tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post2341607959120967095..comments2024-03-23T04:12:08.762-07:00Comments on Big Blue 1840-1940: France - Bud's Big BlueJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02024632082262694589noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-42726045643478144772018-11-06T07:59:37.452-08:002018-11-06T07:59:37.452-08:00Yep. Agreed.Yep. Agreed.Budhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18202098671443782842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-35137547625398452822018-11-06T07:47:39.587-08:002018-11-06T07:47:39.587-08:00French designed Saar region stamps are quite beaut...French designed Saar region stamps are quite beautiful. William Tayloehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03738693505151458454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-44723134566171406072018-04-03T07:29:10.373-07:002018-04-03T07:29:10.373-07:00Oops. I mistyped. Sandys is Churchill's grandd...Oops. I mistyped. Sandys is Churchill's granddaughter.Budhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18202098671443782842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-50201575233138701852018-04-03T07:12:00.550-07:002018-04-03T07:12:00.550-07:00Thanks, Drew, for your keen eye, especially regard...Thanks, Drew, for your keen eye, especially regarding UN stamps. For several years, WFUNA, a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen the UN and promote transparency within it, produced a series of brilliant first day covers and graphics signed by living artists, some of whom designed the stamps. I've collected a few. My favorite is signed by Edwina Sandys, Winston Churchill’s daughter whose most notable sculpture is titled “Christa.” She once wrote “True Art is always Art for Art’s sake – but it can also be other things as well.” Such as, she might have added, small adhesive labels called stamps.Budhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18202098671443782842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-55875830875447374032018-04-02T23:11:10.056-07:002018-04-02T23:11:10.056-07:00I couldn't agree more. France, Greece, Laos (a...I couldn't agree more. France, Greece, Laos (a former French colony), and Czechoslovakia are producers of some of the best designed stamps ever. <br /><br />French stamps are about as good as they get, as can be seen with these beautiful stamps and with many modern French commemoratives, usualy very well designed and produced. <br /><br />Czech stamps were about as well designed and beautifully engraved as I've ever seen. (And they're cheap to buy -- a wonderful thing for collectors). <br /><br />I'll add a few more countries which produce beautiful stamps. The former French colony of Tunisia has issued many extremely well designed stamps which are some of my favorites. Sweden regularly issues very well designed and well produced stamps as does Switzerland, though a certain sameness is noticeable with Swiss stamps. Italy often issues beautiful stamps, too. The stamps of Monaco are very good even if they are mainly for collectors, and again they reflect French style. <br /><br />In Southern Africa, Namibia and Botswana issue many very nicely-designed stamps lately. <br /><br />In Asia, Japan is certainly just about the best, though sameness and a tendency toward excessive cuteness (and too many stamps!) mars many Japanese stamps. Still, the best Japanese stamps like their national park series are excellent. <br /><br />French Polynesia is another French stamp design offshoot that issues extremely beautiful stamps. <br /><br />I'll even add the UN which I think does a great job of producing very nicely-designed stamps -- when they aren't yet another set of flags.<br /><br />I even like a lot of Soviet/Russian stamps many of which have a wacky over-the-top quality, especially their space issues with all the swoopy rockets going up into space. <br /><br />It would be even more fun to list the countries that regularly produce the "world's worst designed stamps." But I'll hold off on that since someone may collect them! DrewMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08082601555760640397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-47144806933032886652018-03-28T06:51:17.903-07:002018-03-28T06:51:17.903-07:00Oh, of course, also Japanese stamps.Oh, of course, also Japanese stamps.Budhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18202098671443782842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-26379256937104575132018-03-27T18:58:10.848-07:002018-03-27T18:58:10.848-07:00I'm glad you enjoy them. Probably French stamp...I'm glad you enjoy them. Probably French stamps are my favorites from an artistic point of view, followed closely by Greece, Laos and Czechoslovakia in the post WWII era.Budhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18202098671443782842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190925726844102948.post-11808040847773821292018-03-27T18:35:26.583-07:002018-03-27T18:35:26.583-07:00It was a real treat to view the pages of this fine...It was a real treat to view the pages of this fine collection. French stamps are some of the most beautiful, and colorful, ever released worldwide. Thank you!John Heitmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15891521792448497252noreply@blogger.com