Stamps of Excellence : Santa, Madonna and Child Star in Postal Service Holiday Editions

Six new first-class Christmas stamps are available this holiday season.

Like regular stamps, they cost 29 cents each, but they don’t have the price printed on them because the Postal Rate Commission hadn’t decided whether to raise the rates when the stamps--2 billion of them--were printed several months ago.

(The commission later decided to keep the rate at 29 cents for the time being.)

The traditional stamp, designed by Bradbury Thompson of Riverside, Conn., is a portrait of the Madonna and Child.

It is taken from the painting “Madonna and Child With Donor” by Renaissance artist Antoniazzo Romano. The original work is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

The contemporary stamps are designed by John Berkey of Excelsior, Minn., and depict the “Night Before Christmas” theme.

They show five different Santa Claus scenes: waving as he descends into a chimney, checking his Christmas list, placing gifts under a tree, ascending a chimney and riding his sleigh into the sky.

And you don’t have to stand in those long lines at the post office to buy them. You can order stamps any time by mail or phone.

Two plans, Stamps by Mail and Stamps by Phone, seem to be among the best-kept secrets about the U.S. Postal Service, although both programs have been in existence for some time.

Stamps by Mail was inaugurated in 1974; Stamps by Phone, 1987.

Stamps by Mail started “to serve the postage needs of shut-ins and the elderly,” says David Mazer of the Postal Service’s Los Angeles Division, and the program has seen considerable use in the past few years.

(As of Sept. 30, Stamps by Mail had taken in about $180 million this year.)

“It’s growing, but we’re still educating the public about its existence,” says Mazer.

“We’ve got the potential to double and triple the volume as we convince more and more people to use this easy way to get stamps.”

Consumers can get an order form for Stamps by Mail from any mail carrier or at their area post office. There’s no minimum order--you can get one 20-stamp booklet if you wish. And the Postal Service pays the postage both ways.

Just decide the type and quantity of stamps you want and check the proper box on the form, then send a check or money order payable to Postmaster. Your stamps should be delivered within three business days.

Stamps by Phone is another convenient way to avoid going to the post office, but there is a $3 service charge, so it’s probably a better idea for those who need a larger volume of stamps.

Call the Postal Service’s toll-free number, (800) STAMP-24, and order stamps by credit card; Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. The line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and stamps should be delivered within five business days.

But regardless of which stamps you buy or how you get them, you should hurry if you’re mailing international letters, cards or packages.

The deadlines are nearing for making sure overseas parcels and letters are delivered by Christmas. (See accompanying box.)

One deadline, for parcels to the Middle East, is Friday.

International Holiday Mail Deadlines Postal deadlines for surface mail (Parcel Post) already have passed, but there’s still time to send First Class parcels and letters for Christmas delivery.

Destination / Deadline

Africa / Nov. 18, packages; Dec. 2, mail

Alaska / Dec. 6; Dec. 9

Australia / Dec. 2; Dec. 16

Canada / Dec. 9; Dec. 9

Caribbean / Dec. 6; Dec. 6

Europe / Dec. 2; Dec. 2

Far East / Dec. 2; Dec. 2

Greenland / Dec. 2; Dec. 2

Hawaii / Dec. 9; Dec. 16

Mexico / Dec. 9; Dec. 9

Middle East / Nov. 15; Nov. 25

Southeast Asia / Dec. 2; Dec. 2

Central and South America / Dec. 2; Dec. 6

Source: U.S. Postal Service