Collecting Christmas stamps

Christmas Island (Australia)

Top right:

The Christmas Island stamps are illustrated by Andrew Hopgood and designed by Jennifer Scalzo. The $ 1.50 stamp features Father Christmas arriving on Christmas Island, surrounded by Christmas Island fauna and flora. (set of 2, 2011)

Bottom:

Australia Post  on behalf of Christmas Island celebrate the Christmas Time 2012 by issuing a miniature  sheet consist of two stamps feature Santa Claus is making the Christmas Party.

The $ 1.60 stamp presents Santa Claus is decorating Christmas tree with many assistant Red Crabs  which  are endemic crab of Christmas Islands. (set of 2, 2012)

Top left:

The $ 1.80 stamp features  a Frigatebird and a Red Crab ferry a payload of presents in a hot-air balloon, while Christmas Island can be seen far below in the blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The skies in the minisheet are alive with a menagerie of local inhabitants: Green Turtles, Golden Bosunbirds, Frigatebirds, Abbott’s Boobys, Red Crabs and a Blue Crab. (set of 2, 2013)

Bismarck tower

I swapped this card on facebook

It is an example of a Bismarck tower 

Unfortunately because of safety issues, this tower is 

now closed for the public but there is no money for restoration. 

On July 17, Germany issued a €0.60 stamp commemorating its national team’s World Cup victory. The stamp was announced just hours after the team defeated Argentina 1-0 on July 13.

Stamps, what else?

Poland

LOT Polish airlines 

Stamp on the left:

Pm 36 is the name for a Polish experimental fast steam locomotive used by PKP (Polish State Railways). designed in 1936.  One year later two of these locomotives were built, one of whom (Pm 36-2/ Beautiful Helena) survived the war and was operated until 1965.

Stamp on the right:

Passenger locomotive O149-7

Locomotive stamps 

(set of 4, 2002) 

Source mauritian philatelic blog

A bit disappointed and also happy (yes, that's possible)

A while ago I ordered a lot of bird stamps which still have 

a value on them on the Bpost website. Although I made sure to pick stamps which

were marked as available, yesterday I got only these, all the others were no longer in stock.

This card comes from a spontaneous Sunday Postcrossing meeting in the Netherlands! 

I was lucky enough to win it. 

A Postcrossing postcard from Belarus

I received this card today from Belarus

photograph by Victar Malyschyts or Malyschyc

from the series "Belarus: In Embrace of Stars"

Thanks to Kevin for telling me this! 

“Common cuckoo” from the series “Bird of the year"

 2014

Collecting Christmas stamps

My latest purchase 

Germany

Mary window from the gotic chancel of the Esslingen Frauenkirche 

Design by Dieter von Adrian, 1976

Detail from the glass window of the sacristy of the St. Gereon's Basilica, Cologne

Christmas stamp with additional social fee, 1977

Detail from glass window of the Munich Frauenkirche

Design by Willy Fleckhaus, 1978

Collecting Christmas stamps

I remember writing this blog post in 2010 

who would have thought that only three years later (started collecting last year)

I would actually "hunt" for these FDCs and buy them too! 

I bought these covers in a little shop in Portland, Maine.

I love them and yes, now I can see the value of them!

(and they are still just pretty too)

Efteling Postcrossing meeting!

Last week I attended the Efteling meeting

in the Netherlands. One of the fellow

members let us sign this card (yes, including me!)

for me. I had no idea, haha.

She used a stamp she had designed especially for this meeting

and a Christmas stamp which I didn't have yet! 

Although the stamps will stay on the card (obviously) I am really happy 

to have them in my collection!