“Star Wars” Makes it to US Postage Stamps

Stamp collecting is a decent enough past time for old men and young kids on a rainy afternoon. No one gets hurt, and one might learn something from it. Still, philately carries an aura of “geekiness” about it. Whether the new “Star Wars” stamps from the US Postal Service will increase or decrease that aura is open to debate.

The stamps will go on sale May 26 after a contest to choose the most popular stamp to be issued. Those so inclined can visit the USPS website to participate in the balloting. While the characters one would expect are present (Luke, C3PO, Obi-Wan, Darth Vader), there are a few odd choices. Jar Jar Binks from Episode 1 (and loathed by so many fans) isn’t there, yet Boba Fett the bounty hunter is. And quite why Darth Maul is an option is hard to say. What would one say of a nation that put him on a stamp?

Selling stamps in the days of e-mail and franking machines is getting tougher it would seem. “Star Wars” carries the sort of cult appeal that may actually get people to the post office to buy them. David Failor, executive director of stamp services for the USPS, said, “Because of the movies’ popularity, we believe these stamps have the popularity of reaching the blockbuster status of the Elvis stamp.” Even in the stamp world, Elvis is the king.

The theme isn’t restricted to stamps either. Earlier this month, to start the ad campaign, 400 mailboxes were designed to look like R2D2. While it was a cute idea, it made them look more like Federal Express collection boxes, which is probably not what the USPS wanted to achieve. Express mail customers, provided they shop online, will be able to buy pre-paid three packs of envelopes for overnight delivery that feature Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor, not Sir Alec Guinness), Yoda, and Darth Vader.

But there’s even more. There’s a sweepstakes attached to it all. The USPS says, “You'll be entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize VIP trip for four to Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles, May 24-28, 2007. This five-day event features celebrities from the saga, movie-prop exhibits, fan-run activities and exclusive merchandise. You will also be eligible for other exclusive prizes, including eBay Gift Certificates to use toward Star Wars collectibles!” Could this be why the Governors of the USPS just approved a 3-cent hike in the price of a first class stamp?

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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