A Philatelist’s Story

  I started my philatelical hobby when I was nine years old after a near death bicycle accident. The accident left me hospitalized in a hospital bed for six very long months. Friends and family tried keeping me entertained by giving me coloring books, Barbie’s, tapes, stickers and stamps. It was nice when company came to visit me and I received gifts almost every time. When I left the hospital, I had a nice collection of stamps started. I ended up with stamps from over 300 countries! At that time, I didn’t even realize that that many countries even existed.

  As The years continued, I have added to my collection by visiting antique stores, exchanging stamps through pen pals and sometimes ordering some through the Mystic Stamp Catalog. Occasionally, when something caught my eye - I

would buy a whole sheet from the post office. Philately became a hobby for me. There are many reasons why I collect stamps. I enjoy it and it is fun for me. The pure fact of collecting is exhilarating especially when you get a whole set together. Stamp collecting is full of history. 

  I never stopped collecting stamps, always making sure to tear them off envelopes before throwing them away. I however did stop purchasing and slowed down after having kids. I also didn’t want my little ones to get into my collection after I had sorted them and organized them into twenty something different binders. Now those stamps I so treasured many years ago are mostly tucked away safely in a box, nestled in the corner of my closet.

    I have occasionally pulled them out and showed them to a loved one or a friend, but most people don’t have the love for philately like I do. I still treasure my collection and it would be difficult to ever let it go. Unfortunately, philately is no longer what it was when I was growing up and I have not met many people who share my passion. I was disappointed when the postal office switched to the sticker stamps, they just didn’t look the same and I didn’t like the idea of them being stickers. I am not a sticker collector, except when it comes to scrap booking.