Photostamps - cheesy or cute?

[sunnygirl]

Hi gals!

What do you think? Are photostamps cheesy or cute?

I was thinking about them for the Save the Date using one of our engagement photos...
Alternatively, i really like the assorted flower stamps from the post office.

 

[Independent Gal]

I think putting your own face on a stamp, just because you're getting married is the ultimate statement of vanity, personally. I hate those things! Just my opinion.

Now, if you made some advance in curing cancer, became a legendary songwriter, were the first woman to fly solo across the ocean, something like that, THEN your face should go on a stamp...

No offense to anyone.

Plus those flower assortment stamps are some of the most lovely I've ever seen. So pretty and cheerful. I stocked up for the thank you notes.

 

[espressa]

I don''t really have an opinion on the photo stamps one way or the other, but I wanted to mention that postage will be increasing from 41 cents to 42 cents in May this year, so I wouldn''t stock up on stamps now if you''re going to be using them in May or after (unless you buy the forever stamps).

 

[diamondfan]

I would not put my kids face and my return address on anything. Nor would I want my own face, with access to where I live, on something floating around.

I did design a monogram type stamp for my holiday card, and plan to do one for my son''s bar mitzvah. I like it because you weigh the envelope and can make it the exact postage needed. I hate having to put on multiple stamps and the higher rate ones are not too pretty.

 

[Independent Gal]

Good to know, Espressa! Guess we''d better get all those thank you cards out ASAP after the wedding! Or else stock up on 1 ct stamps too.

DF, good point about the face + address. And I love the idea of using a monogram on the stamps instead.

 

[Gypsy]

I picked cheesy because there wasn't a "Waste of Good Money" catagory. They cancel stamps. So your faces are gonna have lines all over them anyway. We've gotten a few of these, and all I do is shake my head. If it makes you feel better my mom thinks it's cute. Waste of money, but cute. LOL.

Oh... I like DF's idea though. And the fact that it's exact postage. If your going to do it, I vote personal design or monogram or something. No faces.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh, DF good point. My mom bought me some to put Tessa''s pic on for x-mas but now I am thinking maybe that is NOT a good idea (unless I use my business PO Box address as the return). Maybe just a close up of her hands or feet or something. I think on PSer used a photo of their dogs.

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/24/2008 1:39:55 PM
Author: Independent Gal
I think putting your own face on a stamp, just because you''re getting married is the ultimate statement of vanity, personally. I hate those things! Just my opinion.

Now, if you made some advance in curing cancer, became a legendary songwriter, were the first woman to fly solo across the ocean, something like that, THEN your face should go on a stamp...


No offense to anyone.


Plus those flower assortment stamps are some of the most lovely I''ve ever seen. So pretty and cheerful. I stocked up for the thank you notes.

A hearty ditto, here.

 

[diamondfan]

I came up with it because frankly it skeeved me to think that from the minute it leaves my home ANYONE in the US post office can see faces and have my address. EEUUWW. Just need some weirdo to connect my kids or my face with my address...not good, in mho.

I had my sitter, who knows computers and has art training, design something in the colors I wanted. I knew I needed extra postage on my envelopes, so it was nice to have something custom that reflected us and was not wasteful. Try finding the correct amount in stamps with ONE stamp that is not heinous. It is not easy. This way, I got exactly what I needed.

You could do a crown and heart, your initials, a flower, literally whatever art you can come up with is awesome. It really customizes it without the creepy factor. I would not let my kids walk around with their full name on things, I would never put my home address on my luggage tags...call me paranoid BUT I would rather be safe than sorry!

PS I heard there is supposed to be another rate hike in the spring so do not load up on stamps unless it is the liberty bell one that is always good for first class postage. I would stock up on those, but they are not particularly pretty!

 

[bee*]

Date: 2/24/2008 2:52:34 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 2/24/2008 1:39:55 PM

Author: Independent Gal

I think putting your own face on a stamp, just because you''re getting married is the ultimate statement of vanity, personally. I hate those things! Just my opinion.

Now, if you made some advance in curing cancer, became a legendary songwriter, were the first woman to fly solo across the ocean, something like that, THEN your face should go on a stamp...



No offense to anyone.



Plus those flower assortment stamps are some of the most lovely I''ve ever seen. So pretty and cheerful. I stocked up for the thank you notes.

A hearty ditto, here.

thritto on this too. There are some beautiful stamps out there, but I really don''t like the idea of putting my own face on a stamp.

 

[karasue91]

well, i voted cute, but not so much to the PHOTO stamp as to just the design-your-own aspect. i probably wouldn''t put my big face on it unless it was a joke, but it would be cute to design the stamps to match your invites or make your stamps for the thank you cards from a picture at your wedding (holding hands, cake, the church, something like that...)

 

[sunnygirl]

After thinking about it a little more, I totally agree with you guys! It IS super cheesy and a little weird! No offense to anyone who may have done this. If you had told me last year that the thought of putting our picture on a stamp would even enter my mind, I would have laughed. But if there is one thing that planning a wedding has shown me is that sometimes you get a little crazy! And you need the wonderful pricescope girls to tell you that!

