The Elvis Stamp, Revisited
 

        Can you believe it's been over six years since the Elvis stamp
came out?  You and I and every other Elvis fan bought 124 million of
them, making it the biggest seller in US history.
Of course, we put most of our Elvis stamps away as collectibles.  A
short time later, the Postal Service threw us a curve by reissuing the
stamp as part of their Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers series   It had the same
picture, but used Elvis' full name, and you had to purchase them as part
of a set with eight other early rockers.
I bought the sets, separated out the Elvis stamps, and used Clyde
McPhatter, Buddy Holly and the rest to mail envelopes.  I probably
should have saved the sets, but at least I saved the second Elvis
stamps,  They're the ones that are going to be rare and valuable down
the road.
Do you remember the Postal Service's contest to decide which Elvis
picture to use on the stamp -- the 'young Elvis' from his early Memphis
days or the 'old Elvis' from his Las Vegas days?  I voted for the young
Elvis seven times. 
        Voting was easy.  You simply went down to the post office and
asked for ballots.  They were self-addressed postcards showing the two
competing drawings, with boxes to check for your choice.  I got ten
ballots and kept three as collectibles. 
        Yes, I admit it.  I'm an Elvis collector, but I'm not compulsive
about it.  I showed my restraint when a catalog from Graceland came in
the mail five years ago.  It contained 28 items featuring the Elvis
stamp picture, but the only things I bought were the baseball cap, the
T-shirt, the refrigerator magnet, and the beach towel.  The Elvis stamp
watch doesn't count, because my wife gave it to me for Christmas later
that year.
        Back when the Elvis stamps first came out, I bought lots of
other related stuff, too.  The Postal Service got surprisingly creative
and offered a full color commemorative book in the exact size and shape
of an old vinyl LP album cover.  Naturally, I had to have that. 
        I also put in an order with one of those mail-order stamp
collectors societies to get five special envelopes, postmarked in
Memphis on the first day of issue, January 8, 1993.  In addition to the
stamp, each envelope had a different full-color drawing of Elvis on it,
and the postmarks were in the design of the grillwork of the iron gates
at Graceland.  Someday, I hope to trade one or two of these envelopes
for some equally cool Elvis goodie.
These special purchases put me on the permanent mailing lists of both
the Postal Service and the mail-order outfit, and since then all sorts
of stamp catalogs have come in.
        All the catalogs from that mail-order stamp collectors society
included new Elvis stamps.  One had a choice of Elvis stamps from eight
foreign countries.  Big stamps.  Expensive ones.  Even a nifty set of
nine different poses, connected together to make a sheet.  Yes, I had to
get that.
        The most unique offer was an Elvis stamp issued last year by the
Republic of Chad in Africa.  Chad had been a regular source for
different, colorful Elvis stamps in every previous catalog.  I guess the
Chad government figured they had a good thing going and decided to keep
issuing new ones.  Someday you may look up Chad in the encyclopedia and
see their main export listed as Elvis stamps.
        That unique offer from Chad was a double stamp.  On one side was
Elvis holding a guitar; on the other was Bill Clinton holding a
saxophone.  The caption above the picture of the stamp set said (I'm not
making this up), "Elvis and Bubba."  That was pretty funny, but I didn't
want Bill Clinton's face in my Elvis collection, so I didn't buy any of
this stamp.
        However, if the Postal Service would consider pairing Elvis with
someone else, I have a suggestion.  How about an "Elvis and Gladys"
stamp, issued as a Mothers Day commemorative.  Can you think of any
other image the Postal Service could use that would better depict a
son's love for his mom?  No, there is none.
They better hurry, though, or Chad will beat them to it.

Phil Arnold is a free-lance writer and big Elvis fan

h o m e

All Graphics, images and content are © 1999-2002 to Designs by Fallen Angel. Nothing may be taken or copied without prior express written consent.Pages updated and authored by