USA "Forever" (1st-class letter) Bonsai Stamps

It appears that the official first-day-of-issue USPS bonsai stamp cancellation will be January 23rd in Sacramento CA.
http://www.beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases/bonsai

Enthusiasts in Traverse City MI are holding a later bonsai stamp ceremony arranged with their local post office.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonsai-stamp-dedication-ceremony-to-be-held-in-Traverse-City-MI/155115421245007

Special order from USPS:
http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22328/html/info_020.htm

Wow!

For those into stamp collecting as well as bonsai:
Digital Color Postmarks (set of five): linked HERE
First Day Covers (set of five): linked HERE
Notecardsw/envelopes & stamps (set of ten):linked HERE

There appears another option to receive a sheet of stamps and a first-day cover for one, but that didn't seem as attractive an offer with only one 1st-day cover included that is selected at random.

Each notecard appears to display the photo of a bonsai of similar species, though different in detail, to the paintings illustrated on the five stamps.

The ceremony this morning in Sacramento was great! About 100 local bonsai people attended and we had a display of five trees that were very similar to the trees on the stamps (only better).
I stocked up on the stamps and got a program from the event with the five stamps hand cancelled with the First day if issue stamp.
I'm a bonsai collector and not a stamp collector so I didn't bother with the collector covers.
Pretty big honor for the four bonsai clubs in our town.

Paul

How about a photo of the program?

Here you are.

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Thanks much.

The display at the ceremony featuring five trees representing the species on the stamps.

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The United States Post Office has just confirmed that they will have a "temporary retail station" at the 3rd US National Bonsai Exhibition on the first day only, Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 9am to 5 pm. They will use a special pictorial postmark to cancel the bonsai stamps. A two color commemorative envelope will be available to put the stamps on and receive the special pictorial postmark.

Another good reason to visit the 3rd US National Bonsai Exhibition!

Bill

I suppose we should be grateful, that this happend, but IMHO the stamps are ugly and don't adequately reflect the beauty and art of bonsai,kora

I went to my local post office last week and asked about the stamps. I was told they did not have them, that they might later in the year.

Gosh! They've reached my little Podunk Post Office (pop. 1200). I'm using them, but -- like Kora -- I'm not at all impressed. Two thumbs down!

I just got a letter yesterday from a master gardener I'm hoping to work with on a project this summer, and sure enough there's the Sierra Juniper bonsai stamp on it, now I will of course HAVE to ask her the ultimate question...

-Jay

I'm not crazy about them either, but at least we finally got bonsai stamps. A Canadian once observed that the largest export of the United States is bad taste.
Iris