Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Contemporary Christmas "Teddy Bear with Sleigh" postage stamps! This nostalgic holiday design is perfect for adding a touch of class to your holiday cards and letters or winter save-the-dates and wedding invitations. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 20-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your correspondence. Embrace the charm of winter with this enchanting postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TWENTY (20) mint condition 20-cent "Teddy Bear with Sleigh" vintage postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

MORE WINTER SLEIGH STAMPS:

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"Currier and Ives Winter Road" Postage Stamps | Christmas Issue | Unused USPS Postage 10c | Pack of 20

"Winter Sunday in Norway, Maine" Postage Stamps | Christmas Issue Series | Unused USPS Postage 6c | Pack of 20

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Teddy Bear with Sleigh
• Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1981
• Face Value: 20-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas, Holidays, Presents, Gifts, Sleigh, Wind-up Toy, Season’s Greetings
• Color(s): Gold/Beige, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 1940
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use an adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates on the USPS website.

STAMP HISTORY: Issued on October 28, 1981, in Christmas Valley, Oregon, this stamp is part of the “Contemporary Christmas” series. It shows a felt teddy bear seated on a small sleigh, alongside a wrapped gift—two of the most iconic and nostalgic symbols of the Christmas season. The design evokes childhood, warmth, and the joy of giving. Because it portrays toys and the spirit of giving, it has become a favorite among holiday and Christmas-themed snail mailers and stamp collectors.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The 1981 20-cent “Teddy Bear & Sleigh” postage stamp carries a tender and quietly radiant spiritual significance, rooted in innocence, joy, and the pure-hearted generosity of the season. At first glance, it depicts a simple, nostalgic image — a soft teddy bear resting on a small sleigh beside a wrapped gift — yet beneath its charm lies a universal spiritual message: that love expressed through kindness, simplicity, and childlike wonder is among the highest forms of grace.

The teddy bear, a timeless symbol of comfort and companionship, represents the nurturing, unconditional love that lies at the center of spiritual life. It embodies qualities of gentleness, warmth, and protection — the embrace of divine love in tangible form. For children, a teddy bear is more than a toy; it is a silent guardian, a source of peace, a reminder that they are safe and cherished. Spiritually, this reflects the human soul’s relationship with the divine — the quiet assurance that we are held, supported, and loved even when unseen.

The sleigh upon which the bear sits evokes journey and giving, symbolizing movement through the winter of life with hope and generosity. Just as a sleigh carries gifts through snow, it reminds us that love can travel through the coldest seasons of the heart, carrying joy to others when most needed. The gift in front of the bear represents the spirit of offering — the sacred act of giving without expectation, a reflection of divine abundance shared through human hands.

Together, these elements form a spiritual tableau of innocence as holiness. The stamp reminds us that the essence of the holiday season — and of spiritual life itself — is not grandeur or perfection, but tenderness, gratitude, and the quiet beauty of small acts of love. The bear, the sleigh, and the gift all whisper the same truth: that in giving, comforting, and delighting others, we participate in something eternal.

The “Teddy Bear & Sleigh” stamp celebrates the childlike soul within us all — the part that believes in goodness, delights in giving, and finds divinity in the simplest joys. It is a small, gentle reminder that every act of love, no matter how humble, is a sacred gift carried across the snowy landscape of the human heart.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

PROCESSING & SHIPPING: Orders are typically processed and shipped within 1-3 business days of placing your order. All orders are shipped from California — please allow additional time for transit.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

VISIT MY MINTED STORE: https://www.minted.com/store/heritageposthouse

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.


Product Specifications

Length: 0.98 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 1.57 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.