In 1983, in every Everett third-grade classroom – and all such classrooms nationwide – the hottest thing going was scratch-and-sniff stickers.
From then to now, such things haven’t even had a whiff of popularity, but these vestiges of 1980s kid-dom are making a comeback, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) is celebrating that and summer ice cream treats in a nationwide kick-off party at the Dairy Maid on Broadway.
The postal service is embarking on a milestone with the new stamps – which are Forever stamps – in that they are interactive with the scratch and sniff element. No stamp from the USPS has ever had that component, and the line will be entitled, ‘Frozen Treats.’
“Frozen Treats is the Postal service’s first Scratch and Sniff stamp, allowing customers to attach the scents of summer to their correspondence,” read the USPS release. “The stamps feature illustrations of frosty, colorful, icy pops on a stick. Today, Americans love cool, refreshing ice pops on a hot summer day. The tasty, sweet confections come in a variety of shapes and flavors.”
Dairy Maid owner Jim Penta said he was excited to host the event, and said the Postmaster of Boston had approached him about it.
“I got a call from the Postmaster of Boston a little while back about hosting this event,” he said. “I guess he drives by the store and felt like it would be a great place to highlight the new stamps. I think it will be pretty exciting for us.”
Penta said they’ve been in business selling frozen treats since 1981 when his mother, Betty, his father, the late Joseph, and himself invested in the ice cream stand. Since that time, they’ve been operating it seasonally on Broadway, where it has become a staple of Everett summers.
“It’s been a tough spring with inclement weather and a lot of rain, but it’s been really great for the last several days this month,” Jim said. “It’s a seasonal business and you have about four months.”
This booklet of 20 ‘Frozen Treats’ stamps showcases the work of Margaret Berg of Santa Monica, Calif., depicting whimsical watercolor illustrations of frozen treats. Each of the 10 stamp designs includes two different treats. The words “FOREVER” and “USA” appear along the bottom of each stamp.
Art director Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, Va., designed the stamps with Leslie Badani of Alexandria, Va..
The first day of issue for the stamps is today, June 20, and will be celebrated at a ceremony in Austin, Texas.