Since 1954 I DELIGHT IN BEING A STAMP COLLECTOR! Philately as it is called reaches into the depths of our brain bringing about a certain pleasure in history and geography in particular plus miniature works of art.
This wonderful hobby is the victim of the Internet! "Philately has lost its once-worldly charm" so reads a an article in the New York times a while back." The American Philatelic Society ONCE HAD 56,532 MEMBERS; TODAY THEY HAVE 28,593."
As I see things, collecting stamps was part of growing up. My friends, Ronnie Stackow and Richard Gagnon collected stamps and we were under the tutelage of Miss Ruth Young, a seasoned stamp collector. We would send out for First Day of Issues for cancellation and in time our collections grew. In college I recall writing home for my stamp album.. I began dealing!
As an entrepreneur I have handled philatelic properties from the famed Graff Zeplin Series to the Columbians. And I have had fun along the way. When a stamp is born, First Day of Issue ceremonies are held in appropriate locations. I have attended 5 around the Northeast. I hit pay dirt in obtaining #1 O'Kane Hall post card by sending one to President Bush 41.
Forever stamps and adhesive backs have usurped the romance of collecting postage. Today a 3 cent mailing of 1954 now costs a whopping 55 cents. Stamp collecting is an old man's hobby so relates Lincoln Stamp & Coin in Worcester. No matter what.. each winter I dig out my stamp album and get my "fix." Stamps can be miniature works of art. Advanced printing techniques do give us many spiffy issues but the romance went its way with the absence of stamp hinges!
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| O'KANE HALL Holy Cross College There is a museum in Weston, MA The Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum that carries on the hobby interest to this day. "Stamps are human documents of human history."A program this Sunday - 10-3 Free! Bring the kids!I plan on attending! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN |
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