There’s a lot to look forward to in summer: longer days, warmer nights, picnics and barbecues almost every weekend, and now…scratch-and-sniff stamps.
That’s right—you’ve just been given a reason to send an actual letter again. The United States Postal Service announced this week that it will be issuing its first-ever scented stamps the day before the start of summer. The stamps will feature “whimsical watercolor illustrations of frozen treats” like fruity popsicles and decadent ice cream bars. What a flashback to the best days of childhood.
“Americans love cool, refreshing ice pops on a hot summer day,” the USPS writes in a statement. “The tasty, sweet confections come in a variety of shapes and flavors.”
The stamps, of which there are ten different designs, each depict two brightly colored ice pops. They were created by art director Antonio Alcalá and Leslie Badani of Alexandria, Virginia, and illustrated by Margaret Berg of Santa Monica, California.
While no two cold confections look the same, the stamps will all smell alike. Unfortunately, the USPS is keeping that bit of information secret a little longer. The scent will be revealed during the first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony at the Thinkery Children’s Museum in Austin, Texas on June 20.
Based on the Postal Service’s statement, the scent could be fruity or sweet.
“In recent years, frozen treats containing fresh fruit such as kiwi, watermelon, blueberries, oranges and strawberries have become more common,” it writes. “In addition, flavors such as chocolate, root beer and cola are also popular.”
Either way, the USPS promises the smell will remind us all of summer.
And gauging the reaction from social, it seems they're already a huge hit, with fans preordering here.
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It's 5:25 am and I can't fall back asleep because I just learned that the new popsicle @USPS stamps are going to be scratch 'n sniff!!!
— Caroline Weaver (@cwpencils) May 22, 2018
The highlight of my elderly life was pre-ordering the new USPS scratch and sniff popsicle stamps today. #amI27or77 #thethingsthatexciteme
— sam (@alprazoSam18) May 23, 2018
With scratch and sniff stamps there's a 100% chance of my sending more ?? ? https://t.co/s70r9LEFdf
— Jensalittleloopy (@jensalilloopy) May 23, 2018
I honestly cannot wait for these first-ever scratch-and-sniff stamps being issued next month. ????????
— Kim Hyatt (@kimvhyatt) May 23, 2018
If you're like Ms. Hyatt and can't wait until June 20 for these (let's be honest, pretty awesome) stamps, then you can check out the U.S. Postal Services' newest Forever stamp featuring astronaut and physicist Sally Ride.
Ride became America's first woman in space on June 18, 1983 as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger. She was the third woman in space, overall.
"Sally Ride’s history-making journey has made it easier for young girls to dream of one day being an astronaut, an engineer, a physicist or a mathematician," U.S. Postal Service Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Kristin Seaver said in a press release."Today, girls don’t just dream. Because of trailblazers like Sally Ride, they have been empowered to do!”
According to Ride's partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, the trailblazing astronaut was also an avid stamp collector.
"Sally started collecting stamps when she was a girl, and she continued to do so her whole life —especially stamps of the Olympics and space exploration," she said. "Sally would be deeply honored to have her portrait on a U.S. stamp."
The Ride stamps made their premiere today.
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