High-resolution images of the stamps are available for media use only by emailing: mark.r.saunders@usps.gov

WASHINGTON —The Postal Service will issue Batman Forever stamps to kick off New York Comic Con 2014 on Oct. 9 to add excitement to October as National Stamp Collecting Month. Visit the link to the Batman stamps announcement for additional details.

“Batman is the quintessential American superhero,” said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services Susan McGowan. “What better way to introduce stamp collecting as an educational hobby the entire family can enjoy. A great way to get started is to visit the American Philatelic Society’s (APS) website — stamps.org. With nearly 32,000 members among more than 110 countries, it’s a perfect source for getting involved in stamp collecting.”

Who collects stamps?
According to the APS, stamp collectors include individuals from all walks of life. While President Franklin Roosevelt is one of the most famous, other well-known collectors include financial gurus Bill Gross and Warren Buffet; astronaut Henry Hartsfield; actors Gary Burghoff, James Earl Jones and Patrick Dempsey; author James Michener; explorer Jacques Cousteau; former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova; musicians John Lennon, Freddy Mercury and Ron Wood; cartoonist Gary Trudeau; and French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

However, most collectors are not rich or famous. According to APS Executive Director Ken Martin, “stamp collecting is a year-round hobby that can be inexpensively pursued providing great relaxation — and the hope of finding a rare and valuable stamp.”

The APS website offers helpful information for starting a collection, including what to collect; where to get stamps; how to identify stamps; tools needed to get started and how to soak, sort and store stamps, along with a glossary of stamp terms.

Visit the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum website for a myriad of information on stamps and the history of the Postal Service. The museum also includes a detailed listing of all U.S. stamps as well as stamp collecting highlights.

‘World’s Most Popular Hobby’
National Stamp Collecting month began as a joint venture of the Council of Philatelic Organizations and the United States Postal Service in 1981. Then Postmaster General William F. Bolger published a statement in the Postal Bulletin proclaiming stamp collecting as “the world's most popular hobby,” and urged “employees and customers alike to discover the joy of stamp collecting — the hobby of a lifetime.” Since then the Postal Service has continued to promote October as National Stamp Collecting Month. 

Many of this year’s stamps may be viewed on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, via Twitter @USPSstamps or at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview.

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