When a Finnish commemorative stamp set honoring Tom of Finland artist Touko Laaksonen became available to order, all postal sales records were obliterated.
People from 178 countries ordered the pint-sized art, and we’re guessing that most of them will end up as collectors items.
I mean who wouldn’t want a set of homoerotic postage stamps? Well back on the Finnish home front, one major retailer is saying “no thank you.”
Chain store Halpa-Halli is opting out of carrying the stamps in any of its 38 locations, and we aren’t exactly shocked. The store also closes on Sundays and doesn’t sell tobacco or alcohol. So the black-and-white bare ass with man staring at cock stamp? Yeah, that didn’t go over so well with their “Christian values.”
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“The stamps do not unfortunately represent our values,” said CEO Janne Ylinen. “We have had a great deal of supportive feedback from our customers over our decision… and we don’t want to offend our customers by stocking the stamps.
‘This is not a political move, but one related to our product strategy, in which we are respecting our customers’ peace of mind. We don’t want to unnecessarily provoke people in areas where we have stores.”
Finnish LGBT spokesperson Mikko Väisänen is apparently “amazed” by the store’s decision and is urging them to reconsider.
We’re all for promoting healthy sexuality around the globe and certainly appreciate the nod to Laaksonen, but we have to wonder if perhaps this is a fight better left un-fought.
Masc Pride
Unless they sell other pornographic stamps, Vaisanen doesn’t really have much of an argument. Tom of Finland isn’t just gay art, it’s adult material. If an adult bookstore in Finland refuses to stock the stamps, then I’ll be as shocked as Vaisanen.
lemonmoon
@Masc Pride:
It’s just an arse , we’ve all got one.
Romania has had naked breasts on it’s stamps since 1969.
Oli1023
@lemonmoon: The ones chosen to be on stamps aren’t pornographic, but Tom of Finland’s work included A LOT of sexual acts and exposed penises.
winemaker
WHERE CAN I GET SOME OF THESE STAMPS? FROM THE PICTURE ABOVE, THEY APPEAR TO BE SOUVENIR SHEETS. AS A PHILATELIST, , AND AS A GAY MAN, I’D LIKE TO ADD A FEW OF THESE STAMPS TO MY EXTENSIVE COLLECTION. I’VE BEEN A STAMP COLLECTOR FOR MANY YEARS. I RECALL OBTAINING SETS OF MONACO STAMPS, (BY THE WAY, POSTAGE STAMPS ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR MONACO) IN THE MID TO LATE 1960’S FEATURING NUDE GREEK AND ROMAN STATUES. I GUESS THESE STAMPS ARE A BIT TOO MUCH FOR SOME PEOPLE. THEY REALLY NEED TO “GET OVER IT”. FROM SOME OF THE THINGS I SEE IN PRINT AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, THESE ARE TAME.
Harley
@winemaker: Stop yelling already.
Sammy Schlipshit
@winemaker:
You can order directly from the Finnish postal service at this link….
https://verkkokauppa.posti.fi/PublishedService?theme=9
I ordered mine weeks and weeks ago. Also go some first day cancellation ones as well.
Good luck.
Billy Budd
I ordered the stamps MANY weeks ago. I ordered the stamps and also all the special envelopes.
Black Swan
@Sammy Schlipshit: I’m so glad you took him seriously Sammy. By the size of those caps, it would seem winemaker was set to go… “postal” on all of us. Ha ha ha. I’m so hilarious. I crack myself up all the time.