TOAST — Fans of television shows from the 1950s are in for a surprise when they visit post offices beginning Aug. 11.

The Toast Post Office will be hosting a kick-off event for the unveiling of the new stamp series, “Early TV Memories.” The event will take place Aug. 11 with the official unveiling of the stamps at 9 a.m. Throughout the day, refreshments will be available for customers, classic cars from the 1950s and ’60s will be on display and a look-alike contest will take place.

The stamps will feature a cast member from each of 20 shows that aired during the 1950s and ’60s. Each stamp sheet will feature 20 different stamps. The look-alike contest is open to anyone who looks like a star from one of the shows. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from the post office.

Every post office was offered the opportunity to host a release party, but the Toast Post Office, under the direction of Postmaster John Palmer, came up with the best idea in the Greensboro region and will host “Our TV Heritage Days.”

“I think it would be a big hit,” said Palmer. “A lot of people don’t like the newer stamps. The old shows bring a lot of good memories back.”

The stamps will feature characters from television shows airing on ABC, NBC and CBS mainly during the 1950s. The shows included are “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Dinah Shore Show,” “Dragnet,” “Ed Sullivan Show,” “George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” “Hopalong Cassidy,” “The Honeymooners,” “Howdy Doody,” “I Love Lucy,” “Kukla, Fran and Ollie,” “Lassie,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Perry Mason,” “Phil Silvers Show,” “The Red Skelton Show,” “Texaco Star Theater,” “Tonight Show,” “Twilight Zone” and “You Bet Your Life.”

“A lot of baby boomers are still around. Their children and grandchildren still make the shows available in the homes through channels that show older shows and the stores still sell the shows,” said Palmer. “That was the heritage day of television. Parents could walk away and leave the kids in front of the TV. We’ve got a lot of good memories in our nation. We’ve got something to look back on that’s clean.”

The stamps will be available for purchase beginning that morning and are 44-cent stamps. There will also be other giveaways in addition to the look-alike contest.

The Toast Post Office is at 1110 W. Pine St.