A set of special stamps and philatelic products on the theme of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued by China Post have become a smash hit these days.

Commemorative envelopes for the closing ceremony of the Winter Games released on Feb. 20 feature the official mascot of the Games, Bing Dwen Dwen, playing winter sports. They were quickly sold out at the official store of China Post, which made a philatelist in Beijing surnamed Liu very upset. “To collect the whole series, one must place 15 orders online. I guess I was a little bit slow when placing the orders,” said Liu regretfully.

Similar stories were reported at brick-and-mortar stores. According to a staff member of a branch office of China Post on Niujie Street in Beijing, commemorative envelopes flew off the shelves soon after the store opened in the morning of Feb. 20. “It’s not just the commemorative envelopes that were sold out,” the worker said, adding that all products related to the Winter Olympics, such as the first-day covers for the opening ceremony, stamp albums and postcards were out of stock.

Moreover, most of the consumers were not philatelists. They bought them because of their commemorative significance, beautiful designs and affordable prices.

Besides, many local residents lined up to collect free commemorative seal stamps themed on the events, venues, and mascots of Beijing 2022 at two branch offices. “I arrived here at 8 a.m. and have been waiting for two hours,” said a local resident surnamed Chen waiting outside the Fuchengmen branch office of China Post. “I want to collect it for my son,” he said. “Beijing is the world's first dual Olympic city. I just want to collect something for him,” he said.