Here’s How to Buy Stamps Honoring Iconic Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek

Postage stamps honoring famous people usually feature a photo of that person, but a new stamp coming out next month breaks that tradition — and with good reason. A new Forever stamp issued by the US Postal Service to honor long-time Jeopardy! game-show host Alex Trebek features not a photo of Trebek, but a Jeopardy! style clue to his identity.

“This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ for 37 seasons,” the stamp text reads. The answer — written in question form, of course — “Who is Alex Trebek?” shows up upside-down under the clue.

In a world of Wordle, Connections, Strands and other online games, the Trebek stamps show the enduring resonance of more traditional TV game shows, and of Trebek himself as a game-show icon. The Trebek stamps will be issued on July 22, but can be pre-ordered now at USPS.com. Forever stamps are always equal to the current first-class mail one-ounce postage rate. The stamps will cost 73 cents each, because the one-ounce rate will go up to 73 cents from the current 68 cents on July 14.

The beloved game-show host, born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, died from pancreatic cancer at age 80 on Nov. 8, 2020. He hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons, from its revival in 1984 until his death. Former contestant Ken Jennings now hosts the show after a turbulent transition period that tried out different hosts, to varying degrees of success.

On the entire sheet of stamps, they’re shown under four separate Jeopardy!-style categories that read: ENTERTAINMENT, GAME SHOW HOSTS, FAMOUS ALEXES and FOREVER STAMPS. The sheet is designed to look like the video game board used on the show. The categories don’t show up when you use an individual stamp, and each stamp is identical.

In January 2020, Trebek was asked by Entertainment Weekly what he wanted to say on his final episode of Jeopardy.

“I will say my goodbyes and I will tell people, ‘Don’t ask me who’s going to replace me because I have no say whatsoever,” the host told the magazine. “But I’m sure that if you give them the same love and attention and respect that you have shown me for the past 30-odd years, then they will be a success and the show will continue being a success. And until we meet again, God bless you and goodbye.”