I am not totally opposed to the idea of a picture of something else on the Thank You notes - our church is very beautiful and would make an adorable stamp.

For now, I am sticking with the flower stamps - I love them! Does anyone know if they come in 58 cent stamps? Our save the date envelopes are square....

 

[LegacyGirl]

I think its pretty cheese.

 

[VRBeauty]

I've seen some nice ones, so I think it depends on the photo used on the stamp. I'd totally understand it (and love it!) if I received a stamp of someone's new little one, or a tasteful picture of the happy couple, their wedding locale, or something that represents what they share (alma mater, hobby, etc). Celebrating your own beautiful mug with a photostamp close-up... well, I might consider that a little over the top.

I didn't vote though because I think there should be a third option... Way too expensive!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Different view:

I love it! It shows you are really detailed oriented.

Now if this thread was asking if your think THIS particular photo is CHEESY....I would vote honest in that too.

For example...Harleigh is marrying where a beach is prominent. So in her photo stamp it would be cool if she had written something in the sand...say "Can't wait to see you"...or "Harliegh loves Mikey"...The date of the wedding...An image of the destination...the sunset...or a tasteful image of the two of them. There is a line of cool cheese, and not fondue sticky kissy face...PDA stuff.

The thing about the stamp that I AM NOT offended by (which the rest of you disagree is)...is it is an entire package-delivered by mail. Outside to inside contents. Your recipient can put it down...stuff it in drawer...throw in the trash and never have to look at your mug again. So that to me is the good part. It is really a one time thing...and as I said a detail I like. Vanity...in a wedding were your initials or name are plastered everywhere? No...it is a time to be expressive.

MY BIGGIE: I have serious issues with photos here on the computer. I don't have a fear or issue with a teeny image on the corner of a piece of mail in a sea of mail in millions...there is no one that pretty that the mail service is going to come to a complete halt and be stalked...it is after all an inch by a inch tops.

But here on the Internet...I can take any image already computer based...blow it up, photoshop it...and use it any way I wish. I think your fears are misguided...or misdirected.

OH DON'T READ THIS THINKING I AM OFFENDED BECAUSE I USED PHOTO STAMPS...I haven't. I did suggest them once. And I think on a commercial level, you could get some bang for your buck. Real estate can add a picture of their sign...add it to an envelope for added interest. FLW could have had an image of Falling Water. If you are a car detail place...make your stamp a Ferrari with sparkling light accents. A jeweler with a big Diamond. Baby announcement...a little foot as suggested...Graduation can be the student in a cap...if your wedding is using black/white scroll in your theme...take a picture of that...add the details there too! there are many great uses. So I hope you don't dismiss them-entirely. Send me one I promise to love it!

 

[justwondering]

I just think the big barcode that goes next to the photo is kinda unattractive. Do they have photo stamps without the barcode at this point?

That being said, I''m using the liberty bell forever stamp...I want to be able to use the leftover postage

 

[IWantAMilkshake]

I think it depends on the photo stamp for sure. Picture of FI and me? Totally cheesy. Picture of a hot air balloon that says "virginia is for lovers"? Adorable.

 

[gtn]

Date: 2/24/2008 6:58:47 PM
Author: IWantAMilkshake
I think it depends on the photo stamp for sure. Picture of FI and me? Totally cheesy. Picture of a hot air balloon that says ''virginia is for lovers''? Adorable.

I feel the same way. I am not opposed to the picture of me that is hard to distinguish. I had a friend who''s daughter is a figure skating and took a picture of her daughter skating, and made it into a stamp. You knew it was her daughter, but could really see the face. It was cute.

 

[happy in love]

I didn''t vote, because I could go either way!

At first I thought totally cheesey and over done.... However, I did end up using them. I am NOT offended (or surprised) that many do find them cheesey however!!!

Because we sent out boxes, we would have needed 4 regular stamps, or 2 "design your own" with more postage.
We used a pic from when we got engaged that was a shot of us on the coast line in the same place we are getting married, and stretched the pic between the 2 stamps.
We did it because we were planning on putting the stamps directly on the boxes, so I thought it would look better (more like a part of the design, I guess).
We ended up having to wrap the boxes in kraft paper anyway, so looking back using 4 regular stamps wouldn''t have mattered at all!

They are more expensive than they are worth IMO, but I do like how ours turned out.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

I voted cute. Personally, I don''t find them cheesy. However, I would not do it. I agree with the other people that would be concerned about sending your face and address together.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Happy in love...I love your stamps...it is like a bow on a package...the colors all match...and it is exciting and great composition.

Did I read that wrong...did you have to COVER up the stamps with brown paper....or is that the brown paper with stamps attached as shown...

Either way the colors and visual interest are really cool.

Not cheesy. Honest.

 

[goldenstar]

What about cheesy AND cute? I think they''re cheesy, but I like cheese every now and then.

I''m planning to put my dog and FI''s dog in tuxedos on the stamps. THAT''S cheesy. But I love it.