Royal Mail have announced to the philatelic trade that they will be partnering with Post Office Ltd to provide an innovative way of purchasing this years Christmas stamps, Royal Mail Post and Go Instant Smilers  as well as providing some unique Post and Go stamps.

Commencing this week in Newcastle (20th November) and then moving to Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, crossing  the Welsh border into Cardiff before proceeding to the metropolis via Croydon onwards to London’s’  Covent Garden and finally  Shepherds Bush (Final Day 19th December) this year pop up ‘Christmas Stamp Shops’ will operate from the “back of a lorry trailer.” (see opposite for dates)

The trailer will comprise of a unique environment to compose and purchase this year various Christmas Smilers (in newly upgraded ‘sheets of 20 format)  – a ‘Winter Wonderland’ effect which will be partnered with the now familiar ‘Royal Mail Series One ‘ (Otherwise known as ‘Hytech’) machines A3 and A4, vending  ‘Christmas Robins’ and (by popular demand) 2nd Class Post and Go Stamps.

The Xmas Robins are likely to be MA13 versions and there is a possibility that the 2nd Class Post and Go stamps are of a new MA13 printing too , as it is understood that the original printing has been ‘ring-fenced’ for the new Post Office machines (due next year). Also as previously announced, Post Office outlets will not include any overprint. The only difference between the different sites is likely to be the receipts  (Possibility  of a bilingual version in Cardiff/Wales?).

It is worth noting that these ‘outlets’ do not appear to be ‘Post Offices’ in the true sense -so no Horizon,no  Datestamps and no mouthwatering ‘items from the stock centre’  as appeared in Camden Town last  year,- it is more likely that there will be signposts ‘to the nearest Post Office’ for customer wanting the more traditional Post Office service.

So this years Pop-Ups look like they are building on the successes of last year (unique offerings) and  responding to the feedback around ‘difficult to find’ by placing them in central shopping locations in England ,Scotland and Wales- ‘Post and Go for the masses !- something we applaud..

 

In a new venture for Post Office and Royal Mail, a totally new type of Post Office (Similar to ‘Pop- Up Shops’ previously seen in shopping malls up and down the country at the lead up to Christmas)  opened last week in the very busy Camden Market,  London NW1. This new branch is called ‘Camden Christmas Post Shop’.

This new outlet is offering selected items from the Royal Mail ‘Collectibles’ range ,  personalised  Christmas 2012  Instant ‘Smilers’ and, more importantly from a Post and Go collectors point of view, it has given rise to the first outing of the brand new Royal Mail ‘Hytech’ Next-Generation  machines No. ‘A3’ and ‘A4’.

 

 

This new branch offers full Post Office ‘Postal’ facilities where purchasers can post their gift  items  purchased from the shop or elsewhere worldwide.

The Post Office is open seven days a week from 10am to 8 pm every day apart from Sundays when it opens at 11am. Machines A3 and A4 are visually identical to those previously seen at Stampex – and appear to function the same, although, as they are in a full functioning Post Office branch rather than in an Exhibition setting , they do not have any overprints.

It is worth noting that this is the first time Hytech units have been  primarily positioned for Post Office customers-  posting mail specifically  Christmas cards and gifts– and not for stamp collectors purposes.

Each of the twin-reel Hytech machines are loaded with Christmas (MA12) Robin stamps as well as Machin Stamps – which for the specialist gives rise to two totally new and exclusive products to this Branch – Hytech Machin ‘Worldwide 40g’ which have not been previously issued, as when un-overprinted Hytech Machins previously appeared at Stampex , the WW40g had yet to be issued.

Additionally, this is the only outlet where ‘Hytech Christmas Robins’ (MA12) , printed in strips of six,will be available, (As these are not expected to appear at  Spring Stampex 2013).

For Postmark Collectors the Datestamps in use at the Post Office are ‘Equipment Team Temporary’ No. ’32’ and  No. ’42’.

Items are available from our Ebay shop here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170953368569

Machin Head Post and Go stamps have been dispensed from Wincor-Nixdorf kiosks in the UK since 2008.
There are two versions of the print – one printed by the kiosk at Post Offices across the UK and another press-printed version of the original font set available from the Philatelic Bureau at Tallents House in a presentation card.
The labels can be obtained with 5 different service indicators: 1st class & 1st class Large up to 100gr, Europe up to 20gr, Worldwide up to 10gr and 20gr, singly or in strips of up to 5 of the same value or various values.
For those that are printed by machine there are two further versions of the oveprint- original and updated font (see below) , for these we supply a strip of the five different values currently available in a special ‘collectors strip’ and offer a choice of machine code (when available) and font.

