Does the postage stamp have a right to exist in the Netherlands or not?
It is certain that the postage stamp has had its longest tenure as a franking item. It is also certain that the postage stamp will continue to fulfill its function for franking a postal item for a while longer, but with the advent of the digital postage stamp code, that period may well be shortened. How long the postage stamp will remain alongside the franking function also the collection function will fulfill is a question for me. Perhaps you, as a stamp blog reader, have an opinion on the matter. Thank you in advance for your response.PostNL has a different approach to stamp usage than that of the collector in any case.
Use of postage stamps
In the period 1980–2000, there was still a certain balanced relationship between the production of stamps and their use.- The vast majority of the commemorative stamps are used for postage. The remaining portion is purchased unused by collectors and stamp dealers.
- Of the special stamps, such as summer and children's stamps, a small percentage is used for postage. A high percentage ends up unused in the albums of domestic and foreign collectors.
- The permanent stamp is used only for postage. A small portion ends up in a collection.
Postage stamp as a revenue generator
- The revenue aspect of the postage stamp as a means of franking is minimal.
- The revenue figure from the postage stamp as a collector's item is enormous. The postal service does not have to provide any service whatsoever for the stamp as a 'means of payment for advance transport of a postal item from A to B'. In other words, PostNL is handed the total postage value for free, without providing any service in return.
Computer technological progress
Communication via computer technology is greatly facilitated and accelerated. A letter or card has become an obsolete object as a means of connection between people, and with it, the function of the postage stamp. For PostNL, this development means that the goalposts must be shifted if the postal company is to continue generating revenue from postage stamps.
From franking function to collecting function
PostNL has brought about a shift in the function of the postage stamp: the change from a means of franking to a collector's item. Currently, a two-track policy still exists: limited attention to the franking function, and a high degree of attention to the collecting function of the stamp by domestic and foreign collectors. Each year, PostNL issues 20 limited-edition stamp issues. An extremely high percentage of these stamps end up in collectors' albums for a hefty fee (approximately 150 euros per year). A small percentage is still used for franking.Quantity & quality
Of the 150 new stamps issued annually, the number is the most important for PostNL.- In addition to issuing many stamps per year, their low production costs are also attractive to PostNL. By including multiple stamps with the same image in a stamp sheet and/or using low-quality stamp designs, PostNL's revenues are high and profitable.
- The design costs of a photographic image on a stamp are low. The ten seemingly attractive 'Experience Nature' issues with a relatively high print run (available at all PostNL sales points) are still used as postage stamps. For this special stamp, it is the only issue still advertised using a poster (with the exception of the December issue). Advertising generates sales and is therefore attractive to PostNL.
- Fortunately, PostNL still treats the consumer to a stamp with a high-quality design every year. I am thinking here of 'Typisch Nederlands stolpboerderijen' by the well-known design agency Total Design in Amsterdam. However, for this single stamp, the collector has to pay five times the extra postage amount (0,96 euros) of the remaining stamps under this bundled sales method. In other words, quality comes at a price!
If the 'Typisch Nederlands 2020' issue had been released in its logical format, the issue would not only have been shortened from 30 to 5 different stamps, but the amount would also have been reduced from 27,30 euros to 4,55 euros. The collector interprets the amount of 27,30 euros differently than PostNL.
Detachment
During the crisis of the 1930s, stamp collecting was pursued as an inexpensive pastime. Virtually every piece of mail was franked with a stamp back then. Nowadays, a stamp is used on mail only sporadically. The stamp as a functional object has disappeared. New stamps can now only be purchased at a Bruna store. Unfortunately, Bruna is no longer present in most places. New stamps can still be obtained by subscription or by order. This centralized sales method (cheap for PostNL) turns the stamp into an even more alien and artificial object.
Stamp value
Stamp issues issued from 1980 onwards are certainly no longer profitable. In the event of a stamp sale, a particularly low percentage of the purchase price is paid. Demand is extremely low. In other words, the stamp as a collector's item is attractive only to the owner; for others, effectively no longer.Right to exist for philately?
Is there still a right to exist for philately? The answer to this is short and clear: “Yes and no!” Philately is practiced along two clearly distinct paths: that of the stamp collector and that of the philatelist.
Stamp collector or philatelist
1a) The first group includes collectors who fill the boxes of the pre-printed album with old and new [un]cancelled stamps using stamp catalogues. 2a) The second group includes philatelists who, with expert knowledge, intensively concern themselves with philatelic peculiarities that are not listed in catalogues.
Difference in purchase
1b) It is known that the first group has been steadily shrinking over the years. Due to death, the size of the oldest guard is constantly decreasing. The 'survivors / persistent ones' are increasingly discovering that the hobby is becoming too expensive. This realization arises particularly among collectors who receive a shipment of stamps a few times a year via a PostNL subscription for a total amount of 150 euros. A substantial sum must be paid after each shipment. 2b) The philatelist deepens his knowledge by making targeted purchases from fellow philatelists, stamp dealers, and at auctions to acquire additions to his specialized collection. This branch of philately will continue to exist for many years to come.
