Situation and Options for Stamp Printing Enterprises in the Changing Environment
Ⅰ. Introduction
It has been 173 years since the issue of the first postage stamp, Penny Black, in the United Kingdom in 1840. During these years, postage stamps printing industry has also grown up along with the philatelic industry. People use stamps on their mails, collect stamps not only as a hobby but also a way to study related history and topics. Nowadays, new technologies are changing the world, many traditional businesses are facing big challenges, some of them have been obsoleted, the others are struggling. Printing industry is not an exemption, while stamp printing industry, which is a branch of printing industry, has even bigger challenges.
When things go to digital, paper books and paper mails are both standing on the brink. Printing industry put their last hope on package printing, but if it is possible for stamp printing enterprises get on the already crowed package train? What else could they do to survive? The Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the United States, was one of the biggest postage stamps printer in the world, took over production of postage stamps for US government in July 18, 1894, has already ended the 111 years of stamp production in 2005. Will all stamps printing enterprises end the same way? If stamps will still exist as an artwork for collectors and philatelic industry still alive, what will be the suitable business model for stamp printing enterprises? When information flows from west to east in one blink and supply chains connects the north pole with the south pole, will the old and isolated stamp printing houses also go for globalization? What will be the new picture of stamp printing industry and what do those enterprises need to know and to act? [2][3]
The quantity of postage stamps issued in different countries are decreasing, that’s a fact out of arguing (some countries public different data which could take as...