Staecker, Dieter (Dick) (2016). Canadian Permit Postage Stamp Catalogue, 4th Edition.

The Canadian Permit Postage Stamp Catalogue, Fourth Edition, is a major enhancement of the Third Edition, which was released in 2007. Continuing to build on the improvements brought about by advances in computer technology that characterized the huge differences between the Second and Third Editions, the Fourth Edition continues the excellent layout work and includes a significant number of new illustrations. A special feature of the Fourth Edition is a 20-page section showing complete covers, cards and wrappers in full colour to demonstrate the variety of colour, size and layout of bulk mailing permit items printed over the years. Some catalogue numbers of the more recent permits listed in the Third Edition have been changed in the Fourth Edition to improve and simplify the catalogue. No further renumbering is anticipated in the future. The catalogue has grown from the 178 pages of the Third Edition to 243 pages in the Fourth.As in the previous editions, all main permit types have been priced and many valuations have increased. All information obtained in dealer stock and auctions has been considered. Earlier items on complete cover or card are extremely scarce. In addition to the permit indicia many old envelopes, cards and catalogue covers have advertising illustrations and/or text and are thus of increased interest to postal history and social history collectors.After immigrating to Canada from Germany via Australia and settling down, Dick Staecker resumed his childhood hobby of stamp collecting. While looking over some postal stationery at a stamp show, a dealer gave him a box of Canadian permit mail for free, saying he could not sell ‘this junk’. The ‘junk’ looked quite interesting since it was properly used through the mail with postage paid, the denomination in the indicia and old advertising on the covers. Finding that there was no detailed listing of permit indicia, Dick decided to do the job himself. By 1987 he was able to publish his first Canadian Permit Postage Stamp Catalogue, 84 pages of information essentially new to Canadian philately. The 1996 second issue of the Canadian Permit Postage Stamp Catalogue, at 118 pages, brought many improvements in design, layout and additions. In the last two years Canada Post has introduced postal permits that contain illustrations within the indicia, and in late 2015 the names of two of the primary services which use permits, Addressed and Unaddressed Admail, were changed to “Neighbourhood Mail” and “Personalized Mail” respectively. These changes have generated significant interest among collectors and make it very likely that a Fifth Edition of the catalogue will appear in due course.Canadian Permit Postage Stamp Catalogue, by Dieter (Dick) Staecker, 2016. Spiral bound, 243 pages, 8.5×11, black and white with a 20-page colour section. ISBN: 978-1-927119-64-8. Published by BNAPS; Stock #B4h-079-1.