Who Loves Stamps?

I started collecting stamps when I was about 8, but finally stopped after about 5 years.

Originally I collected stamps from all countries, but that became overwhelming because there were so many stamps and so many countries. When I was about 10 I narrowed my collection to United States stamps and believed that I would be able to collect all of the stamps of the 20th century that were not extremely rare misprints.

But the post office kept churning out commemorative stamps for just about everything so much so that I couldn’t keep up with the flow of the current stamps and also find the old stamps.

I got so frustrated that I gave up stamps for U.S. coin collecting. I’ve done pretty well with my coin collection and you can still find some of the old coins that have accidentally been placed back into circulation. (When I was a cashier while doing graduate work I usually found several old coins a month that I would buy for my collection.)

Of course now the U.S. Mint has started making commemorative coins for collectors and honoring all 50 states on the backs of the quarters! My coin collecting days may be nearing their end.

 

I don't, because the only thing they commemorate for me is another monthly bill, paid.

 

With some of my monthly bills I pay, I actually frown.

 

I always buy commemoratives to use to mail my whatevers.

 

Started collecting stamps because my son got interested in them in a Ben Franklin Stamp Club at school. He was probably in the fourth grade at the time - he is now 27 years old.

We joined the Steuben Stamp Club - I have - in the past - been president and vice president. I have also been a member of the American First Day Cover Society.

I collect mainly owls (stamps and FDCs) but also like other topics. For instance - the recent snowmen (snowperson for the PC) issue; Horatio Alger, Jr. (also collect books by him) and so on.

My son has an extensive collection of Scout Stamps - truthfully though he has no idea just how many he has - because I never showed all of them to him.

When our children were married - I took several wedding invitations and reception RSVPs - put love stamps on them - took them to the local post offices in the towns they were married and had them cancelled with the date of their weddings. As they all got married on a Saturday - I had to get around quickly - as the post offices all close at noon on saturday. Oldest daughter made it tough on me though - the wedding and the reception were in two different towns. At least the other two had the decency to get married and have the reception in the same town.

You can make most anything you want to out of stamp collecting.