Category Archives: Contests

Celebrating Negro Leagues Baseball With a Contest

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This Commemorative Folio for the 44–cent Negro Leagues Baseball stamps includes a full pane of 20 stamps. Click the image for details.

In 2010, the U.S. Postal Service issued the . The issuance honored the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. In addition to a painting depicting game action, the stamps feature a portrait of Andrew “Rube” Foster, who’s considered the “father” of Negro leagues baseball. Foster was born on this date in 1879.

In celebration of Foster’s birthday, here’s a Negro leagues quiz. Test your knowledge for a chance to win one copy of Play Ball! A Celebration of Baseball’s Greatest Moments. This wonderful 8½” x 11”, 40-page softbound book features the vivid paintings of artist Graig Kreindler, as well as 16 collectible stamps: the 2001 Legendary Playing Fields (10), the , and the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Stars (4) stamps.

1. Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. In 1945, he played for which Negro leagues team?

Blay Ball booklet2. What year did the first Negro Leagues World Series take place?

3. This Negro leagues slugger is believed to have hit 800—or more—home runs.

4. Which Negro leagues pitcher is known for delivering this wise piece of advice: “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you”?

5. Andrew “Rube” foster was also a player and manager. Which two Negro leagues teams did he manage?

To enter, send your answers, along with your name and address, to: USPS Stamps, 1300 Mercantile Ln, Ste 139C, Largo, MD 20774.

Of those who answer all five questions correctly, two people will be randomly chosen to receive a copy of Play Ball! This concludes our summer contest series. Thanks to everyone for playing! Entries for the final contest must be postmarked by Saturday, September 28. Good luck!

How Well Do You Know the Major League Baseball All-Stars?

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This keepsake package includes a sheet of 20 Major League Baseball All-Stars (Forever®) stamps and a set of four First Day Covers. Click the image for more details.

The U.S. Postal Service released the eye-popping Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps in 2012. Each of the four featured players is an American icon. Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Ted Williams—who was born on this date in 1918—and Willie Stargell are responsible for creating countless memories for baseball fans.

How well do you know this quartet of All-Stars? Test your knowledge for a chance to win one copy of Play Ball! A Celebration of Baseball’s Greatest Moments. This wonderful 8½” x 11”, 40-page softbound book features the vivid paintings of artist Graig Kreindler, as well as 16 collectible stamps: the 2001 Legendary Playing Fields (10), the , and the Major League Baseball All-Stars (4) stamps.

Each one of the following statements describes one of the four players—Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Ted Williams, or Willie Stargell—on the Major League Baseball All-Star stamps. To play, match each statement with the correct player.

1. In 1941, this player hit safely in 56 consecutive games.

2. In 1941, this player finished the season with a .406 batting average.

3. In 1948, this player helped his team win the World Series.

4. This player helped lead his team to two World Series titles.Blay Ball booklet

5. After he retired, this player became Major League Baseball’s second African-American manager.

6. This player saw action in four different decades, the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

7. This player finished his career with 475 home runs.

8. In his career, this player spent time with three different teams.

9. This player won the American League’s Most Valuable Player award three times.

10. This player finished with a career batting average of .344.

To enter, send your answers, along with your name and address, to: USPS Stamps, 1300 Mercantile Ln, Ste 139C, Largo, MD 20774.

Of those who answer all ten correctly, three people will be randomly chosen to receive a copy of Play Ball! If you don’t know all the answers this time around, don’t worry. You’ll have one more chance to win next month. Entries must be postmarked by Saturday, September 7. Good luck!

Seven Movies for Hitchcock’s Birthday (& a Contest)

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The 1998 Alfred Hitchcock stamp was the fourth in the Legends of Hollywood series. (Alfred Hitchcock™ & © The Alfred Hitchcock Trust. Alfred Hitchcock Presents © Universal Studios.)

Perhaps no other filmmaker in history was as good at feeding our appetite for “thrills and chills” as Alfred Hitchcock. Born on this day in 1899, the “Master of Suspense” brought a distinct visual style to American movies, captivating us over and over again with powerful films built on mounting anxiety and haunting realism. “There is no terror in the bang,” he once said, “only in the anticipation of it.”

An expert manipulator, Hitchcock was interested in more than shock value, however. His films have stood out for their delicate balance of terror and humor—ordinary and absurd. Behind many blood-chilling scenes lay undercurrents of comic relief or bizarre irony. “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.”

Tonight, in honor of Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday, why not take a break from the heat with some creepy chills inspired by the master of the macabre? Here are seven recommendations:

  • Notorious: In this 1946 spy thriller, Ingrid Bergman plays a women recruited by a government agent (Cary Grant) to spy on a group of her father’s Nazi colleagues in Rio de Janeiro. What won’t she do to complete her mission?
  • North by Northwest: An ad man, Cary Grant, and a beautiful blonde (Eva Marie Saint) go on the run in this classic 1959 drama (sometimes comedy) about mistaken identity. (Would Don Draper have these problems?) The unforgettable climax at Mount Rushmore is just one of this movie’s many charms.
  • Rear Window: In this 1954 whodunit, James Stewart stars as a wheelchair-bound photographer who spies on his neighbors during a summer heat wave and sees something he shouldn’t have. Or did he?
  • To Catch a Thief: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly team up in this 1955 romantic thriller about a reformed cat burglar who must prove himself innocent when a string of jewel thefts plagues the beautiful and rich along the Riviera.
  • The Birds: Thinking of following your love to a beautiful seaside town in California? Don’t. Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) does just that in this 1963 horror classic, and soon after she arrives the once-peaceful birds of the area begin to attack. Psst…Pay special attention to the man who leaves the pet shop with two white terriers.
  • Rebecca: Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier star in this 1940 film adaptation of the fantastic gothic novel by Daphne Du Maurier about a woman tormented by memories of her husband’s first wife.
  • Vertigo: Don’t let the dizzying close-up montages scare you away. This 1958 psychological suspense thriller will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. James Stewart stars as a police detective with a fear of heights and an obsession that he can’t shake.

