Ethel of Fayetteville recently inquired about EKKO stamps, as pictured above on this beautiful KTHS verification letter.
Radio stations used to take the time to write to their listeners, sending such great letters written on elaborate stationary and affixing their EKKO stamps upon them. EKKO stamps then, as they are today, were highly-sought items and are collectable items today
Radio was a hobby, both to listen to and to operate, until other mediums came along, such as television and the Internet. Suffice it to say, a part of the hobby was to collect these reception stamps, such as these below:
These wonderful letters and stamps evolved into "QSL cards"; to my knowledge, KAAY only sent out typewritten letters and QSL cards. However, it is said that the EKKO Company went out of business, perhaps before World War 2, well before KTHS became KAAY. For more information on these interesting reception stamps, see the links below:
http://www.cinderellas.info/columns/ekko/
http://reviews.ebay.com/WHAT-apos-S-AN-EKKO-STAMP?ugid=10000000000839026
Thanks, Ethel, for reminding me of this wonderful historical part of radio!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
The EKKO Company went out of business around 1931, but its owner continued to make stamps for individual collectors for a number of years after. It's unlikely that a KAAY stamp exists, but not impossible.
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