Patriotic Quill Stamp??

I was just tooling around the Beyond the Perf website, and thought I'd browse the 2011 Stamp releases just for the fun of seeing what's coming out next. (I do that sort of thing.) I'm really excited about a couple of upcoming releases, but this super-cool Patriotic Quill stamp completely flew beneath my radar! I am delighted by any meta-writing-related stamps, and of course a quill pen tickles my fancy.

I did some mad searching on the USPS Postal store website, and indeed this stamp was released on February 14, 2011. But the minimum quantity in which you can buy it is a coil of 3000! WTF?? Check it out. The cute little blurb ends with

This lively design will add a touch of elegance and a sense of timelessness to communication of many kinds. It may even inspire a new generation of "great American writings."

Good gravy! What kind of writing is it going to inspire if you have to lay down $1320 for a coil of 3000? I mean, I am a pretty darn huge stamp consumer, but even I am not going to buy in this quantity. Why not a sheet of 20? I totally don't get it. Thoughts from the postal experts?

Lovely UK writing-themed stamp

The lovely lady behind Postcard a Day sent me this fantastic letter-writing stamp. I hadn't seen it before, and I'm not sure I've seen it since. This has to be one of my favorite UK issues ever.



The envelope is decorated with this fine writing quill image, too.

I do love me some good meta-writing stationery and stamps.

Pelikan postcard

This came from a fountain pen postcard correspondent. I love the meta factor, of course - and Pelikan is a famous maker of fountain pens and ink.

Pod Post!

I am just in love with this postcard, sent to me by the intrepid PostMuse. I have seen PodPost and its wares touted on the Letter Writers Alliance site, but alas, I cannot find this postcard available in their shop. In fact, they're out of almost all of their letter-writing supplies. *sigh* They're a small business, whaddyagonnado?

Still, I wax dreamy on the meta-old-fashioned vibe of this postcard.

Ballet + the roots of democracy

Here's another combination of interesting vintage stamps. I am exceedingly fond of "the ability to write" stamp with the quill pen.

Wax seal: quill pen and inkwell

Here is a charming wax seal for you all: a quill pen and an inkwell. Lovely little detail in it. It came on the letter of a fountain pen user, of course!

Timely Correspondence Ensemble vintage stationery

More vintage stationery, a la eBay. My favorite aspect of this one is the papers with the little "paper, ink bottle, quill-pen" motif. I love stationery with icons about writing, especially any insinuation of a fountain pen. How very meta.