So here’s why we love Barbados Stamps so much. The entire 2012 Stamp Programme for the island is as follows:
2012 Programme
- The Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen’s accession to the throne
- 75th Birthday of national hero Sir Garfield Sobers
- 50th Anniversary of the Barbados National Trust
- 50th Anniversary of the Bridgetown Port/Deep Water Harbour
- Cats
..and that’s it. Nothing fancy, no fuss and no bloated overblown issues. No prestige booklets, mini sheets or collectable nick nacks. To subscribe to all of this lot would cost you about £20-£25, and that includes getting an FDC of them and postage to your home address anywhere in the world.
Now contrast this with GB’s Royal Mail and their programme:
2012 PROGRAMME
- Jan 5 London 2012 Olympics definitives
- Jan 10 Roald Dahl
- Jan 20 Year of the Dragon Smilers
- Feb 2 Kings & Queens: House of Windsor
- Feb 6 Diamond Jubilee definitive
- Feb 23 Britons of Distinction
- Feb 24 Faststamps: Sheep
- Mar 8 Classic Locomotives of Scotland
- Mar 20 World of Comics
- Apr 10 UK A-Z (part 2)
- Apr 24 Faststamps: Pigs
- May 15 Great British Fashion
- May 24 Faststamps: Union Flag
- May 31 The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
- Jun 19 Charles Dickens
- Jul 27 London 2012 Olympics: Welcome
- Aug 29 London 2012 Paralympics: Welcome
- Sep 27 London 2012 Olympics: Memories
- Sep 28 Faststamps: Cattle
- Oct 16 World of Dinosaurs (Now deferred to 2013)
- Oct 30 Space Science
- Nov 8 Christmas
In amongst all of this they are also issuing ‘winners’ stamps, mini sheets and FDC’s for any athlete who wins a gold medal at the games.
To keep up with all of this, stamps and FDC’s I conservatively estimate that this will cost around £350 this year. Now Royal Mail have apparently listened to the concerns of collectors and have moved Dinosaurs to next year and have also said that they will cut down the number of issues in 2013 from 14 to 12 and include more 2nd class stamps in these issues instead of stuffing them all with 1st class (current A-Z being a case in point). Frankly it’s still not good enough and like many other collectors and dealers it has now become too expensive to keep up to date with. The entry point for a GB collection now is way above the pocket money prices that were around when I was a kid and consequently there is a massive decline in collecting amongst the younger age groups.
Meanwhile back in Barbados, to new 2013 programme has been announced asnext year and have also said that they will cut down the number of issues in 2013 from 14 to 12 and include more 2nd class stamps in these issues instead of stuffing them all with 1st class (current A-Z being a case in point). Frankly it’s still not good enough and like many other collectors and dealers it has now become too expensive to keep up to date with. The entry point for a GB collection now is way above the pocket money prices that were around when I was a kid and consequently there is a massive decline in collecting amongst the younger age groups.
- Militia
- Light Houses
- Places of Worship
- 7 Wonders of Barbados
I wonder when Royal Mail will take a look at this and consider that the prime consideration is to support philatelists and collectors and not try to squeeze them dry. Good on you Barbados Postal Service, leading the way with sensible issuing policies, sensible prices and really collectable stamps.