Where to get your stamps - #3 Philatelic Bureaux

Christmas Stamps purchased from Jersey Post

There are so many places you can get stamps. So far I've looked at approvals and Kidstamps. Today I'm going to tell you about philatelic bureaux.

Every country that issues stamps has a philatelic bureau. They offer collectors the opportunity to buy new stamps and recent issues. I often buy stamps from Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Ireland and Switzerland this way. There are some good reasons to buy stamps from philatelic bureaux.

Even if you don't buy a lot of stamps, it is great to be on mailing lists because the philatelic bureaux will send you regular updates about new issues.

As an example, I'm going to talk about some purchases I made recently from Jersey.

Jersey Post sent me a magazine, and I have included a scan (above) to show you what it looks like. The magazine tell you about the most recent issues. it shows you pictures of the stamps, provides information about them and even tells you about the artist. The magazine also includes an order form. Fill in the order form and send it off, and within a few days you get your stamps. Easy!

I bought a miniature sheet of Construction Vehicles in Jersey. I liked the artwork, there's also a bit of history and it shows different types of vehicle. I like the miniature sheet because they look better and slip easily into a stock book. I had to save up to get this and it took me a few weeks.

I also bought a Christmas set from 2022. I'd seen these before and didn't buy them, but the most recent magazine said "last chance to buy" so I decided I should before there weren't available. I really like the simple design. I also bought the most recent Christmas set (see photo at the top), which is very different from the usual Christmas stamps. It shows Christmas food from around the world. The photography is great and shows the variety of Christmas foods there are and how people around the world celebrate Christmas differently.

My final purchase was another recent set celebrating the Jersey dairy industry. As you might guess, there are pictures of Jersey cows. But there are also stamps showing a farmer working, a butter dish and a milk float. I like them because the design is timeless.

So, why should you buy from a philatelic bureau? Firstly, it's very easy to order. All you do is full out the form and post it. And pay for it, of course. Secondly, it's the best way of getting new stamps from other countries. If you subscribe to the newsletter or magazine, you get to learn about all the new issues which is really helpful. Thirdly, you can choose whether you want your stamps mint, or cancelled with a postmark or on a first day cover. I prefer to have mine mint. But you get the choice, which is great.

Fourthly, it's good if you know what you want to buy. With approvals you may get anything. If you go to a stamp fair you may not find what you want. But if you order from a philatelic bureau, you know exactly what you're going to get. Disadvantages are that they can be quite expensive sometimes. Also, because they only sell recent stamps, most of the time it is difficult to buy anything more than two years old. If you're not into new issues then I would say it probably isn't for you.

I don't always buy from the magazines that I am sent. Sometimes I don't have much money. Sometimes I am not very interested in the new issues, but it's always good to read about them.

Overall, I was happy with my recent experience with Jersey Post. I would recommend it to people who want to buy modern stamps. However, it wouldn't be the only way I would buy stamps, especially I like to get older stamps don't have a lot of money to spend.