Pacific stamp box

Tonga is receiving free promotion in the United States via matchbooks which are an almost universal giveaway item with hotels, restaurants, bars and many companies. One matchbook de sign features Tonga’s famous banana stamp on the cover, to advertise a company dealing in foreign stamps. *** For those interested in the postal history of the Pacific, may I suggest an excellent publication called Postal His tory News which is available from P.0.80x 1451, Australia Square, Syd ney, NSW 2000, at a price of $2.50.

Recent issues have dealt with a number of Pacific countries, with the latest of them on the postmarks of Papua New Guinea. *** Quite a number of our readers have been asking how they might get sup plies of Pacific stamps. The philatelic bureaus of all Pacific countries offer a standing order account service. By sending some money, your name and address to the relevant bureau you will automatically receive each new issue from the country. They will also give you details of philatelic items being issued.

Jfc 5|C 5jC jjC Following much discussion concerning excessive philatelic market-flooding by some countries, the Australian Phi latelic Bureau has entered the debate.

In their latest Stamp Bulletin they have defended their increased number of items, saying that most collectors no longer try to obtain one copy of everything philatelic, but are con centrating on certain areas of philately.

The way ahead, they say, is to attract new collectors by providing a range of

options a sort of smorgasbord of items with the aim of attracting special ist collectors.

According to the Stamp Bulletin , “traditional dedicated philatelists” account for only about seven per cent of all stamp collectors. Thus, the powers that be reason, “there is a need for a wide range of philatelic products, attractively presented, that will appeal to the multifarious interests and re quirements of the greater majority.”

Adding weight to this argument it is interesting to see that Australia Post is now entering another field, the book selling market. It has done this in connection with the issue of the Classic Children’s Book series of stamps in July of this year. This range of stamps features some of Australia’s most fam ous children’s book characters, like Ginger Meggs, and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie of the Gum Nut Babies books. But, as well as marketing the stamps very vigorously, Australia Post has joined with the publishers of the books featured on the five stamps in the issue.

This might be stretching the “wide range of philatelic products” policy a bit, but it seems to have captured the imagination of many so-far non-phi latelic people, so perhaps we will have a growth of stamp collectors from it, too. ***

New Zealand is the latest country to begin issuing Frama postage labels.

Australia has already installed many of the label vending machines in cities and larger post offices. Customers may obtain stamp labels of any denomina tion simply by putting coins into the machine and pushing a button. The gum-backed labels are machine printed with the value of the coins inserted into the machine. Already, the collecting of these labels has become very popular in Europe. They are now listed in stamp catalogues and are given space in major stamp albums. Prices for early issues are now rising, whilst covers, errors and varieties are much sought. It will be only a matter of time before Frama labels begin to form a major collectable item from the Pacific region. My tip is to collect as many of the first-issued labels as you can, and put them aside for investment. ***

New Issues... Papua New

GUINEA ... August 21 ... A set of four stamps and a miniature sheet were issued commemorating the Centenary of the Post Office. SAMOA ... August 17 ... A set of four stamps featuring fungi found in Samoa. TUVALU ...

August 17 ... A set of four stamps featuring World War 2 aircraft. NIUE ...

April 15 ... A set of five stamps commemorating the birth of John Audubon.