door In the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of American households received mail from Breck Holland B.V., a company specializing in the sale of Dutch flower bulbs. The advertising texts on the postcards and letters were personalized and signed by someone named Hans Van Amstel, giving the impression of a direct connection between the company and the recipient. But what stood out most were the stamps used. Real Dutch stamps, postmarked and all sent as Surface Air Lifted (SAL), making them appear like personal correspondence.
The use of these real stamps made Breck Holland’s advertising more effective. Recipients might have thought it was personal mail, making them more likely to open the envelopes and postcards. The company took advantage of a system popular among marketing firms at the time: using coil stamps and reclaiming the rate difference. Although the stamps had a nominal value, companies like Breck actually paid only a fraction of that rate thanks to the special bulk mail rate.
In practice, this meant that Breck Holland enjoyed the benefits of using real stamps without the high costs of regular postage. The mail was stamped with marks that closely resembled those of the Dutch PTT, making the correspondence stand out among the many other advertisements consumers received. This gave Breck’s advertising a personal touch, which was highly valued in the marketing world at the time.
The postcards from Breck Holland featured offers such as discounts of up to 50% on flower bulbs and the option to order without upfront payment. Customers could place their order and inspect the bulbs before paying anything. These attractive offers, combined with the familiar look of the mail, attracted many recipients to the offer.
This creative marketing strategy, combining real stamps, personalized texts, and attractive offers, demonstrates Breck Holland’s ingenuity. It was a way to stand out in consumers’ mailboxes, save on costs, and simultaneously give the customer a personal feeling. For philatelists and lovers of postal history, this offers a unique glimpse into a time when marketing, stamps, and creativity worked hand in hand to capture customers’ attention.
So, how did this work? What was going on here? In the world of direct marketing, companies face a constant challenge: how to ensure their advertising mail stands out and doesn’t end up unopened in the trash. A creative solution from the past was using real stamps on advertising mail, making the envelope look like personal correspondence. But how could companies do this without bearing the high costs of individual postage? The answer lies in a fascinating piece of postal history from the 1980s and 1990s.
The Use of Coil Stamps and Reimbursement of the Rate Difference Before promotional stamps were introduced, companies used regular coil stamps for their bulk mail. A common example was the 80-cent stamp featuring the portrait of Queen Beatrix. Although the nominal value of this stamp was 80 cents, companies effectively paid the lower bulk mail rate, for example, 14 cents per piece. The difference of 66 cents was reimbursed by the PTT (now PostNL) to the sender.
This system allowed companies to use real stamps at no extra cost, giving their mail greater attention value. Recipients were more likely to open the envelope, thinking it was personal mail rather than standard advertising.
Large senders automated this process by machine-affixing coil stamps to envelopes and stamping them with marks resembling those of the PTT. This increased efficiency and ensured large volumes of mail could be processed quickly, while retaining the appearance of personal mail.
This practice changed significantly when the PTT was privatized and stricter regulations were introduced. With the introduction of “Post Paid” stamps, the financial advantage of using real stamps on bulk mail disappeared. Furthermore, companies became more aware of environmental issues and cost savings, prompting them to switch to less labor-intensive methods for sending bulk mail.
The period during which companies used real stamps for their advertising mail showcases the creativity and ingenuity within the marketing and postal sectors. By cleverly leveraging rate structures and reimbursement systems, they managed to both capture recipients’ attention and save on costs. For philatelists, this provides an interesting insight into a unique chapter of postal history, where the role of the stamp went beyond simply covering postage—it was a strategic tool to enhance communication with customers.
