Most Popular Stamp Series of All Time Makes Final Curtain Call

    'Art of Disney' three-set series extended to five 'stamping ovations'



    ANAHEIM, Calif., Aug. 6 /EMWNews/ -- Although Elvis

remains king as the single most popular stamp subject of all time with an

estimated 124.1 million collected, Mickey Mouse and his friends rule as the

most popular stamp series with 211.5 million collected. Originally

scheduled to be introduced as three sets during a three-year period, the

fifth and final debut for the Art of Disney series takes place Aug. 7, at

10 a.m. PDT in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland when the

Postal Service dedicates the Art of Disney: Imagination stamps. The 42-cent

first-class commemorative stamps go on sale nationwide that day.



    "The Art of Disney stamps have connected many Americans with

friendship, celebration, romance, magic and now imagination through the

mail," said U.S. Postal Service Chief of Staff Mike Spates, who will join

Mickey and his friends in dedicating the stamps. "It's easy to add an

imaginative touch to cards and letters with these beautiful stamps. We want

to thank the many Disney characters for helping the Postal Service

commemorate Walt Disney throughout the years."



    Joining Spates in dedicating the stamps will be Executive Vice

President and Imagineering Ambassador, Walt Disney Imagineering, Marty

Sklar.



    "I know that Walt would be proud to see Mickey and the other Disney

characters appear on U.S. Postage Stamps honoring imagination," said Sklar.

"Imagination was always at the heart of his work, in movies, television and

here at Disneyland. He lived, breathed and dreamed it his whole life."



    Spates said 125 million Art of Disney: Imagination stamps were printed

and are available in sheets of 20 and include four stamp designs:



    -- Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie. Walt Disney once said that Mickey

was "created for the purposes of laughter." From the moment Walt Disney

first imagined him, Mickey has been a happy reminder that a little laughter

goes a long way; it's hard to imagine the world without his familiar smile.



    -- Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and her helpers Flora, Fauna, and

Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty. Everyone dreams of living "happily ever

after," but not everyone has such enchanting helpers as Princess Aurora's

tiny guardians, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Despite their delightfully

dithery ways, the good fairies protect the princess and help her find the

true love she has always imagined.



    -- Pongo and one of his pups from 101 Dalmatians. Imagining a dog's

emotional life requires a brilliant creative leap, but 101 Dalmatians gives

us a unique dog's eye view of the world. In the loving bonds between Pongo

and his pups, we see our own human ties brought to life -- spot on.



    -- Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book. Who could imagine a jungle as

jazzy as in The Jungle Book -- or a more free-wheeling, upbeat buddy than

Baloo? His lighthearted relationship with Mowgli reminds us that friendship

and laughter really are among the "bare necessities of life."



    Spates added the series has proven to be popular with both stamp

collectors and Disney enthusiasts.



    "After the success of the first two Art of Disney sets with 47.7

million Friendship stamps collected in 2004 and 52.8 million Celebration

stamps in 2005, we sat down with the Disney team to explore the possibility

of extending the series. We feel the Art of Disney: Imagination stamps will

finish the series as a cherished collectible."



    The Postal Service randomly surveys approximately 10,000 customers four

times annually to gauge the number of stamps collected. Spates said 57.2

million Romance stamps were collected in 2006 and 53.8 million Magic stamps

in 2007.



    The Disney relationship with the U.S. Postal Service began in the

summer of 1918 when Walt Disney sorted and delivered mail in the Chicago

Post Office. Next, Mickey Mouse worked for the Post Office when he starred

in the 1933 animated short "Mail Pilot." The achievements of Walt Disney

were first recognized on a stamp in 1968. On the stamp, a parade of

children, hand-in-hand, appear from a tiny castle to surround a portrait of

Walt Disney. The children, representing many nations of the world, are

garbed in national costumes.



    In 1998, a "Snow White" stamp was issued as part of the Postal

Service's "Celebrate the Century" stamp series that highlighted the most

memorable and significant people, places, events and trends of each decade

of the 20th century. In 1937, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered

as the nation's first feature-length animated film. The movie classic

comprised 240,000 separate drawings and won a special Academy Award(TM) for

Walt Disney.



    U.S. Postal Service art director Terrence McCaffrey of Arlington, VA,

joined with the Disney team, including artist Peter Emmerich of Yonkers,

NY, and creative director Dave Pacheco of Burbank, CA, in designing the

stamps throughout the five years of production.



    The Art of Disney: Imagination Philatelic Fact Sheet



    Philatelic Products



    There are 11 philatelic products that can be viewed and purchased

through this link when the stamps go on sale August 7:



    http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductCategoryDisplay?l

angId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&categoryId=23407



    -- 571406, Mickey Mouse, Princesses, Animal Tales and Childhood

Classics are a limited edition series of four folios featuring stamps from

The Art of Disney series grouped by the above four themes. Each three-panel

folio contains a collectible insert with five affixed stamps and a special

commemorative cancellation that can be removed for framing or display. Each

folio is offered for $14.95 or the set of four is offered at $49.95.

Limited to availability.



    -- 571401, The Art of Disney Postmark Collectible: Mickey Mouse, $14.95



    -- 571402, The Art of Disney Postmark Collectible: Princesses, $14.95



    -- 571403, The Art of Disney Postmark Collectible: Animal Tales, $14.95



    -- 571404, The Art of Disney Postmark Collectible: Childhood Classics,

$14.95



    -- 571466, Postal Stamped Cards (set of 20 and includes postage),

$13.95



    -- 571499, Cancellation Keepsake (4 Digital Color Postmark with pane),

$14.40



    -- 571488, Prints 8 x 10 (set of 4), $14.95



    -- 571463, First-Day Cover (set of 4), $3.20



    -- 571468, Digital Color Postmark (set of 4), $6



    -- 571491, Ceremony Program (with 4 stamps), $6.95



    How to Order First-Day Covers



    Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp

issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official

first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number

and is offered in the quarterly catalog USA Philatelic. Customers can

request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or by writing to:



    Information Fulfillment



    Dept. 6270



    U.S. Postal Service



    PO Box 219014



    Kansas City, MO 64121-9014



    How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark



    Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by

mail. They can purchase the new stamped postcards at the Postal Store

website at http://www.usps.com/shop, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, or at their

local Post Office. Customers should address the cards to themselves or

others, and place them in an envelope addressed to:



    Disney Imagination Stamps



    Postmaster



    701 N. Loara St.



    Anaheim, CA 92803-9998



    After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will

return the cards through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All

orders must be postmarked by Oct. 6, 2008.



    An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only

delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 146 million

homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and

relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to

pay for operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenue of $75

billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail.