I wanna lick John Lennon!

January 26, 2007 11:01 AM

How come we can't get these? On Feb 9th there are two sets of Beatles stamps being released in the UK. Jealous? I am.
posted by mannythedog (34 comments total)

Why do you hate American stamps?
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:06 AM on January 26, 2007

Um, well... you do realize that the Beatles were British, right?
posted by Malor at 11:07 AM on January 26, 2007

I believe there was an American postage stamp featuring the Beatles issued in 1999.
posted by amro at 11:11 AM on January 26, 2007

Here it is.
posted by amro at 11:12 AM on January 26, 2007

Just because I feel like being fussy:
1. It says "January 9th" in that link, so they should already be out.
2. Not everyone on MetaFilter is American, so some of "us" apparently DO have these stamps.
posted by easternblot at 11:14 AM on January 26, 2007

...
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:14 AM on January 26, 2007

Ask, and ye shall receive. All the custom stamps usually end up in the Royal Mail shop. Unsuprisingly given they ARE the post office, they even ship worldwide.

You might have trouble using them in the US though to post letters; some damn silly business about not recognising the Queen's head or some such.
posted by ArkhanJG at 11:21 AM on January 26, 2007

In fact: All the Beatles stamps, just for you.
posted by ArkhanJG at 11:25 AM on January 26, 2007

Apparently, the Beatles cooperation is necessary in order to use copyrighted images of them on stamps. Their corporate entity (Apple) has sued in the past.
posted by spock at 11:27 AM on January 26, 2007

Stampfilter? Yawn. Flagged as noise!
posted by lalochezia at 11:29 AM on January 26, 2007

...

What? Did Ringo die? What?
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 11:30 AM on January 26, 2007

If this dullsville band didn't have the economy of a small country behind them, they'd be forgotten in less than a decade. It's already impossible to go a day without having to hear their bland schmaltz in public; we don't need more merchandise about them.
posted by interrobang at 11:32 AM on January 26, 2007

Also, in the US, only people who have been dead for five years can be pictured on stamps ... this is, I think, part of the reason why the Beatles stamp that the US issued in the past did not actually have an image of any of the band members on it.

Typically, if the USPS were to honor, say, John and George with stamps, they'd commission new original artwork to be done, as they did with the famous Elvis stamp, and many others.

If you'd like to see them on stamps, you should contact the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee with a proposal.

Thanks for the Royal Mail link. I'm a big geek and will be buying these....
posted by anastasiav at 11:34 AM on January 26, 2007

I am just confused by this post! Is all. Don't you know there are other American stamps besides the plain flag one?
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:35 AM on January 26, 2007

interrobang is too cool.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:47 AM on January 26, 2007

While I admit the stacked record design resulting in an odd shape is cool, I take your Beatles and raise you the Muppets.
posted by mikeh at 11:50 AM on January 26, 2007 [2 favorites]

United Statesians are a tolerant people, but there are exactly three things against which we, as a nation, shall always stand firm:

1. Soccer
2. Robbie Williams
3. New Beatles stamps
posted by gigawhat? at 11:53 AM on January 26, 2007

interrobang is too cool.

"Your planet's all-time most influential and legendary band sucks"?
posted by spock at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2007

I'm with Interrobang, I'm sick to death of having the Beatles thrust upon me as the apex of pop culture by self-congratulatory boomers. Wake me up when the Chuck D stamp is available.
posted by Scoo at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2007

But I don't want to be exposed to John Lennon. Or lick him. Or that, either.
posted by loquacious at 12:02 PM on January 26, 2007

we got the dc superhero stamps. what more could you fuckin' want?
posted by Stynxno at 12:24 PM on January 26, 2007

Wake me up when the Chuck D stamp is available.

Only if it samples Ringo's drum beats . . .
posted by JekPorkins at 12:30 PM on January 26, 2007

we got the dc superhero stamps. what more could you fuckin' want?

And Marvel dudes are on the way. Tell me the Beatles are cooler than Jack Kirby's Silver Surfer.
posted by hovercraft at 2:13 PM on January 26, 2007

this dullsville band...

I am one of those aging Boomers (so my memory is shot), but as I recall, that band with the submarine was from Pepperland.

Dullsville seems to be in Western Australia.
posted by LeLiLo at 2:31 PM on January 26, 2007

American stamps blow.
posted by wfc123 at 3:02 PM on January 26, 2007

The Beatles are way cooler than Jack Kirby's Silver Surfer.
posted by mrgrimm at 3:07 PM on January 26, 2007

Okay, sorry, I was thinking of the Beach Boys.
posted by hovercraft at 3:48 PM on January 26, 2007

Oh, you mean that band from the television commercials?
posted by interrobang at 3:55 PM on January 26, 2007

The Beatles are way cooler than Jack Kirby's Silver Surfer.

Oh no you didn't!
posted by Scoo at 7:32 PM on January 26, 2007

If we could get a Butthole Surfers stamp, now that would be cool.
posted by hovercraft at 2:29 AM on January 27, 2007

We have boring stamps in the UK, too. Having lived in both countries, in my personal experience stamped mail in the UK almost always the definitive queen's head. One is much more likely to get a commemorative stamp on mail in the U.S.
posted by grouse at 5:01 PM on January 27, 2007

in the US, only people who have been dead for five years can be pictured on stamps

Exceptions have been made. Reagan died June 5, 2004, but his face was put on a stamp that was issued Feb. 9, 2005.
posted by Dave Faris at 5:24 PM on January 27, 2007

CSAC: "The only exception to the five-year rule is the issuance of stamps honoring deceased U.S. presidents. They may be honored with a memorial stamp on the first birth anniversary following death."

So the U.S. can have a real Beatles stamp sooner if Paul and Ringo each become President. Of course, we'll have to pass the Schwarzenegger amendment to the Constitution first to allow that, but that is a small detail.

Vote Starkey/McCartney 2008!
posted by grouse at 1:28 AM on January 28, 2007

I have the Beatles stamps.

No licking.

They're self-sticking.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 4:47 AM on January 28, 2007