 

LEFT- ORIGINAL FONT

During 2009, In preparation for the pending issue of Pictorial (Birds) Faststamps some 32 Post Office branches had their kiosks’ software upgraded which resulted in the repositioning and resizing of the font.
RIGHT- UPDATED FONT
Postage is FREE to all worldwide destinations~ We ship anywhere! click here to purchase ;
Click here to purchase
Select the strip required and click ‘add to cart’:-

There is no end to some peoples ingenuity in ‘Manufacturing’ covers that should not actually exist. Here is a cover that appeared on Ebay , with the vendor suggesting someone actually producing it on the first day in Camden Town – but only Special Delivery items were processed on the first day ,suggesting the item has been backdated.

As suggested  in this months Stamp Magazine, It is now understood that the De La Rue printed ‘Gold Machin’ postage labels, previously trialed at ‘Camden Town High Street Crown Office’ will shortly return to use at Post Office Counters ~ This time, initially at least, the distribution of the labels will be restricted to Post Offices in Wales.
This means the overprint that will appear on the labels will be bilingual, giving rise to new varients – as there is currently two styles of overprint in use – one from the original Horizon-enabled Post Offices and the other thinner printing style of Branches that have been upgraded to ‘Horizon Online’. A further complication is that some Branches in Wales produce a ‘English’ overprint.
Additionally, unlike the Camden trial, their use will not be restricted to ‘Special Delivery’ mail and all classes of mail that currently receives a Postage Label will be eligible for a new ‘gold’ label.
UPDATED ~The distribution of the labels will commence from April 19th 2010 , giving a potential First Day of Issue of around the 20th-21st April – but no official First Day facilities will be offered by Royal Mail or the Post Office – but please contact me if you would like to buy any covers.  The labels are from a different print run than that used as Camden Town, but it remains to be see if there are any visual differences!

The distribution will be phased, meaning that branches will receive labels on different dates – there is no instruction to use them over the existing white labels so they will appear randomly.  Watch this space!

A seller on Ebay has been selling Mint Gold Horizon Machin Labels , without apparently knowing what they are!

And at £10.49 for a pair appear to be VERY cheap! (Given that used ones on cover have fetched £40-£50) . However unused sheetlets should not be available…

These should only appear in a used state, affixed to items and for the Special Delivery Trial only that took place in High Street, Camden Town last year.

So where did these come from? – The seller has sold multiples of these..

UPDATE:- Further Mint labels have been listed here by a different seller.

Last Day covers of the Camden Town Trial are still available here:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360210964612

An unannounced new Horizon postage label, bearing the Machin Head and with simulated perforations went on trial at Camden High Street Branch only , in London, on Monday 8th June 2009.

Printed by De La Rue in gold with security printing of wavy “ROYAL MAIL”

These labels were used on Royal Mail Special Delivery items only

After three months and three days, the trial has now (11th Sept 2009) come to an end.

No other branches will sell the label or any further extension will occur for the time being.

Any further developments may utilise a different label to that used at Camden High Street Post Office

This cover is available for purchase in our shop at £45

The Post Office have indicated that the last day of sale of the Horizon Gold Machin Head labels, currently being used at one branch (Camden High Street, London, NW1 ) will be 11th September 2009. No other branches will sell the label  or any further extention will occur for the time being.  Any further developments may utilise a different label to that used at Camden.

A reposting facility will be available for the last day only – All covers must reach Camden Town Crown office by next Friday (Absolutely no back dating will be possible) and payment to cover the Special Delivery rate of at least £4.95 must be made by Postal Order payable to ‘Post Office Ltd’ only.

Covers should be addressed to:

Branch manager

Camden Town Crown office

114-120 Camden High Street,

Camden
London, NW1 0RR

It may be necessary to restrict quantities if stock run low. RMSD Covers can only be sent to UK addresses.

(If any overseas customers require covers -please contact me asap- postagelabelsuk@gmx.com)

High Street, Camden Town Post And Go has been confirmed as now gone-live with a first day of 16th July.

A full updated list of all existing installations and projected one will appear here soon, including the latest ‘New Entry’ – City Of Bath Crown Office.