Too many overall issues for an era where individual stamp use is a tiny fragment of what it was even 20 years ago (if you go farther back to the golden era of the 50’s-60’s-70’s there were fewer issues then than now). Too many of the current issues require buying the whole sheet just to get the stamp at all (so I, like many or even most collectors, skip issues I would otherwise buy).

It is especially hard for FDC collectors, like myself, to use up the surplus on packages (but you can’t necessarily blame the USPS for the emergence of pre-printed, pre-paid, return labels that eliminate the need to affix postage). But you can complain about all the overlapping issues (do we really need three or four different flower issues every year). Not to mention annual replacement of the staple subjects (do we really need a new love stamp, a new wedding set, a new general mail floral stamp, a new post card stamp, and a new flag stamp EVERY year. We didn’t used to, and I doubt the plates are worn out (even if the new Love stamp is a winner for returning to a “mailed greetings” them and simple design).

The 2024 schedule is replete with really, really, good art (and only a few unfortunate mistakes). It will be hard to choose what to skip. But even at that; Autumn Colors, Sea Turtles, Shaker Design, Carnival Nights, and Ansel Adams all compete with each other for best of the artsy and scenic-issue category (you could probably include Horses too). Good as they all are, and they all are gorgeous; they are so good they would be better enjoyed over three or four years.

The constant price increases and the USPS producing sets of 50 different stamps for one issue have contributed to the loss of many stamp collectors who cannot keep up financially with the plurality of unnecessary stamps being issued. An entire sheet of a new issue used to cost $5.00 or less!