Simpsons to put stamp on Springfield
Event marks new stamp collection
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The Springfield Post Office will hold a special stamp cancellation in honor of the release of “The Simpsons” stamps. |
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By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: April 30, 2009
SPRINGFIELD — Stamp collectors will be forgiven for yelling "Ay Caramba!" when the Springfield Post Office offers a special cancellation to celebrate the release of a series of stamps depicting the characters of "The Simpsons."
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7, the Post Office will have a table where customers can request the special Simpsons postmark, an image bearing the words "The Simpsons Station" and a picture of Homer Simpson in pain after dropping a bowling ball on his foot.
Homer, along with his wife, Marge, and his children Bart, Lisa and Maggie, comprise the five-stamp set being released today to celebrate the program's 20th anniversary.
"We will be happy to cancel any letters that our customers bring in to mail that day," said Jeremy Montgomery, acting postal supervisor. "Customers may also bring in their own envelopes to obtain a postmark that they can take home as a keepsake."
Staff will cancel any stamp, not just "The Simpsons." Packages of plain No. 10 envelopes and stamped envelopes will also be available for purchase.
On television the Simpson family resides in a city called Springfield, the state in which they live has always been left ambiguous. In 2007, Springfield, Vt., cemented its reputation as "the Springfield" when its video beat out 13 other Springfields to win the "Hometown Movie Challenge." The contest, sponsored by 20th Century Fox and voted upon by the readers of USA Today, allowed the town to host the world premiere of "The Simpsons Movie."
Bill Lizotte of Jeffersonville, executive director of the Vermont Philatelic Society, expressed hope Thursday's event might inspire a new generation of collectors.
"It might make some stamp collectors out of young people," said Lizotte, who collects postmarks from 19th century post offices, such as the former Black River Post Office in Springfield, which was in existence between 1866 and 1867.
Lizotte said special postmarks like this one really caught on around 1990, increasing from 35-40 a year to 75 a year.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
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