SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1979
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PHILATELIC BUREAU PROVIDES WORLD-WIDE SERVICE
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THE PHILATELIC BUREAU OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE CONTINUED TO SHOW STEADY GROWTH DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.
THIS WAS THE FOURTH FULL YEAR OF THE BUREAU'S OPERATIONS. SALES AMOUNTED TO $674,648, AN INCREASE OF $198,354 COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
ALL CURRENT POSTAL STAMPS, AND PHILATELIC SERVICES, ARE AVAILABLE BY POST TO PHILATELISTS AND PHILATELIC DEALERS ALL OVER THE WORLD FROM THE BUREAU,
+POSTAL STAMPS ARE CLASSIFIED UNDER TWO HEADINGS, DEFINITIVE AND SPECIAL ISSUES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE POST OFFICE EXPLAINED TODAY (SATURDAY). +DEFINITIVE STAMPS ARE ALWAYS IN PERMANENT USE WHILE THE SPECIAL ISSUES ARE RELEASED FROM TIME TO TIME TO MARK SPECIAL EVENTS.+
GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT MORE THAN THREE SETS OF SPECIAL ISSUE STAMPS ARE RELEASED EACH YEAR.
+THIS YEAR WE HAVE THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, HONG KONG BUTTERFLIES AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY. THE HONG KONG BUTTERFLIES WILL BE RELEASED ON JUNE 20, HE SAID.
BEFORE THE RELEASE OF ANY NEW STAMPS. THE BUREAU SENDS CIRCULARS TO OVERSEAS PHILATELISTS, GIVING THEM DETAILS OF THE NEW ISSUE.
THE BUREAU OPERATES TWO TYPES OF DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS FOR THEM. +THE STANDING ORDER ACCOUNTS ARE FOR CUSTOMERS WHO REQUIRE REPEAT ORDERS OF ALL NEW ISSUES OF STAMPS AND SUPPLIES ARE DESPATCHED AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT ANY NEED TO RE-ORDER, THE ORDINARY ACCOUNTS ARE FOR CUSTOMERS WHOSE REQUIREMENTS VARY FROM TIME TO TIME,+ HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE BUREAU SELLS SPECIAL ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN RELEASED FOR SALE WITHIN THE LAST 15 MONTHS.
TWO SOUVENIR FOLDERS CONTAINING DEFINITIVE ISSUE STAMPS ARE ALWAYS ON SALE AT THE PHILATELIC COUNTERS. A SMALL FOLDER COSTING $7 CONTAINS A LIMITED SET OF STAMPS WHILE THE LARGE FOLDER CONTAINS THE FULL RANGE OF DEFINITIVE STAMPS AND COSTS $44.
AT PRESENT, THERE ARE TWO PHILATELIC COUNTERS WHICH ARE MAINLY FOR LOCAL COLLECTORS AND TOURISTS. ONE IS IN THE GPO AND THE OTHER IS IN THE NEW TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE IN PEKING ROAD.
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