I can bet you happened to compose formal or personal letters at least once in your life! There are several genres of letters you may opt: business letters, cover letters, letters of recommendations, etc. How to write letters properly according to basic rules? Let this be a lesson to you.

If you don’t want to pass for a bad-mannered person you should take into consideration main differences between formal and informal letters. Distinctive feature of official letters is its legalese. We have to make use of pattern phrases like “Dear Personnel Director”, “I would be delighted to”, “Enclosed you will find”, etc. in order to avoid misunderstandings and excess feelings showing.

Personal letters give us a freedom of choices. The term personal letter includes all letters not written to businesses. They are sent to apologize, appreciate, complain, congratulate, invite, etc. Keep in mind, a handwritten letter sometimes shows more emotions than an actual word that expresses feelings.

It’s up to you in what way your letter can be composed. Write or type, email or post. Be patient while composing one or another letter, because it should reproduce your interests and intention. Try to make a major contribution to what you are going to put into words.

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Times come and go. At the same time we change together with them. So many people, including teenagers, are getting to forget basic rules of how to properly write letters and address envelopes. We got into the way of using email services not having any idea what to do with zip codes, postage stamps, envelopes, etc.

On the one part, we really make use of electronic mail, because this is so easy-to-use way of keeping in touch with pen pals. Indeed, many kids say that e-mail is one of the Internet’s oldest forms of messaging. On the other hand, our new generation should be in the know how to handle traditional letter writing as well as adults. No matter, what sort of message you are eager to compose.

There are several ways when you have to turn to advantage of writing letters. First off, your pen pal has no any access to the web and probably doesn’t know what email is. Of course, the old generation (grandmas, grandpas, etc.) is a typical representative that used to the paper letters and messages. Though, there is no rule without exceptions!

Sometimes the old people struggle to get their kids and grandchildren to write letters, or thank-you notes to their grandparents and distant relatives. In such a way representatives of youth can teach to up-to-date look-and-feel, peculiarities of digital media, and surely how to use e-mail and mobile phones, send and receive messages online.

“People ask us if an e-mail note will suffice, and we’ll tell them that it’s better than no note at all, but a written note is imperative, especially if it’s a grandparent.” (Cindy Post Senning, director, Emily Post Institute)

Technorati Tags: letters, mail, writing letters, traditional mail, email, post, zip codes

The postage stamps market is developing slowly, but it can’t be regarded as a decay. In this case we just speak about switching over to what is weird and wonderful, extravagant and expensive, - the online market. People’s online activities set the pitch. However, stamp collectors easily can buy just about any stamp via eBay or the like services on the web.

It’s not a secret, that economic markets evolve as a result of new technologies and emerging markets for these new products. Likewise, the stamp market is not immune to the forces of evolution. Every day dealers and collectors cooperate with each other in order to find an easy wayout in their scope of activities. Seek and ye shall find!

I want to submit for your consideration several stamps that considered the most expensive postage stamps in the world. There are very few stamps that are worth over USD$ 0.5m. These stamps are very rare and very old.

1. One Cent Black Magenta - British Guyana - 1856. Become famous for: the British colony of Guiana ran out of stamps in 1856. Awaiting a new supply from London, the governor asked the local newspaper to print a batch of 1 cent and 4 cent stamps. The stamps were printed on a rough paper in an unusual rectangular shape. In 1973 a boy discovered this stamp in his attic. It was last sold to the Dupont family in 1980 for just under USD$ 1m. Appr. value - over USD$ 3m

2. Yellow - Sweden – 1885. Famous for: a printing error resulted in one of the most expensive and unique stamps in the world. A 3 Skilling stamp normally printed on green paper was printed on yellow paper belonging to the 3 Skilling stamp. A schoolboy found this stamp in his grandfather’s collection. There is only known to be one copy of this stamp in existence which sold for $USD 2.3m in 1996. Appr. value - over USD$ 2.7m.
3. 1 and 2 Penny - Mauritius – 1847. Famous for: The governor of the British colony in Mauritius hired a watchmaker to print the islands’ first 2 stamps. The watchmaker produced 200 stamps of 1 penny and 200 stamps of 2 pennies. The governor later discovered that the watchmaker had made an error and printed ‘Post Office’ instead of ‘Post Paid’ on both types of stamps. Most of this initial print run had already been sold. In 1993 an envelope with both a 1 and 2 penny stamp sold for USD$ 3.8m. Approximately value is over USD$ 2m.
4. 1 Cent - USA – 1867. Famous for: The 1 Cent stamp was fitted with an embossed Z. Reason was so that ink could be absorbed by the paper and thus deter people from trying to wash out cancellation ink stamped on the stamp. There are 2 known copies of this stamp. The last one sold in 1988 for USD$ 930.000. Approximately value is over USD$ 1.5m.

5. 2,5 and 13 Cent - Hawaii – 1851. Famous for: The stamps were initially used by missionaries to sent letters home. Most of these stamps have been lost because of the bad paper quality. The 2 Cent stamp is the rarest with 16 copies left in existence. Approximately value is over USD$ 0.5m.

Technorati Tags: postage stamps, mail, post, mauritius, British Guyana, black magneta