The Columbia Pike Express Company
In addition to the pod, Birth. Stamps. Death. also runs a modern "local post"—the Columbia Pike Express Company in Arlington, Virginia. Just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., we launched the Columbia Pike Express Co. in 2026 to celebrate the history of local posts and mail carriers, commemorate interesting people and events, and to link the fun of stamp collecting and local history to good causes. We donate proceeds from stamp sales (and other goodies 👀) to several community-based nonprofit organizations. Learn more about the partners we support below:
what's a local post?Although local posts have a fascinating history dating back nearly two centuries in the United States—and while the stamps and services offered by modern local posts do range widely—they've essentially always been private mail carriers who either competed with or supplemented the U.S. postal service, especially in remote places where regular mail service was infrequent or non-existent. Today, local posts largely serve as a fun excuse to make and celebrate art, postal and design history, and the innumerable stories, people, and places that make any community unique.
Based in Arlington County, Virginia, we provide weekly collection services to several drop boxes (temporary, non-USPS "mailboxes" placed in community sites) along the northernmost end of historic Columbia Pike Boulevard. Excluding packages, we carry deposited mail weighing less than 5 oz. (think letters or postcards) from drop boxes in Arlington and Fairfax Counties to the local U.S. Post Office, where it then enters the mail stream and makes its way to a final destination. (Purchase of one or more Columbia Pike Express Co. "stamps" also buys any additional U.S. postage required for mailing.)
Where can I find Columbia Pike Express Co. stamps?
We currently offer stamps for sale (of varying sizes, types, and series) at the ACME Pie Company shop in Arlington, located at 2406 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204. Stop in, buy some delicious pie (or breakfast!), drink some killer coffee, hang out, and have fun mailing from the dropbox near the front door. We regularly restock stamps and postcards, and are running multiple series (e.g., Birds on Stamps (2026) below). If you're not local to the D.C. area, shoot us an email about ordering stamps.
We're also glad to offer a special (stamp) run dedicated to each community hub where stamps are sold—and ACME's extremely dope shop and role as community anchor is no exception. Interested in selling stamps in your retail or community setting? Get in touch!
Recent "Stamp" Issues
As an homage to the rich artistic heritage of engraving, printing, and stamp design, we're making stamps that draw on earlier iconic issues or stamp series to commemorate events, people, and organizations past and present. Want to learn more about stamp design in the U.S., as a local post, or modern stamp production? Start here, here, and here. Have an idea or special event you think is a good candidate for a future Columbia Pike Express Co. stamp issue? Drop us a line to tell us why—and check out some recent essays (designs) below for reference.
Portion of a Civil War-era map of Northern Virginia showing Columbia Turnpike, which runs southwest from the Potomac River and western border of the District of Columbia down into Arlington County.
Interested in learning more about local posts or our partners?
As in any community, there's tons to learn and see in this part of the country. To learn more about Columbia Pike, other neighborhoods in Arlington, or other folks doing cool stuff with local posts (or cinderella philately), check out these resources for further reading: