#postage stamps (mailman)

[stamplover]

snoopy stamps (2000)

[timmurleyart]

Old fashioned hand written letters. 💌📮📦✉️📭

[lickmystamp]

US postage stamp, 1989 “Letter Carriers” Scott #2420

Issued: August 30, 1989 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Quantity: 188,400,000 Designer: Jack Davis Printed By: American Bank Note Company (Gravure)

This stamp was issued in celebration of 100 years of the National Association of Letter Carriers. The NALC is one of the largest postal unions in the US.

[ask-mono-the-stowaway]

Another card for you! This one's also written strangely, so I really can't say what's written on the front, but it does seem to be slightly different handwriting than the last one. Hmm. Hope it's nothing bad!

This one... He wasn't very nice to me. I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing his death. That's cold, but... He never did much like that the Mistress of the orphanage cared for me. He hurt Lar.

[bloodandaluminum]

Hello!

Postcard for you! It's got a lovely view of a galaxy on the front, with a "You Are Here" label near the edges, along with a catchy slogan for the place. (Don't personally recommend it-- it's a bit of a tourist trap. Literally. They trap tourists.)

Anyway, the back looks more promising. Hope it's a good note!

She sent me a card? How... Odd. I didn't know she even knew how to send me mail. No matter, she seems to be doing well and I'm glad of it.

[meet-the-redchemist]

"Hello all. Before you cast your votes between our beloved Couriers @meet-the-courier and myself, I'd like for any potential voters out there to keep this in mind. After swabbing and testing my poor botched petri dishes, I have discovered enough mortadella seasonings and postage stamp glue to conclude that this was *not* an "accident with some dogs" and in fact the work of a certain mailman."

"And to Mr. Mailman himsef, know that I had enough biological sample tissue to develope a form of cancer specific to yourself. You may come out of this battle in the end, but your precious bosom will not leave unscathed." - Dr. Rosa García

"Vote for The RED Chemist for professionalism, integrity, and non-half-assed cover ups."

(Note that this is for lighthearted propaganda purposes no harm is intended)

[fuckyeahthomaspynchon]

A great shout went up near the doorway, bodies flowed toward a fattish pale young man who’d appeared carrying a leather mailsack over his shoulder.

“Mail call,” people were yelling. Sure enough, it was, just like in the army. The fat kid, looking harassed, climbed up on the bar and started calling names and throwing envelopes into the crowd. Fallopian excused himself and joined the others.

Metzger had taken out a pair of glasses and was squinting through them at the kid on the bar. “He’s wearing a Yoyodyne badge. What do you make of that?”

“Some inter-office mail run,” Oedipa said.

“This time of night?”

“Maybe a late shift?” But Metzger only frowned. “Be back,” Oedipa shrugged, heading for the ladies’ room.

On the latrine wall, among lipsticked obscenities, she noticed the following message, neatly indited in engineering lettering:

“Interested in sophisticated fun? You, hubby, girl friends. The more the merrier. Get in touch with Kirby, through WASTE only. Box 7391. L. A.”

WASTE? Oedipa wondered. Beneath the notice, faintly in pencil, was a symbol she’d never seen before, a loop, triangle and trapezoid, thus:

img_5980

It might be something sexual, but she somehow doubted it. She found a pen in her purse and copied the address and symbol in her memo book, thinking: God, hieroglyphics. When she came out Fallopian was back, and had this funny look on his face.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he told them. He had an envelope. Oedipa could see, instead of a postage stamp, the handstruck initials PPS.

“Of course,” said Metzger. “Delivering the mail is a government monopoly. You would be opposed to that.”

Fallopian gave them a wry smile. “It’s not as rebellious as it looks. We use Yoyodyne’s inter-office delivery. On the sly. But it’s hard to find carriers, we have a big turnover. They’re run on a tight schedule, and they get nervous. Security people over at the plant know something’s up. They keep a sharp eye out. De Witt,” pointing at the fat mailman, who was being hauled, twitching, down off the bar and offered drinks he did not want, “he’s the most nervous one we’ve had all year.”

“How extensive is this?” asked Metzger.

“Only inside our San Narciso chapter. They’ve set up pilot projects similar to this in the Washington and I think Dallas chapters. But we’re the only one in California so far. A few of your more affluent type members do wrap their letters around bricks, and then the whole thing in brown paper, and send them Railway Express, but I don’t know . . .”

“A little like copping out,” Metzger sympathized.

“It’s the principle,” Fallopian agreed, sounding defensive. “To keep it up to some kind of a reasonable volume, each member has to send at least one letter a week through the Yoyodyne system. If you don’t, you get fined.” He opened his letter and showed Oedipa and Metzger.

Dear Mike, it said, how are you? Just thought I’d drop you a note. How’s your book coming? Guess that’s all for now. See you at The Scope.

“That’s how it is,” Fallopian confessed bitterly, “most of the time.”

“What book did they mean?” asked Oedipa.

Turned out Fallopian was doing a history of private mail delivery in the U. S., attempting to link the Civil War to the postal reform movement that had begun around 1845. He found it beyond simple coincidence that in of all years 1861 the federal government should have set out on a vigorous suppression of those independent mail routes still surviving the various Acts of ’45, ’47, ’51 and ’55, Acts all designed to drive any private competition into financial ruin. He saw it all as a parable of power, its feeding, growth and systematic abuse, though he didn’t go into it that far with her, that particular night. All Oedipa would remember about him at first, in fact, were his slender build and neat Armenian nose, and a certain affinity of his eyes for green neon.

So began, for Oedipa, the languid, sinister blooming of The Tristero.

[papermoonloveslucy]

PLAYING POST OFFICE

Lucille Ball and the Mail

Lucille Ball gets the mail at the end of the driveway to her Chatsworth home, Desilu Ranch, circa 1940s.

“Lady, we don’t mind the rain, or the snow, or the sleet. It’s kooks like you that drive us nuts!” ~ Postmaster, “Lucy & The Missing Stamp” (1964)

In 1943, Lucille Ball performed on the radio program “Mail Call,” a show only available to the troops overseas and not broadcast stateside.The term mail call was used when soldiers would get letters from home. 

“My Favorite Husband” (1948-1951)

Jay Novello played Mr. Negley the mailman on several episodes of Lucille Ball’s radio series. 

In “The Sleigh Ride” (1949) Mr. Negley uses his mail delivery motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service instead. 

In “Liz The Matchmaker” (1949) Katie the maid decides that after three years of dating Mr. Negley that their relationship is not going anywhere, so she enlists Liz’s help.

In “Mother-in-Law” (1949), Liz (Lucille Ball) correctly assumes that Katie the maid (Ruth Perrot) is so happy because Mr. Negley the mailman has flirted with her. Katie says they were “playing post office.”

KATIE: “He’s so creative. He said my mouth was like a postage stamp. Then he canceled me!”

Katie hands her the mail and Liz finds a letter from her mother-in-law.

LIZ: “No one else addresses a letter ‘To George Cooper Only’ marked personal all over and then seals it with Scotch tape!”

“George Attends a Teenage Dance” (1948) ~ George and Liz chaperone a high school dance and we learn that ‘playing post office’ is a game, not just an institution. Post Office is a kissing party game played at teenage parties. It has been referred to in popular culture since at least the 1880s. The group playing is divided into two groups. One group goes into another room which is called "the post office”. To play, each person from the outer group individually visits “the post office”. Once there, they get a kiss from everyone in the room. They then return to the original room. 

The game of Post Office is mentioned again in “George Needs A Raise” (1949). In "The Charm School" (1954), Ethel mentions that Fred suggested they play Post Office the previous night when a beautiful guest arrived at their dinner party. In “Kiddie Parties Inc.” (1963) Vivian says she played Post Office when she was younger.

JIMMY: “Do you know how to play Post Office, Mrs. Cugat?” LIZ: “Know how? When I was your age they used to call me Jim Farley.”

James Farley was the the 53rd US Postmaster General from 1933 to 1940.  

Hans Conried played a weary mailman in “Valentine’s Day” (1949).

LIZ: “Are you picking up the mail?”

MAILMAN (sarcastically): “No, I’m a Confederate soldier and these are messages for General Lee.”

In 1949, General Robert E. Lee’s face was on a postage stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

"I Love Lucy” (1951-1960)

“Drafted” (1951) ~ A letter from Fort Dix makes Lucy and Ethel think that Fred and Ricky have been drafted. The flap of the envelope is open, so Lucy reasons it is okay to read Ricky’s mail. Re-sealing Ricky’s letter from Fort Dix, Ethel says “I’ve had lots of practice at this.” 

Early in the episode, Lucy gets a postcard from the Bishers, who are on vacation in Florida. The comedy trope of the landlord / landlady (Ethel) reading the tenants’ mail to keep up on gossip is used here! 

The premise of a letter from the Draft Board will be used again on “The Lucy Show” in 1966, when Lou C. Carmichael is mistakenly called up. 

Unmailed and unfinished love letters to a former boyfriend haunt Lucy in “Lucy Changes Her Mind” (1953). When Ricky insists she finish everything she starts, she finishes the love letter to Tom Henderson and it mistakenly gets mailed! 

The “I Love Lucy” Comics created a similar storyline for an issue in 1954. 

Mailed postcards once again cause trouble in “Fan Magazine Interview” (1954) when a publicity scheme for the Tropicana maquerades as a ‘date’ with Ricky Ricardo. When Lucy finds one of the postcards, she naturally thinks Ricky is cheating!  She tracks down the woman: Minnie Finch (Kathryn Card). 

Turns out Minnie’s neighbors (Elvia Allman and Sunny Boyne) got similar invitations for ‘dates’ in the mail. 

“The Passports” (1955) ~ Lucy has trouble proving where and when she was born. At the end, Lucy gets a letter from her mother enclosing her birth certificate and saving the day. 

“Tennessee Ernie Visits” (1954) ~ Lucy gets a very wordy letter from her mother to explain the presence of Ernie Ford. Naturally the letter comes after Ernie has arrived. 

“Tennessee Ernie Hangs On” (1954) ~ Lucy discovers an unmailed letter from Ernie to his Ma in Bent Fork, causing Lucy and Ricky to feel guilty for scheming to get rid of him. 

“Lucy Gets into Pictures” (1955) ~ Ricky discovers a postcard Lucy’s written to  Lillian Appleby, fibbing about having a part in a picture. In a rare blooper, Ricky calls Mrs. Appleby Lillian instead of Carolyn. She was only named Lillian in her very first appearance.  

To apply the stamp, Lucy borrows Ricky’s tongue. 

LUCY: “I've stamped so many cards, I'm all out of lick. Now, remember, don't read them.” RICKY: “Why not?” LUCY: “Because it's not nice to read other people's postcards.” RICKY: “Well, you and Ethel do it at home all the time.” LUCY: “Not until after they're mailed. It's illegal to read them before they're postmarked.”

“Don Juan is Shelved” (1955) ~ To save Ricky’s picture, Lucy decides to flood the studio with fan mail. She organizes an assembly line in her hotel room to churn out 500 handwritten and stamped fan letters.

“Paris at Last!” (1956) ~ Lucy goes to the American Express Office to change some money into Francs. Fred is in charge of collecting the mail, which has been forwarded to the American Express Offices along their tour route. 

Although primarily known for their credit cards today, in the 1950s American Express was an international banking company that issued travelers checks and was a trusted source of currency exchange. Their international offices were equipped with reading and writing rooms which offered the latest American newspapers and magazines. They also maintained a post office where clients’ letters could be forwarded. 

“Return Home from Europe” (1956) ~ Packing to sail home, a surprise in the mail changes their plans. 

RICKY: “Hey, did they have any mail for us at American 'Spress?” LUCY: “Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Oh, a letter from Mother! Here's a telegram for you.” RICKY: “How do you like that? A telegram and she forwards it in the regular mail. It takes three weeks to get here!”

It turns out to be very important - an offer to play at the Roxy in New York - staring immediately! 

“Lucy Raises Chickens” (1957) ~ After placing an ad for someone to help with the egg business, Ricky finds a reply in the mailbox - from Fred!. He put the letter in the box himself, saving the cost of a stamp and replacing it with an Easter Seal! 

“Lucy Meets the Mustache” (1959) ~ Lucy opens a letter from Ricky’s Uncle Alberto in Cuba, then must figure out a way to get it back into the envelope before Ricky comes home!  She employs a knitting needle using a technique she saw on television. 

STAMPS

MAILBOXES

“The Lucy Show” (1962-1968)

“Lucy and the Missing Stamp” (1964) ~ Lucy mistakenly uses a collectible stamp on an envelope she’s mailed then realizes its value.

