HARTFORD, WI — The U.S. Postal Service dedicated the first-of-its-kind stamps with the look — and feel — of balls used in eight popular sports. Available nationwide, the Have a Ball! Forever stamps depict balls used in baseball, basketball, football, golf, kickball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.
A special coating applied to selected areas of the stamps during the printing process gives them a texture that mimics the feel of:
- a baseball’s stitching;
- a golf ball’s dimples;
- a tennis ball’s seams;
- a soccer ball or volleyball’s textured panels; and,
- the different raised patterns of football, basketball, and kickball.
“Every day across the United States, people of all ages gather on fields, diamonds, courts, and golf courses to engage in a friendly and fun competition,” said U.S. Postal Service Senior Vice President, Sales, and Customer Relations Cliff Rucker. “We are honored to celebrate our nation’s passion for athletics with the Have a Ball! Forever stamps. I hope that whenever you affix these colorful new stamps to letters, they remind you of the connection between sports and culture.”
Joining Rucker in the dedication was U.S. Golf Association President Diana Murphy.
“We can’t think of a more fitting place to celebrate golf as one of America’s favorite recreational sports than the U.S. Open Championship,” said Murphy. “This innovative stamp collection provides a lasting symbol of how sports — like golf — can connect people and communities, create fun opportunities to promote an active lifestyle and bring out the fan in all of us. We are thrilled to reveal it to our fans today, in our country’s heartland.”
These round Forever stamps are available in panes of 16 that include two stamps of each design. Stamp artist Daniel Nyari of Long Island City, NY, and stamp designer Mike Ryan of Charlottesville, VA, worked with Art Director Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, to create the stamp images.
The Have a Ball! Stamps are being issued as Forever stamps which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail service 1-ounce price.
