Why price of stamps surges in Year of Dragon

2012年1月5日,中国邮政发行了龙年生肖邮票,虽然这款邮票的设计曾被网友批评说图案过于凶猛,不够精美,甚至被调侃为适合用来镇宅辟邪.不过发行前一天就出现了集邮爱好者深夜排长队等待第二天购买的现象,并且一张面值24元的大版龙票在短短一个多月时间里就涨到400元,涨了16倍还多.直至今天,大版龙票的市场价格也在350之上.

On January 5, 2012, China Post issued Year of the Dragon stamps. The design of this stamp was criticized by internet users to be too fierce and not adequately refined, so much that some people joked that the stamps were suitable for warding off evil spirits from houses. On the day before the stamps were issues, collectors lined up to wait all day and night so they could buy them the next morning. A large-face stamp with face value of RMB 24 surged to RMB 400 in short one month, a 16-fold rise. Until this day, its market price is still above RMB 365.

对龙年邮票倍感兴趣的,除了广大集邮爱好者,还有很多属龙的人,以及对龙这种动物十分崇拜的人.龙是中国古代的神话与传说中一种很神异的动物,可以呼风唤雨.封建时代,龙是帝王的象征,也用来指至高无上的权力和帝王的东西.所以,龙一直被中国人所喜爱,他们认为龙能带来好的命运,也难怪人们愿意花大价钱买龙年的生肖邮票了.

Besides stamp collectors, many people born in the Year of the Dragon and people who worship this creature are also very interested in the stamp. The dragon is a mysterious beast in ancient Chinese legends and myths, which say that it can control wind and rain. In feudal China, the dragon was the symbol of the emperor, and it was also used to represent supreme power and things related to emperors. Thus, the dragon has long been favored by Chinese people, who think it can bring good fortune. So it is not a strange thing that people are willing to pay a lot of money to buy these stamps.

(Source: myechinese.com)