She tracks it to the post office where she does everything she can to retrieve it. 

Herb Vigran plays the postman. Robert S. Carson plays the postmaster. 

“Lucy Goes Into Politics” (1964) ~ As volunteers working on Mr. Mooney’s campaign for Danfield Comptroller, Lucy and Viv are in charge of stamping hundreds of envelopes!

“Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft” (1966) ~ The mail that contains her draft notice is delievered by Joe the Postman (Sid Gould). 

Also in the mail is a letter from Lucy’s son, who is away at Military School. In probably the largest blooper in the history of “The Lucy Show,” the letter is signed “Jimmy Carmichael” instead of “Jerry Carmichael”.  It was Lucille Ball who insisted to the production people that it was Jimmy, remembering the actor’s name (Jimmy Garrett) and not the character’s!  

“Lucy the Bean Queen” (1966) ~ At the office, Mr. Mooney notes that it costs five cents postage to send a letter. This rate went into effect in 1963, rising a penny, and went up again another penny in 1968.

“Here’s Lucy” (1968-1974)

“Lucy’s Working Daughter” (1968) ~ When Kim must have her social security number to get a job at a boutique, Lucy confuses it for the Zip Code!  The US Post Office introduced Zip Codes on July 1, 1963.  

“Lucy Protects Her Job” (1969) ~ Kim disguises herself as new secretary -  gum-chewing Shirley Shoppenhauer. She returns from the post office with 500 postage stamps. Unfortunately for Harry, they are all balled up in a bunch and jammed into her purse. 

“Lucy and Lawrence Welk” (1970) ~ Lucy gets a letter from her old friend Viv, saying that she’s coming to visit. Naturally, the letter arrives moments before Viv walks through the door! 

[bitchlessslenderman]

theoretically if i used 28 two-cent postage stamps on one letter to make it 56 cents because the post office uses 55 cents to sent a letter, do you think i could write the recipients address along with the return address on the same side or would the mailman break into my house and kill me with hammers

[rabbitcruiser]

World Post Day

World Post Day is October 9 and we’re pumped for a throw back to communication methods of the past with some good old-fashioned letters. Mail carrier services have been in existence since ancient times, and even though we can communicate almost anything (literally) at the touch of a button, there’s no denying the importance of our local postal services…or the excitement of receiving a package in the mail! World Post Day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union, and it’s from this humble wellspring that the global communications revolution started and continues to this day.

When is World Post Day 2024?

World Post Day is on October 9 every year. The date was selected as it marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874.

History of World Post Day

Sending a letter is one of the most iconic acts of showing someone you care. While we may not pay much attention to the processes or regulations that go into zipping our mail around the globe after we lick the stamp, it takes an international team to get birthday cards and online shopping from point A to B.

Origins of what we now know as the postal service date to Ancient Egypt circa 2500 BC, while the oldest official postal service is found in 550 BC Iran. Various civilizations utilized a courier service to pass letters, messages, news, and parcels across empires spanning thousands of miles, inspiring the modern idea of the mailman. The US’s own postal service dates back to Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general in 1775.

On October 9, 1874, the Universal Postal Union was established as a means of cooperation and regulation amongst its member states’ mail services —  today it allows mail to flow freely from your mailbox to Timbuktu, and everywhere in between!  In 1969, World Post Day was inaugurated at the Tokyo Universal Postal Congress.

Each year, the UPU’s 192 member countries celebrate World Post Day on October 9 to mark the importance of universal mail and the UPU’s contributions to society and the global economy. Countries hold special stamp exhibitions and launch new postal initiatives; India hosts a week-long celebration each year over the week of October 9.

As a testament to bringing people together, the UPU hosts an International Letter Writing competition for children up to age 15. Winners are selected from each country and the world champion is selected by a UPU panel. Not only does the program promote literacy, but it keeps the excitement of waiting for the mail alive and well.

World Post Day timeline

550 B.C. First Postal Service Established

The first organized postal system originates in Ancient Persia on the orders of King Cyrus the Great.

225 B.C. Oldest Piece of Mail Sent

The oldest example of an official post comes from third century B.C. Egypt.

1840 Postage Stamp Invented

Englishman Sir Rowland Hill introduces the world’s first postage stamp.

September 15, 1874 First Postal Conference Hosted

Representatives from 22 nations gather in Bern, Switzerland, to plan for an international postal union.

