The Universal Postal Union / Union Postale Universelle (the UPU)
     

The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that controls the world's postal system by coordinating postal policies among its member nations.  Each country that's a member of the Universal Postal Union agrees to the same rules for international postal carriage, thereby standardizing postal arrangements.  But before the UPU was established each country had to enter into a separate treaty with each other country in order to regulate international mail to and from that country.

Recognizing that this situation resulted in a hodge-podge of postal rates and confusion, many countries signed the Treaty of Berne to create the "General Postal Union" in 1874.  It quickly revolutionized the processing and delivery of mail throughout the world.  Re-named the Universal Postal Union in 1878, the UPU is now a United Nations agency with its headquarters in Berne, Switzerland.

The UPU ensures that stamps of its member nations are accepted for the entire international route that a piece of mail takes, instead of the previous arrangement where mailers had to affix stamps of every country through which a piece of mail would pass.  It also established a more or less uniform rate to mail a letter anywhere in the world.

The UPU and its uniform policies for mail handling were a great success.  After the United Nations was founded, the Universal Postal Union became one of its agencies.  Any country that's a member of the UN may become a member of the UPU, and other than Andorra, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau, all 192 United Nations member countries are also UPU members.  Vatican City, although not a member of the UN, is also a member of the UPU.

Throughout the years many countries have issued stamps in honor of the UPU, and many of these stamps feature beautiful designs.  Some stamp collectors form topical stamps collections that consist only of these UPU stamps.  They're generally not expensive to collect, so why not try it?

Bogus Stamps - Topical Cinderella Stamps From Sahara OCC RASD


Sahara OCC R.A.S.D. (officially the République Arabe Saharouie Démocratique – Arab Republic of Western Sahara) is a country that's not a country, and the stamps that it issues aren't official stamps.  That doesn't stop Sahara OCC R.A.S.D., and it's one of the most common sources of modern topical cinderella stamps.  None of them have any postal validity anywhere in the world.  They're probably labels that are issued for propaganda purposes, but they're very attractive.

The purpose of these propaganda labels / cinderella stamps? 

Western Sahara, currently under Moroccan rule, is the former Spanish West Sahara.  The last African colony still waiting for independence, its population objected to a proposal to divide Western Sahara between Morocco and Mauretania.  That plan was put on hold and the area's status is now a matter for the United Nations.  The area's fate is currently unresolved.

Many of Sahara OCC's bogus stamps are beautiful thematic stamps.  The region has issued hundreds of stamps, souvenir sheets and mini-sheets, all waiting to add color and life to topical stamp collections.

American Motorcycles - A 2006 US Commemorative Stamp Set

Motorcycles are an important part of American culture, so it's not surprising that the USPS issued a set of four 39-cent American Motorcycle commemorative stamps in 2006. Each of the stamps features a classic American motorcycle, and they make a great addition to a topical stamp collection.

The Cleveland was a single-cylinder motorcycle built by the Cleveland Motorcycle Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Sold for $175, it was the most popular motorcycle in 1918 and could travel for 75 miles on a single gallon of gas,

The 1940 Indian was manufactured by the Indian Motorcycle Company. It was also called the “Four" because it used a four-cylinder engine, which at the time was a new technology. Its skirted fenders, partially covering the wheels, became a trademark of the company.

The Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide, first manufactured in 1965, is perhaps the most American of all motorcycles and an icon of American culture. It featured whitewall tires, loads of chrome, large fenders and a new electric starter.

The 1970 Chopper is another iconic motorbike, born out of the idea of chopping unnecessary parts from a motorcycle. Most choppers featured a stretched frame and raised handlebars.

Topical Stamp Collections - The Wave of the Future


In the "good old days," most stamp collectors collected stamps from a wide variety of countries throughout the world. When there began to be "just too many stamps" for that to be practical, some collectors began to focus more on stamps from a single country or a group of related countries, such as the British Empire. But now, topical or thematic stamps are beginning to become extremely popular. Topical stamp collecting is collecting stamps according to their topic or subject (theme) and not which country issued them.

There are some advantages to topical stamp collections. You don't have to collect complete sets of stamps - unless they all relate to your favorite subject - and you can collect only what you want to, instead of trying to collect all the stamps of a particular country whether they appeal to you or not.

Unlike the good old days, now there are millions of different stamps so it's important to narrow down your field(s) of interest. Topical stamps are a great way to do this and they're a natural extension of a subject that you're already interested in.

To get you started thinking this way, here's an alphabetical list of a few general topical stamp subjects. You can collect one or more of these subjects or you can pick something entirely different - I'm just giving you some food for thought here. One of the beauties of topical stamp collecting is that you can pick any topic(s) you want!

Airflight and Space (Airplanes, Hot Air Balloons, Helicopters, Zeppelins, Space Satellites, Rockets, Manned Space Flights, etc.)

Animals (with or without subcategories such as Birds, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Fish, Monkeys, Elephants, Tigers, etc.)

Art (Paintings, Sculptures, Statues, etc.)

Charities (Fight Against Cancer, Anti-Aids, Freedom From Hunger, World Peace, etc.)

