Saturday, August 02, 2008

Limited Edition Sweetness: U.S. Postage and 'All-Black' Vogue

Vintage Black Cinema Postage, Josephine Baker
(Josephine Baker's Princess Tam Tam gets immortalized in postage)

Classic Black movie fans can now stick their own bold, new signature stamp on things with the recently released 'Vintage Black Cinema' Movie Poster postage from the U.S. Postal Service.

The series of 5 stamps include: 1921's The Sport of The Gods; Duke Ellington's 1929 film debut, Black and Tan; the short Caldonia; the Josephine Baker-helmed cult-classic, Princess Tam Tam and King Vidor's 1929 academy award-nominated Hallelujah.

Get them while their still hot (and if you don't see them, ask! The post office we visited didn't even have these colorful beauties on display. Tsk. Tsk.)

======

Italian Vogue's All Black Issue

(l to r: Legendary models: Gail O'Neill, Karen Alexander, Alek Wek, Iman and newcomer, Arlenis Sosa.)

Another limited edition item to get while it's still on shelves is Vogue Italia's 'All Black Issue,' available on newstands everywhere. Though the price may run you just about $20 here in the United States, $20 is a very small price to pay for equality, and green seems to be the only color any industry responds to these days. And with the amount of Italian Vogues flying off of newstands, the buying public is making itself very clear: DIVERSITY SALES.

According to the Guardian, UK, the magazine is one of the most in-demand yet:

It's nearly August, the retail fashion industry is in an uneasy slump, and summer issues of women's magazines are gaunt for want of advertising. Yet in the past four weeks, the 'black issue' of Italian Vogue has caused such a phenomenal demand at news-stands in Britain and the United States that Condé Nast, the publisher, has rushed to reprint and distribute 40,000 more copies.


You don't have to be an avid magazine buyer to appreciate this monumental issue; besides the cultural significance, the mag will enhance even the most drab of coffee tables and you may pick up an italian word or two...

Ciao!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've gonna have to get my hands on those stamps and my friend had been trying to find the Italian Vogue for weeks and couldn't find it. She finally just had to get it on ebay so I know their selling out.

Anonymous said...

The all black vogue sure doesn't have a lot of black models in it. I bought it the other day and had to keep asking myself what all the hype was about. Other than the few photos that i've already seen on the internet i could almost count the number of pages on two hands that was dedicated to black models.

Unknown said...

I love your blog! Thanks for the heads up in terms of the limited edition stamps. I also finally purchased a copy of the Italian Vogue can't wait to view the photos...Anyway, I just started a blog so check it out...I plan to add you to my favorites!

Anonymous said...

i haven't seen the stamps or the magazine with my own two yet, lol. gotta get with the program.

Anonymous said...

i haven't been able to find Vogue Italia anywhere!!

Shell said...

I got the stamps about two weeks ago. They are wonderful. I'm set to go back and get some more sheets of the stamps.

Anonymous said...

I saw this post and felt so in style! I bought a book of the stamps last week. I have no plans on using them though - into the scrapbook they go. I'll buy some more for use later. And I finally got my hands on the Italian Vogue [1st reprint] from 2 local bookstores. The chain stores were useless. They kept insisting they never even got the 1st run and when I raised holy hell through Borders corporate offices found out they'd gotten like 3 and they were all sold out. As far as I'm concerned they've lost my business. I was waitlisted and kicked off then put back on at the other stores when the copies came in. It was insane. I actually paid the regular price of $15.95 but they charge tax for mags in CA so it was $17ish. I bought all 4 individual covers. 3 will remain unwrapped for posterity and perhaps Ebay infamy in a few years. Apparently they are to be kept on the shelves until after this Nov's election. I can't wait for Michelle Obama to be on the cover of US Vogue if Barack win because Anna Wintour has some crow to eat!!!

Anonymous said...

Andrea - you can find a copy on ebay for $20 + shipping. And yes I noticed how many ads did not feature Black models - because that's part of the problem as well. They're not in Editorial spreads [mags] or hired for the bulk of the advertising campaigns. It was glaringly obvious. I love designer duds as much as the next fashionista but we have to be smart consumers. Don't blindly support companies that don't hire Black people either in front of or behind the camera. Also the industry is notorious for exploiting cheap labor in poor countries to get its fabrics. That's one of the reasons why couture costs so much [that and profit]. Everything's made from scratch and skilled labor costs more than sweatshop labor. It's ridiculous to pay $600 for a top that was made in Maucau [China] when you know it costs company x perhaps $20. It's doubly insulting that it gets an expensive ad campaign, etc and we're paying for it all AND we're being excluded as customers.

Tonya B. said...

Thanks for the post. As a stamp collector I'd like to add that you can visit the USPS website to order the Vintage Black Cinema collector's items and keepsakes.

Go to http://www.usps.com; click on the 'buy stamps & shop' tab; then type "vintage black cinema" in the search bar...all 7 products that are offered will appear.

Beauty Is Diverse said...

I got my copy of vogue 2 to be exact

Lenoxave said...

Glad to see the post office stamps. I dig that. Haven't purchased a copy of Vogue.

Anonymous said...

Karen Alexander is beautiful!!

Ebony said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Going to look for the stamps and Vogue magazine this weekend. Thanks for the tip.

Felicity said...

Stamps, I would love to get my hands on them.

Charece said...

I have yet to see that magazine on the stand yet!

0Khan said...

I went to an uncommon news stand in Piedmont California--we don't have news stands out here with the exception of Downtown Oakland's mighty and eternal 'Delauers'. I have been giving this store owner shit for months since she doesn't have a 2X sized Joy Division shirt but is selling these small and medium sized ones.

So I got a Vogue Italy Black Issue as a peace offering. It came sealed, and so it will stay. I intend to give it to my grandson as a graduation gift.

Keith said...

I didn't even know about these. I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on them. They are amazing.

Tubal Reversal said...

You got a really useful blog. I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.
Tubal Reversal|Tubal ligation reversal

Indian Pharmacy said...

and they did a great job with the cover. She looks gorgeous and with a majestic face.

Anonymous said...

I've been ghosting around here for a few weeks now however must comment. This is really interesting, keep going!

Also visit my website: http://you36za8be.soup.io/post/287243374/SEO-practices-3

Anonymous said...

mpo777, mposport, ggplay

Unknown said...

replica bags blog replica bags wholesale mumbai 7a replica bags

neigh said...

helpful site bag replica high quality go to this web-site dolabuy gucci click this over here now https://www.dolabuy.ru/