October 9, 1874 Treaty of Bern Held

The General Postal Union is established — later to be called the Universal Postal Union.

1969 World Post Day Established

The Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo establishes World Post Day.

World Post Day FAQs

Who celebrates World Post Day?

Everyone across the globe! World Post Day was created by the Universal Postal Union, which was established to create and maintain a free-flowing system of international mail regardless of country lines.

Where is the Universal Postal Union?

Anyone can visit the UPU in the Swiss capital of Bern, where it was founded in 1874. You can also visit an extensive exhibit on the UPU at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., along with exhibits on national and international mail and stamps.

What types of mail does the Universal Postal Union handle?

The UPU deals with everything from personal letters and classified documents to e-commerce and online shopping packages.

Why do dogs go crazy over mail carriers?

Dogs are territorial — as far as they’re concerned, your friendly mailman is a daily threat to their domain. Plus, they come bearing a bag full of unfamiliar smells from across the globe; that stimulation is enough to drive Buster bananas!

World Post Day Activities

Surprise someone with a letter

Thank a mail carrier

Contribute to a food drive

Everybody loves to receive a letter in the mail. And since we do most of our communicating online these days, sending something "the old-fashioned way" is a perfect way to honor our shared postal heritage.

They come to our houses nearly every day. Maybe we should take the time to say hello and introduce ourselves — and to thank them for their service.

The U.S. postal service organizes a food drive for the second Saturday in May. Help out those less fortunate by contributing. The USPS says they've delivered more than 1.6 billion pounds of food through this program.

5 Amazing Facts About The Postal System

It processes 5,000 letters a second

It receives no help from Uncle Sam

It has ancient English origins

It used to walk like an Egyptian

It started ZIP codes

The U.S Postal Service processes more than 5,000 pieces of mail every second.

The USPS receives no tax dollars for operating expenses.

The word "mail" comes from a Medieval English word referring to a traveler's bag or pack.

The earliest documented evidence of a courier system is from Egypt (around 2400 BC).

ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan, begun in 1963 by the USPS.

Why We Love World Post Day

It reminds us to stay in touch

Postal workers deserve recognition

There's nothing like getting a letter or a postcard

John Lennon once sang that "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." And in the hustle-and-bustle world, it's good to take the time to reach out to those we love. The postal service lets us do that — quickly, efficiently, and for a good price, too!

Although the U.S. Postal Service has no official motto, it is often associated with a quote from the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The quote is a fitting tribute to postal workers the world over who are tasked with delivering our most precious correspondence.

Sure, most of us communicate via the internet these days. But there's just something extra special about opening the mailbox to find a handwritten note from someone far away.

Source

[cutelilbow]

my mailman (who is a woman btw #challengeyourassumptions) sees my little red flag up on my mailbox and against her better judgement checks it out and is flummoxed to be staring at one cling-wrapped mango sealed with two postage stamps and a big lipstick kiss

do any of my beautiful lovely mutuals want to send me a mango in the mail

[pratchettquotes]

"H-hello?" he called in the cavernous darkness of the hall. "Is there anyone there?"

There was, fortunately, no reply, but there was some scrabbling up near the roof.

"We're closed, you know," he quavered. "But we're open again at seven in the morning for a range of stamps and a wonderful deal on mail to Pseudopolis." His voice slowed and his brow creased as he tried to remember everything Mr. Lipwig had told them earlier. "Remember, we may not be the fastest but we always get there. Why not write your old granny?"

"I ate my grandmother," growled the voice from high in the darkness. "I gnawed her bones."

Stanley coughed. He had not been trained in the art of salesmanship.

"Ah," he said. "Er...perhaps an aunt, then?"

Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

[stamplover]

greetings: super mario (2017)

[ask-mono-the-stowaway]

Hello!

Another letter for you this time. It's in that code again, everything apart from the address.

There's a small bag that goes with it. It fits in my hand. I was told not to open it, and I've managed so far. Any idea what is inside?

I don't recognize the flowers, but from this letter Lar is worried I could run into trouble, so they're probably poisonous or something. Thank your for this! Here. She gave me a lot of these petals, do you want one? Just to see what it does?

[timmurleyart]

Don’t forget to thank your mailman these days. 📧 📪💌💙📩📮📦✉️📭

[my-mothers-stamps]