The future
1c) If the hobby becomes less expensive, PostNL will be able to issue stamps for some time in the third decade of the 21st century with a limited policy. Even with a moderate issuance policy, PostNL profits at the expense of the collector. The 'addicted collector' is constantly being used/abused. This stamp policy is beneath the dignity of the former state-owned enterprise. In my view, it is ethically irresponsible conduct on the part of PostNL. 2c) The philatelist will continue his specialization undisturbed, with PostNL's role no longer present. He practices the relationship with the stamp in a historical perspective. 
It is truly astonishing, incomprehensible, and disturbing that after just one day, no one is reacting to PostNL's unrestrained annual issuance of stamps at a substantial cost. The numerous new stamps serve only a collector's function and effectively no longer serve a franking function. The silence reminds me of Trump's VIOLATIONS, to which criticism only erupted after four years!
The aforementioned PostNL stamp issue has been ongoing for longer than four years. As a result, a number of collectors are stopping collecting new issues. Some have switched from country-specific collections to thematic collections.
@Bate, what do you think you will achieve with articles like these? I think you would be better off venting your frustrations to Postnl. Then there is a chance that something will be done about it. Articles of this kind (to use similar words) appear regularly on Postzegelblog, and ultimately, you achieve nothing with them. I collect stamps because I enjoy it. And if I don't enjoy it anymore, I'll stop. And you won't attract new collectors with articles like this either.
As for the 'Typically Dutch' series, you are not obliged to purchase the complete sheets. Through a subscription, it is possible to purchase individual stamps, meaning you buy six stamps for EUR 5,76.
The investment of EUR 150,00 per year will be based on the stamps, including the sheets. For the individual stamps issued annually, I pay around EUR 100,00 per year. Every hobby costs money. There is an agreement with PostNL that this amount will not increase.
Yet another lament about this subject. What do we get out of that?
The coronavirus crisis has shown that more cards are being sent again. This is a good incentive to get more special stamps back into circulation. A personal question for every stamp collector: how many stamps do you stick onto such mail each year?
'@ Namesake Willem: I only put a stamp on at Christmas and for a few birthdays.
Regarding PostNL: I agree with my namesake and Yvonne: complaining doesn't help. PostNL is a commercial company and has only one goal: to make money; the more the better. They are honest about this, and from a business perspective, I can't blame them. The collector has to adjust to that. You really don't need to be complete. Only collect what you like. I do it thematically and still with great pleasure.
@Namemate Willem: And for me, thematic is still thematic Netherlands. And I still get a lot of pleasure from that. And well, not all stamps are created equal. Sometimes the design is disappointing, and other times the execution. And as far as I'm concerned, there should be more attention paid to history, but unfortunately, that is not popular in our society.
A few things I want to say about this.
You are free to collect and buy and/or trade whatever you want; PostNL does not obligate you to anything.
€150 a year for a hobby you enjoy a lot is, in my opinion, not very much. A football club season ticket is more expensive.
I still use stamps quite often myself; I regularly sell them via Marktplaats and Facebook. These letters and packages need to be franked, and I also appreciate that when I buy stamps, they are franked with newer stamps.
Furthermore, Bate, you always write beautiful pieces that I read with great pleasure and regularly learn something from. However, sometimes you have quite a sour undertone. I find that a real shame; stamp collecting is such a fun hobby. So put that bottle of vinegar down and grab a nice beer, wine, or whatever else suits your taste.
Greetings to the new Grunn!
Greetings from Grunn = Greetings with a smile!
@Ramon I completely agree with this. However, I do sometimes wonder why PostNL never responds to comments on this site. I believe they are a sponsor, but they never respond. It would be positive if someone from PostNL were willing to respond. That way, perhaps more mutual understanding could develop regarding the stamp issuance policy. And hopefully, something will be done with positive, constructive criticism. What do the collectors think of this idea? Is that something worth discussing with the postal service?
There is an upcoming digital meeting between PostNL and the collectors' platform, of which I (and Bate) are a part. I can raise this there.
@Willem that would be great! Is what is discussed there a secret? Can the purpose of this platform be explained sometime? Who participates and what kind of topics are covered?
No, it is not a secret. We look back and look ahead at the issuing policy. In the past, we could also suggest subjects for issues, and a ranking was then applied. In principle, an issue would be released for the subject that came in at number 1. That hasn't been done for the last few years. I still suggest subjects myself (e.g., for 2022, I recommended Leiden European City of Science for an issue). Whether that will be accepted is, of course, never certain. This group was formed about 20 years ago and was then named the Collectors' Platform.
At that time, I was regional chairman of the national union, and I gauged what was going on in the region. Unfortunately, that has also faded away.
'@Willem that is quite a shame that subjects for issues are no longer being suggested with the corresponding ranking. Does PostNL no longer want that? And it would be nice if at least one issue per year marked a historical event.