HitchcockNow, just to make things interesting, let’s up the ante on this Hitchcock celebration with a contest. We are giving away one official first day souvenir. Issued on August 3, 1998, the souvenir (which is sealed) includes a pane of 32-cent Hitchcock stamps, as well as an Official First Day Cancellation. To enter to win, all you have to do is answer the following question correctly:

Famous for his dry, outrageous comments, Alfred Hitchcock made cameo appearances in nearly all his own films, often with a funny twist. In Blackmail (1929) a boy bothers him while he reads in the subway, and in The Paradine Case from 1947, Hitchcock can be seen leaving a train with a cello case. In what memorable movie does Hitchcock’s silhouette appear through a window—wearing a cowboy hat?

Send your answer to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. One winner will be selected at random from those who answer correctly. The deadline for entries is noon EDT on Friday, August 16. Good luck!

The Home Run Quiz!

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USPS06STA006EIn 2006, USPS issued the four Baseball Sluggers stamps, honoring Mickey Mantle, Hank Greenberg, Mel Ott, and Roy Campanella. Between them, the four players hit more than 1,600(!) home runs.

Our question for you is: How much do you know about home runs?

If can answer all five of the following five questions correctly, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one copy of Play Ball! A Celebration of Baseball’s Greatest Moments. This wonderful 8½” x 11”, 40-page softbound book features the vivid paintings of artist Graig Kreindler, as well as 16 collectible stamps: the 2001 Legendary Playing Fields (10), the , and the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Stars (4) stamps.

Let’s start the home run quiz now!

1. Mickey Mantle is widely considered the greatest switch-hitter of all time. In his career, he amassed 536 home runs. Did he hit more homers while batting right-handed or left-handed?

2. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record. Who was the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher off whom Aaron hit the homer?

3. How many home runs did Roy Campanella hit in his career?

4. How many seasons did Mel Ott lead the National League in home runs?

Play Ball book5. In 1938, Hank Greenberg hit a whopping 58 home runs. He also set what was then a Major League Baseball record for multi-homer games. How many times that season did he hit more than one homer in a game?

To enter, send your answers, along with your name and address, to: USPS Stamps, 1300 Mercantile Ln, Ste 139C, Largo, MD 20774.

Of those who answer correctly, two people will be randomly chosen to receive a copy of Play Ball! If you don’t know all the answers this time around, don’t worry. You’ll have a couple more chances to win this baseball season. Entries must be postmarked by Saturday, August 10. Good luck!

Postmaster Helps Keep Light Shining at Historic Boston Lighthouse

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Paul-Medina_story-photo_1When USPS dedicates the New England Coastal Lighthouse Forever® stamps this Saturday (July 13), no one will be happier than New Ipswich, New Hampshire, Postmaster Paul Medina.

“In 2005,” said Medina, “I wrote a letter to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee specifically requesting the Boston Light stamp.” The stamp now is part of the new collection.

Situated on Little Brewster Island, the reassuring lens atop the 102-foot-tall, white lighthouse tower has guided ships through the perilous waters of Boston Harbor’s south channel for 297 years.

Designated a National Historic Landmark, Boston Light holds the distinction of being, by law, the only U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer-manned lighthouse remaining in the U.S. However, since 2003, the duty has been assumed by a civilian Coast Guard Keeper with support from U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary officers.

“Boston Light is the oldest light station in North America,” says Medina, who serves in the Auxillary. “It dates back to 1716.”

In 1776, the British destroyed the tower as they retreated from Boston. It was rebuilt in 1783.

Despite GPS devices and other technology that have made navigating the seas easier, Medina said they can’t replace the stalwart Boston Light. “Our light is burning 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

NewEnglandLH-Forever-strip5-v3

Each of the five New England Coastal Lighthouses stamps features an original acrylic painting by Howard Koslow based on recent photographs of the lighthouses. In addition to many other stamp projects, Koslow has produced the art for the entire Lighthouses series: the five lighthouses in the 1990 stamp booklet; the Great Lakes Lighthouses stamps issued in 1995; the Southeastern Lighthouses stamps in 2003; the Pacific Lighthouses stamps in 2007; and the Gulf Coast Lighthouses stamps in 2009.

Fancy adding some of Howard Koslow’s work to your walls? Here’s your chance! Today we are giving away one Southeastern Lighthouses keepsake. Double-matted and suitable for framing, it featureHillsboro Inlet prizes a reproduction of the Hillsboro Inlet stamp artwork and a mounted strip of the five Southeastern Lighthouses stamps. All you have to do to enter to win is answer a simple question:

The Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse was built under government contract in Detroit, Michigan, then erected and inspected prior to being shipped in parts to its present location near Pompano Beach, Florida. This octagonal, iron-skeleton tower was reassembled and activated in 1907. Its daymark—black on the top portion and white below—distinguishes it from lighthouses to the north and south. Its beam can be seen from a distance of more than 20 miles. In what year was the lighthouse fully automated?

To enter, send your answer, along with your name and address, to: USPS Stamps, 1300 Mercantile Ln, Ste 139C, Largo MD 20774.

Of those who answer correctly, one person will be randomly chosen to receive the Hillsboro Inlet keepsake. Entries must be postmarked by Tuesday, July 16. Good luck!