Soon mail will smell even better thanks to new USPS scratch and sniff postage stamps.
USPSRemember how much fun as a kid in the 1980s and '90s it was to collect those cartoony scratch-and-sniff stickers that smelled of strawberries, fresh-cut grass, bubblegum and even skunks?
Now the US Postal Service (USPS) wants to remind us of scent memories by releasing of its first scratch-and-sniff stamp collection, coming out on June 20.
USPS announced on May 21 that it will issue its first-ever scratch-and-sniff stamps that add the sweet scent of summer to letters of love, friendship, party invitations and other mailings" with its Frozen Treats Forever stamps.
The 10 different stamp designs each feature a watercolor illustration of two different ice pops on a stick. The artwork is by artist Margaret Berg of Santa Monica, California, and are also designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcalá and designer Leslie Badani.
There will only be one scent for all of the stamps, but so far the signature smell is being kept a secret until it's unveiled at the dedication ceremony at Austin's Thinkery Children's Museum on June 20.
Even though no one but the USPS know the scent, that doesn't mean they aren't offering a few hints.
"In recent years, frozen treats containing fresh fruit such as kiwi, watermelon, blueberries, oranges and strawberries have become more common," the USPS said in a statement. "In addition, flavors such as chocolate, root beer and cola are also popular."
So it's anyone's guess which of those flavors might end up as the first-ever scent on a USPS postage stamp.
The Frozen Treat forever stamps will be issued as a booklet of 20 stamps for $10 (roughly £8, AU$13), which can be pre-ordered on the USPS site here.
If you love these Frozen Treat forever stamps but think you have a better idea for future designs, be sure to submit your own stamp suggestions and artwork via Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee.
'Alexa, be more human': Inside Amazon's effort to make its voice assistant smarter, chattier and more like you.
Rebooting the Reef: CNET dives deep into how tech can help save Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Be respectful, keep it clean and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.