Poster stamps

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Poster Stamps
Thanks to Kerry Ahearn and Helmut Mensch for most of the images below.

Poster stamps are not postage stamps but rather commemorative or promotional stamps. In some circles the term "cinderella stamp" is used. There is an organization called the Cinderella Stamp Club that you can visit.

From Kerry:
A subset of non-postage Cinderalla stamps, poster stamps first appeared in Germany late in the 19th Century, and quickly became popular throughout Europe and the Americas, reaching a peak just before World War I. Poster stamps advertised commercial products, patriotic themes, expositions, sporting events, tourism, and anything else of public interest, which explains their attractive and colorful appearance. By the 1930s, magazine advertising had come to control the market, and poster stamps declined, though new issues continue to appear. In the category of rowing, poster stamps preceded postage stamps by at least two decades.

There are no comprehensive catalogues or albums, no definitive lists or "complete" collections of poster stamps. Collectors have likened their habit to hunting for rare butterflies, or pursuing rumors.

Here are some examples:

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