There are a number of good reasons for the growing and continued interest in State Duck stamps. Some of them are:

BEAUTY  -  Duck  Stamps consistently rank among the most attractive  stamps ever printed.  Artwork comes from carefully selected top-rank wildlife artists - frequently as the winners in hotly contested state-sponsored competitions - and the stamps tend to be larger and more carefully printed than run-of-the-mill postage stamps. Consequently, detail is finer. Just click on any state stamp and you will see a miniature work of art.

RARITY  -  A typical State Duck Stamp will have total sales of about 50,000 copies, some  even  fewer. (Compare  this  with the Federal Duck Stamp, of which approximately 2 million are sold  annually,  or  a "typical"  US  postage stamp  that  will actually run into the hundreds of  millions!)  But  as  most Duck Stamps are signed by hunters in order to validate their licenses, the number that remain in mint condition -  the  highest value to collectors - is much lower. Finally, most states destroy any  remainders  within  a short time.

APPRECIATION - The combination of a limited supply and a fairly constant to increasing demand accounts for some very  substantial increases in the value of particular stamps. Thus, that original $1 California 1971  issue now  lists  at $750! Among more recent issues, the $5 1983 Texas lists at $195, the  $4  1986 New Hampshire at $25 and the 1994 $3.30 Utah at $85.00. Certainly, not all State Ducks have appreciated fast, and past performance is  no guarantee of future movement, but many State Duck Stamps are valued at several  times  their original issue price within a few years.

For  some years, despite the beauty of the stamps and their general sharp price appreciation,  collecting Duck Stamps grew slowly in popularity. What discouraged prospective collectors was simply the difficulty of obtaining new stamps at the best time to buy them - as they were issued. As  state after state began issuing Duck Stamps, the time, energy, cost and frustration involved in collecting from each and every one of them multiplied. Imagine dealing with all 50 states, each of which operates on its own time schedules, has its own purchasing procedures, its own payment requirements, its own shipping system, etc.!

Fortunately,  collectors no longer need to try to hack their way through a jungle of governmental red tape in order to establish and maintain complete current collections.  Today, expert subscription services exist to do the hard work of dealing with every state that issues stamps; obtaining their new issue Duck Stamps  and distributing them to collectors whom subscribe to the service.

Not surprisingly, the popularity of State Duck Stamps as collectibles has increased since subscription  services  became available. Now, at last, collecting Duck Stamps has become an  enjoyable,  entertaining, educational and frequently profitable activity without the hassle.

There  are  other  large  firms offering new issue subscription services. All are  reputable,  but  when  it comes to price, value and service, one stands out above the crowd: Michael Jaffe Stamps.  Exaggeration? Check out these facts for yourself, then decide.

PRICING:  Michael Jaffe subscribers pay just $1.75 over the agency price of every stamp. Other  services charge a flat amount ($11.75 or more in the case of a Wyoming company) regardless of the agency price. A typical $5.50 stamp costs $11.75 plus shipping from my competitor and only $7.25 from Michael Jaffe. This can save you more than 42%!

MORE FOR LESS: Michael Jaffe subscribers receive all State Ducks including non-residents and  mini-sheets. They end up with more stamps for less money than subscribers to other services do.

FLEXIBILITY:  Michael  Jaffe offers subscribers all the following options: Hunter/"agent"  stamps  ... Governor stamps ... Indian Reservation Stamps ... Federal Duck Stamps ... foreign duck stamps ... fishing stamps ... plate singles or blocks ... full tabs ... extra fine ... All subscribers receive a newsletter as well as special sales and discounts on selected back issues.

To get your 2006 or 2007 collection started, call 1(800) 782-6770 today. For a limited time, new subscribers can receive the 2006 collection for the same new subscriber price.

Go to State Duck Page   Home

MORE ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION

With the basic State Duck subscription you will receive five or six groups of stamps per year.  These shipments will run between $75.00 and $105.00 each for the basic subscription.  This will get you one each of every state duck stamp.  In the case of Louisiana and New Jersey, you will receive matched sets of resident and non-resident stamps.  You will receive Washington's mini sheet that is issued without staple holes and Oregon's collector booklet stamp in addition to the regular issued state stamp.  I believe that these stamps are important for a complete year set.  Many other subscription services don't give you these extra stamps. 

To make it easy for you, we keep your credit card number on file and charge your card the day we ship your stamps.  There is a $1.00 charge per shipment which covers postage, handling and insurance.  Subscriptions to foreign addresses (excluding Canada) are charged $2.00 per shipment.

Every stamp is personally inspected, and most all are centered at least fine to very fine. If you want to be guaranteed extra fine centered stamps, there is an additional $1.00 charge per stamp.  Not all States issue stamps with plate numbers or with tabs attached to their stamps.  If you would like plate numbers or tabs attached, there is an additional $1.00 charge per stamp.  In the case of Florida, which issues a special top tab, the charge to subscribers is $10.00 per stamp.

The Federal duck stamp is also available for issue price plus $1.75 ($16.75 total).   Subscribers will get both types of Federal stamps who subscribe to the Federal stamp.

Foreign stamps are an option that you can subscribe to. The most popular countries are Canada, Canadian Provinces, Great Britain and Russia.  There are many other countries.  Please call the office at (800) 782-6770 or email me for the complete list.  You can see some of the foreign stamps that have been provided if you click on the International Stamp page.

To sign up, I need your name, address, phone number, credit card number and expiration date.  I also need to know with which year you want to start. We can catch you up all at once, or send one group per month.

last updated 9/6/2007