Kiwi Stamp Circuit

Box 18-337 Glen Innes Auckland New Zealand

Newsletter #20 December 2002

NZPost Moves the Goal Posts on 'Rewards'

NZPost has significantly shifted the goal posts when you come to redeem your stamp points.

For 6 years, the Stamps Division of NZPost has rewarded buyers of philatelic products well, via its Stamp Points program. Between 1996 and 2000, you only needed to spend $150 to get 150 points and obtain three "Best Of" miniature sheets, containing stamps with a face value of $16.20. Whilst very few of these sheets have ever been used for postage (most ending up tucked away in collections) this represented a "give-away" of nearly 11%.

During 2001, the Stamps Division were very cagey about what the rewards would be, the only fact they did reveal was there would be NO "Best Of" sheets. It wasn’t until the year had finished that they divulged just what the rewards would be ~ clients who spent $801 received an imperforate se-tenant block and 6 imperforate mini-sheets of the Royal Visit issue, with a total face value of $179.40. Initially it was suggested that these imperforate items would not be valid for postage, but on probing, an NZPost official admitted that they would be. Again, very few of these would appear to have been used on the mail, but for those who have used them this way, it represented a very generous reward of 22%.

Few collectors imagine that NZPost had intended to be that generous, so it is small wonder that the reward scheme has been revamped for the current year.

For 2002, the "Best Of" concept returns, but a spending of $850 will be needed merely to get the 850 points required for one set of the 3 sheets and one se-tenant strip of the Scenic Coastlines (with total face value around $22), giving a return of just under 3%.

You will need to spend over $2000 to receive the full rewards package !

mint se-tenant strip of 5 stamps 100 points three miniature sheets 750 points

à Whilst there is actually no reason at all why NZPost should reward its collectors, we do need to be aware that the value of the rewards is changing significantly this year.

à We have to ask ~ How many collectors are there, who actually spend over $750 a year in philatelic products and will be able to get a full set of the Best Of 2002 ??

à Have you visited the Stamp Centre's web-page section dealing with their Stamp Points Program? You will find their information and illustrations still refer to the 1999 rewards !!

à Auction prices for the Best Of series went up around 30% last year.

à Auction prices for the imperf Royal Visit strip (FV $6.90) seem to be between $15 and $20.

à Can you imagine any of the Banks (which also deal in bits of coloured paper), deciding to reward its customers with imperforate give-aways ???

þ The KSC has a few sets of the imperf Royal Visit issue available for members @ $10 (inc postage)
Note ~ these are 6 individual imperf stamps, not the se-tenant strip of 6 ~ limited quantity