Who’s The Postal “Greatest?” You Decide.

Release: January 16, 2026

February - smack in the middle of the doldrums of winter - was once a prime month for coin and stamp collectors.  That’s because, with freezing temps outside, it’s the ideal time to stay in and sort collectibles in books or albums.

    It’s anything but a trivial month. There’s Groundhog Day on the second; that’s when we pretend to know how much longer the doldrums will last.  Then, there’s Valentine’s Day when we profess love for someone we have or wish for.

    After that is President’s Day – an amalgam of Lincoln’s birthday on February 12 and Washington’s birthday on February 22.

    Most such observances were often once commemorated on stamps.  Some still are.  It’s just hard to know since the US Postal Service began all but ignoring the issuance of stamps and the First Day of Issue ceremonies collectors once flocked to.  Even so, a major annual February event still takes place and is observed on circulating stamps.  It’s National Black History Month.  2026 is particularly significant as it marks the 100th anniversary of the month’s creation....

Coining Controversy For 2026?

Release: January 9, 2026

     What’s a new year without instant controversy?  As always, we surely have more than enough people or events that qualify for contentiousness.  One that shouldn’t have made the cut is the pending semiquincentennial.  Much is planned for our 250th anniversary as the world’s longest-existing democracy.  It should be a time for celebration, not discord.  Then again…

    Consider the change soon coming to our change – specifically our nickels, dimes, quarters and half-dollars.  That should be as exciting as it was a half-century ago, in 1976.  Then, people were floored when the bald eagle, which had always appeared on the back of our quarter, was replaced with the image of a colonial drummer....

Rarities Accidentally Overlooked And Melted

Release: January 2, 2026

    Just a week ago, I ran into two women, Cathy and Ann.  They were at the counter of Scotsman’s, a large Midwest coin dealer.  Several dozen other customers were also there.  The shop was busy, particularly for a Saturday.  The price of silver and gold had brought people out of the woodwork.  They were selling coins, sterling flatware, serving dishes and platters like crazy.

    Not so for Cathy and Ann.  Both were wearing shirts with the name and logo of a church they attended.  They didn’t seem the kind one might expect to see in a shop actively trading in precious metals.  Yet, there was another twist.  Unassuming as they appeared, they weren’t there to sell.  I overheard them asking about buying several 100-ounce bars of silver....

Putting A Price On Nostalgia

Release: DECEMBER 26, 2025

    Yet another Christmas has come and gone.  It and all the other Yuletides are over, leaving only memories.
    In truth, it’s memories that make Christmas or Hanukkah what we cherish – most pointedly the magic of youngsters finding what they’ve dreamed of.  At one time, it was simple – a Barbie doll; toy train; or Red Ryder BB gun.  We remember them fondly.  And, now, monetarily.
    This past season, I wondered why, especially in this economy, many collectibles continue to bring record sums.  One look at what is selling for big bucks and the answer is clear…nostalgia.  It’s the chance and/or hope to relive some of what made us truly happy so many years ago.  Just think “Rosebud” in Citizen Kane....

Taxes Can Take A Bite Of Precious Metals. Or, Not.

Release: DECEMBER 19, 2025

    Once every trip around the sun, everyone’s hopes spring eternal with the advent of a new year.  Even considering ongoing global conflicts, continued soaring prices and employment/salary uncertainties, optimism for a renaissance in 2026 remains.  None of this is new.  Every year brings its share of positives and negatives.  There is one present-day exception – a major yet quiet difference few have glommed onto – gold.  More precisely, gold and silver.

    Those precious metals have stealthily crept up to new records stratospheric enough to fully eclipse the gold and silver rush of 1980.  Still, they are under the conventional radar....

Questioning A Few Christmas Collectibles

Release: DECEMBER 12, 2025

    Let’s climb into the WayBack Machine to Christmas 1996.  I had wandered into a Toys-R-Us store to pick up an item I had been asked to get.  As I walked the aisles I saw an employee putting boxes on a shelf.  Each contained a plush Sesame Street doll named Elmo.

    I had heard of the commotion these had caused.  Named, “Tickle Me Elmo,” it would wildly vibrate while making a laughing sound.  Elmo was “it” for Christmas 1996.  Parents and collectors clamored for them.  Instead of the $20 retail price, some were trading for hundreds.  I couldn’t resist.  I took two to the checkout....

Golden Curtain Call For The US Penny

Release: DECEMBER 5, 2025

     It seems every Christmas season seems more special than those before.  As children, we dream of Santa bringing unbelievable surprises.  When older, we hope to find the perfect gift for a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or relative.  Ultimately, it’s watching a young child’s delight when the magic has passed to another generation.

    For some collectors, this year could be particularly special.  It may initially go unnoticed but Christmas 2025 marks the final incarnation of something we’ve known and used for the past 232 years.  It’s nothing big – as inconsequential as a penny.  That’s exactly what it is. The penny.

    Given the new edict to eliminate the US cent from everyday circulation – we’re told in order to save millions in minting costs – 2025 will potentially be the final year for them to be produced.  I say “potentially” because numismatic versions of the penny will reportedly still appear in annual collector proof sets.  So, technically, they’re gone.  Or, not.  Sort of like the Kennedy half dollar....