - but now the issue is off the schedule.

The last time there wasn't an Olympics issue, in 1980, it was because the U-S was
boycotting the Moscow games.

It's likely we'll see the designs used sometime in the future... maybe even four years from
now, if the Olympic committee becomes more reasonable.

Yes, it's about money, but don't let anyone tell you it's because of the Postal Service's
big budget problems.  It's all about greed and control.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

----------------------------------------------------------
Go to Previous Report
Go to Next Report

Go to Report Index