Clubs and Fraternal Groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Rotary, Masons, World Wildlife Fund, etc.)

Education (Universities, Colleges, Teachers, etc.)

Electronics and Electricity (Light Bulbs, Thomas Edison, Computers, etc.)

Explorers (Christopher Columbus, James Cook, Roald Amundsen, etc.)

Flags (Current Flags of Countries, Flags of Countries That No Longer Exist such as Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the USSR, etc.)

Flowers and Plants (Flowers, Herbs, Crops, Trees, Cacti, Forestry, etc.)

Health (Anti-Malaria, Doctors, Nurses, Hospitals, Red Cross, etc.)

Insects (Butterflies, Ladybugs, Hummingbirds, Bees, etc.)

Military (Soldiers, Tanks, Fighter Planes, Naval Ships, World War Two, etc.)

Music (Composers, Song Lyrics, Jazz Musicians, Conductors, etc.)

Science and Technology (Astronomy and Astronomers, Chemistry, Medicine, etc.)

Sports (Olympic Games, Football (Soccer), American Football, Cycling, Basketball, Boxing, Ice Hockey, Tennis, etc.)

Transportation (Trains, Ships, Automobiles, Airplanes, etc.)


Purchasing stamp assortments is a great way to begin a new topical stamp collection. You never know what you'll get, but there will certainly be stamps that have a wide variety of subjects and even better, they're very inexpensive. So join the wave of the future, begin a new topical stamp collection!

Collecting No. 1 Stamps - A Different Type of Topical or Thematic Stamp Collection




There are specialized collectors who try to collect all of the first stamps that were issued by every country in the world. These stamp collectors are sometimes called "No. 1 Collectors" because most stamp catalogs number the first stamp issued by any given country as that country's number 1.



Many No. 1 stamps are inexpensive, making it possible for the average stamp collector to specialize and collect many number 1 stamps of the world on a modest budget. The number 1 stamps of some countries are definitely very expensive, but a surprising number are within reach. And some no. 1 stamps are so common that they are priced at the minimum catalog value.



Why would the first stamps issued by many countries be so inexpensive? We don't know, but maybe it's because the postal authorities of those countries printed their first stamps in high numbers and many still survive today. Many countries - especially those in Africa and the Caribbean - issued their first stamps upon achieving independence from their European colonial overlords. Those countries may have flooded the market with stamps in their over-exuberance. What is clear, however, is that it is possible for a collector to start a collection of no. 1 stamps of the world and achieve a fairly high degree of completion.

The UPU - What IS It?




The Universal Postal Union (the UPU) is the "governing" body for international postal services, and all legitimate postal authorities are members. Founded in 1874, it's basic purpose is (and was) to set standard rates for international postage. For many years it even specified colors for domestic and international postage, which is why so many early monocolor stamps from different countries are red for basic postal rate stamps.



As of the year 2000, over 10,000 different commemorative stamps, mini-sheets and stamp-related items had been issued by postal authorities around the world in honor of the UPU. Collecting stamps with a UPU topic or theme is a popular and generally inexpensive stamp collecting specialty.

Collecting Topical or Thematic Stamps

Topical or thematic stamp collecting is the practice of collecting postage stamps relating to a particular subject or concept. Topics may include just about anything, from flowers on stamps to famous explorers to stamps on stamps (yep, a smaller version of some stamp that's reproduced on another stamp).

Early stamps usually pictured the heads of reigning monarchs or government officials, people that were important in the country's history, or coats of arms. But that can get boring, so postal administrations around the world eventually developed new designs that drew upon nature and also their nations' cultures. A prime example is the beaver, featured on some of the earliest stamps of Canada. More than 150 years later, the number of designs on stamps is staggering and provides stamp collectors with thousands of different topics to collect.

In fact, there are now so many stamps that traditional topics for collecting, such as "ships" or "birds", have become nearly impossible to complete. Many topical collectors have adapted to this by narrowing their thematic stamp collections further, such as by looking for only sailing ships from the 1800s, or only flightless birds.

Most types of stamp designs are commonly available and inexpensive, and acquiring them is mostly a matter of reviewing stamp catalogs to find relevant stamps.

Lists of topics can be obtained from The American Topical Association and other groups. Or you can make up your own - after all, it's YOUR collection!

Have a Passion for a Particular Topic? Turn it Into a Topical or Thematic Stamp Collection!

If you feel a strong affinity for a particular subject or activity, convert your interest into a new and exciting stamp collection. Stamps have been issued on just about every topic and theme you could think of. Here are just a very few examples of topical stamp collections:

Are you a passionate golfer or follower of golf? Try a golf on stamps topical collection.

Did you serve in the military during World War 2? Start a thematic stamp collection that focuses on stamps issued by countries in which you served, that honor your branch of service or that feature specific battles in which you participated.

Do you enjoy the arcane world of heraldry and heraldic coats-of-arms? Collect stamps that feature heraldic devices from around the world, or from a specific region.

The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination.

The current trend in stamp collecting is toward thematic or topical collections, and away from country collections. Try it out, and see what makes them so popular.