The United States Postal Service issued its four Thanksgiving Day Parade stamps Sept. 9, 2009, in New York City in Macy’s Herald Square, home of one of the most popular parades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. More than 8,000 people participate in it, 3.5 million watch in person, and as many as 50 million tune in on their television sets.

Stamps of the short-lived entity called the Oil Rivers Protectorate are found in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 under its successor’s name, Niger Coast Protectorate. Part of the colonial empire of superpower Great Britain, the Oil Rivers Protectorate was established in 1885 in a region now part of Nigeria, on the western coast of Africa. Stamps of the short-lived entity called the Oil Rivers Protectorate are found in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 under its successor’s name, Niger Coast Protectorate. Part of the colonial empire of superpower Great Britain, the Oil Rivers Protectorate was established in 1885 in a region now part of Nigeria, on the western coast of Africa.

Not often are stamps associated with a journey quite like the one Max Lichenheim and his Margaret went through.

Schlegel Auctions held a sale in Berlin on Oct. 5-6. The standout item was an unissued set of four Germany semipostal stamps from 2001 depicting ordinary citizens engaged in amateur athletic activities.

Values for stamps of Cuba have undergone a thorough review in the 2016 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940, with many values increasing substantially. The catalog will be available in mid-November.

The Trafalgar Square Post Office in London readies for the delivery of the highly sought after stamps. Stephen Abramsamadu, the office's branch manager, notes that this isn't your average stamp drop off. “The security officer arrived early this morning, came suited and booted with his helmet on, and said he had a very important package. I assumed the package was the stamps, and directed him to our secure location to deliver them.”

Wade Saadi, president of World Stamp Show-NY 2016, conducted a town hall meeting Oct. 23 at the American Stamp Dealers Association National Postage Stamp Show in New York City. World Stamp Show-NY 2016, the next decennial international show to be held in the United States, will open at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City in seven months, May 28-June 4, 2016.

Malcolm Tween, the head illustrator for the popular Star Wars stamp collection, takes viewers through his overall process and inspiration behind his designs. He cites the magnitude of the film's overall production design, as well as the centrality of its characters.

It was wonderful to hear of the United States Postal Service’s announcement of A Charlie Brown Christmas stamps. These stamps were issued Oct. 1.

Jewelry is featured on the second set of stamps in the Archaeological Finds in Liechtenstein series.

It’s fun to collect Australia stamps, with their widely varied designs representing the history and unique culture of the country.

The story of the Nativity is illustrated on Great Britain’s Christmas stamps issued Nov. 3.

This year's American Stamp Dealers Association Fall National Postage Stamp Show will carry a bit of extra weight when it opens its doors in New York City Oct. 23. The Scandinavian Collectors Club is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2015, and will mark the occasion with collectors and dealers alike at the show.

Great Britain’s Royal Mail will issue 18 face-different stamps and several varieties Oct. 20 to commemorate Star Wars and the upcoming release of the new film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The seventh film in the Star War series and the first in the third trilogy, The Force Awakens was filmed at Pinewood Studios in London and on location at the Forest of Dean in Gloucester.

Mental Floss, the engaging and fun website that brings all kinds of obscure facts to light, presents 10 unusual facts about the United States Postal Service.

Two trios — one ages-old from the New Testament, the other newcomers born in the fertile minds of a Montreal artist and design studio — make merry and memorable Canada Post’s 2015 Christmas stamps, to be released Nov. 2.

On June 19, 2000, Ethiopia issued a set of 23 Menelik’s Bushbuck definitive stamps (Scott 1548A-1555). The stamps were not well-advertised to dealers or collectors, and it was several years after they were issued before the entire set was accounted for by catalog editors.

In 1994, Ethiopia was in a state of transition following the fall of the Marxist dictatorship that had gained power in the 1970s. On Oct. 18, 1994, a set of 20 Simien Fox stamps perforated gauge 14 (Scott 1393A-1393T) was issued.

In 1972, Guinea issued a set of two se-tenant blocks of four airmail stamps and a single 1,200-franc airmail stamp (Scott C116-117 and C118) on gold-color metallic foil commemorating President Richard M. Nixon’s trip to China.

On Aug. 2, 1934, the Syrian government issued postage and airmail stamps commemorating the establishment of the republic. In this column, I will discuss the 19 stamps in the postage stamp set (Scott 232-250).