Putting a new stamp on an age-old hobby

What Elvis started in 1993 could reach a new high this year through the force of Yoda.

Postage stamps featuring pop-culture icons are drawing a younger following -- the very one a financially strapped U.S. Postal Service was trying to attract when it began issuing glossy, colored stamps in the 1990s featuring the likes of Bugs Bunny, Marilyn Monroe and Popeye.

At one of Seattle's busiest post offices, the University District branch, Mackenzie Waller, 29, and a friend bought several sheets of "Star Wars" and Marvel comics stamps, both issued this year.

But they bought them for sending mail, not to collect.

"They're pieces of art. They're really cool," Waller said of the stamps. But "the idea of trying to hold onto something like that for that long seems like a real journey. If you really like looking at something, you can get it on the Internet."

As the nation's biggest stamp show gets under way today in Portland, some local stamp collectors lament the new commercial trend in U.S. stamps, while others say it's essential to inspire a new generation of collectors.

What's undeniable is that the postage stamp has become less relevant as more people use the Internet to e-mail and chat, with even the idea of posting a letter via "snail mail" striking many as quaint. That's contributed to the woes of the Postal Service, which is struggling to overcome a $5.7 billion deficit.

Jim Hall, a Kirkland stamp dealer, said he has been collecting stamps for more than 30 years and that collectors are upset with the sheer volume of stamps being cranked out in the name of trying to attract youth.

"You can call it fluff," said Hall, 64. "When you do a commemorative stamp on a person or event, there's some meaning to it."

Disney characters and comic-book heroes aren't historical characters and don't have a lot of substance to them, he said.

More than a decade ago, the U.S. Postal Service started trying to make stamps more appealing to the public, especially to grade-school children.

"It all began with Elvis," said Dave Failor, executive director of stamp services for the Postal Service. "The variety is mostly about collecting and giving people the opportunity to collect, but we're also looking to make everyday use of stamps relevant."

Stamp sales have taken off in the past four years, coinciding with the commemoration of many popular children's television characters: The Muppets in 2005, DC Comics Super Heroes in 2006 and Marvel Comics Super Heroes and "Star Wars" this year.

The Postal Service has also issued a series of Disney characters every year since 2004, including one set to be unveiled next week.

Carol Edholm of Mountlake Terrace is all for stamps that appeal to the imagination of children. Edholm, 45, is executive director of Youth Stamp Collectors, a nonprofit that puts on workshops in Washington, Oregon and California and publishes a newsletter for teachers across the country.

She says her biggest challenge is making sure kids have access to stamps -- because few receive letters from pen pals anymore and some stamp dealers turn up their noses at nurturing young collectors.

Despite the challenges, "I think stamp collecting is going to be around for a good long time," she said. "You can see the world through your stamps."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com