The postal service is always on the hunt for new designs to put on their stamps. Here's an idea: put people's faces on them.
What I'm suggesting is that the postal service advertise a new series of stamps printed with pictures of random people's faces: blank faces, maniacally expressive faces, faces disguised with fake moustaches and Groucho glasses, and anything in between. The catch is that no stamp is alike. Every stamp in the series is absolutely unique and has a different person's face on it.
In order to do this, people would be offered the opportunity to their submit their own faces. On the postal service's website, you could enter your own mug shot for use on a stamp. If they really wanted to make a profit, then you might have to pay a small fee of about a dollar to get your face printed on a stamp (personally, I would be willing to expend a dollar, if only to have my visage stare out of some stranger's envelope).
Of course, each submitted photograph would be evaluated, to see if it's fit for usage. Those that make the grade would then be copied onto a stamp that is packaged and sent out into circulation. There would be a limit of one stamp per person's face. Celebrities' faces would be rare finds, sold on Ebay for hundreds; alternatively, you could seek out the stamp with your own face on it, to have as a keepsake.
Stamp collectors would go insane.-- DrWorm, May 10 2010 here ya go. http://www.royalmai...d_postage_stamps_uk [po, May 11 2010] vanity postage stamps vanity_20postage_20stampsSame idea. [phoenix, May 11 2010] yeah http://photo.stamps...re/learn-more/real/ [xandram, May 11 2010] I still don't see what is so new about this idea... http://cdn.ihatethe...-postage-stamps.jpg [xandram, May 11 2010] legends http://www.postage-...an-music-series.jpg [xandram, May 11 2010] idol http://lh3.ggpht.co...20Stamp1%5B5%5D.jpg [xandram, May 11 2010] faces http://seoulbeats.c...1207_seoulbeats.jpg [xandram, May 11 2010] USPS custom stamps http://www.usps.com...stomizedpostage.htm [mouseposture, May 12 2010] from an idea I deleted yesterday because I didn't feel like arguing... https://postalinspe...essroom/wanted.aspxfaces for your stamps... [xandram, May 13 2010] I like it! [+]-- awesomest, May 10 2010 // Stamp collectors would go insane. //
Tautology. Stamp collectors are already insane.-- 8th of 7, May 10 2010 Perhaps it would drive them sane, then. [+]-- mouseposture, May 11 2010 Rather better than this would be Someone Else's Face On A Stamp. Their actual face, squished down to about 20 mm x 30mm. Obviously you'd have to peel it off their skull and shrink it down and dry it first, but that would be part of the fun.-- 8th of 7, May 11 2010 this has been so baked for so long those 7 buns should be removed!!! [see links from other bakers]-- xandram, May 11 2010 I think you're missing the point, [xandram]. It's not about getting your own face on a stamp that you'll use. It's about submitting your face to be put on somebody else's stamp.
Though... [8th of 7] is on to something, too.-- In No Particular Order, May 11 2010 Nowhere near as much fun as stamping on somebody else's face though.-- 8th of 7, May 11 2010 Baked - if you're the Queen-- hippo, May 11 2010 I guess I'm missing the point...and the postage.-- xandram, May 11 2010 NOT THE SAME IDEA: I was hoping the the distinction was clear. This is not a personal service; it's a program where stamps are printed with faces and you get a random face instead of your own.-- DrWorm, May 11 2010 you might care to change the title then to "A face on a postage stamp" might make all the difference.
in that case - why a real face? an artist could just draw any old face.-- po, May 11 2010 The attraction is that you get to know that the face belongs to another real person just like you.-- DrWorm, May 11 2010 // another real person just like you //
Wouldn't that be a bit, well, creepy ? It's almost encouraging identity theft.-- 8th of 7, May 11 2010 ... says someone who denies he's a real person.-- mouseposture, May 11 2010 [+] there's something either basically democratic... or basically socialistic (so hard to tell the difference), about random pictures of citizens on postage stamps.-- FlyingToaster, May 12 2010 //coming from an american// north north american.
But I like the idea of all citizens having their mugs on postage stamps.-- FlyingToaster, May 12 2010 OK, well maybe I understand the difference, but it's not much of a difference...and I agree with [po] about the title causing confusion. The catch that no stamp is alike is why it would never happen, because the Postal Service can't even afford delivery these days, yet alone make one of kind stamps.-- xandram, May 12 2010 A cheaper alternative would be to stick a postage stamp on your face.-- pertinax, May 12 2010 \\that no stamp is alike is why it would never happen, because the Postal Service can't even afford delivery these days, yet alone make one of kind stamps.\\ [DW] suggested that customers might need to pay a small fee, and that fee could be calculated to cover the costs. As long as the photo management database was set up properly, the logistics wouldn't be too much more complicated than [xandram]'s link above.
I second others. This should be called "Your Face on Somebody Else's Stamp"-- swimswim, May 12 2010 Amended.
Logistically, I actually do think this is possible: if the process were automated, then it wouldn't cost much.-- DrWorm, May 12 2010 You can already buy stamps with a picture you supply <link> -- so this can be done without involvement of the Post Office. Just a web site that let's you upload a photo of your face, charges you for N stamps (plus a little), buys N custom stamps from the Post Office web site, sending the Post Office somebody *else's* photo, but giving the PO *your* address for delivery.-- mouseposture, May 12 2010 StampCrossing?-- simonj, May 13 2010 random, halfbakery