WSJ: Painters of Trout Stamps an Endangered Species

July 10, 2010 By: Marshall Cutchin

Is the loss of interest in fish and duck stamps, as some artists claim, a sign that no one is interested in wildlife art any more? Or have changes in taste and state economies driven stamp artists out of business? In the Wall Street Journal, Barry Newman writes about sporting art’s latest endangered species.

“To lure collectors, states issued a lot more stamps than they had hunters or anglers. A stamp glut compounded the print glut. The revenue stamps often cost more to print than they raised in revenue. As a result, Mr. Dumaine now counts 15 states that have eliminated duck stamps, on top of the 16 that have dropped their trout stamps.”