This story, published in CSN Vol. 46 #2, is an expanded version of what was posted online on April 12, when the news broke.
By Jesse Robitaille
After reporting unexpectedly high interest in the recent commemorative “Snow Mammals” issue, Canada Post added another 100,000 booklets to the original print run.
The Ottawa-based Canadian Bank Note Company (CBNC) was originally ordered to print 300,000 booklets of 10 stamps, with two of each of the set’s five designs. Featured on the cover of Canada Post’s February-March Details magazine, the stamps drew interest from both collectors and consumers, according to a statement from the Crown corporation.
“These adorable animal stamps have attracted a lot of media attention and, thanks to popular demand, we’ve increased our print run from 300,000 to 400,000 booklets to make sure everyone can get their paws on them,” Jim Phillips, Canada Post director of stamp services, wrote in the latest edition of Details, published in early April.
Canada Post media relations manager Nicole Lecompte later confirmed with CSN there was “significant interest” in this year’s Snow Mammals set.
“Animal-themed stamps are generally very popular with the public, and these stamps in particular widely resonated with everyone from collectors, to consumers, to animal lovers and photography buffs,” Lecompte said. “Canadian mail users drove the high demand for this stamp issue.”
There will be “no difference in the print runs for the Snow Mammals stamp booklets,” Lecompte added.
One regular mail user – Waterdown, Ont.-based dealer and auctioneer Bill Longley – said the issue’s popularity comes as “no surprise.”
“I’ve used them almost exclusively in my mailings,” added Longley, who’s also the sales agent and book distributor for the British North America Philatelic Society. “People overseas are getting three or four complete booklets used on parcel, and gently cancelled, too.”
The CBNC also printed 70,000 five-stamp souvenir sheets plus 7,000 official first-day covers, each franked with all five of the set’s stamps.
AN INFREQUENT OCCURENCE
Canada Post only occasionally boosts its print runs, Lecompte told CSN.
“Additional print runs don’t happen frequently, but on occasion, the demand exceeds our initial projections.”
One of the more recent occurrences was in 2012.
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