P.B. Philatelics

It looks like Hungary has done something pretty impressive for stamp collectors worldwide.  In celebration of the 200th birth of esteemed pianist Frederic Francois Chopin.  Known in the music world as “one of the greatest composers of classical music,” Chopin was also called the “poet of the piano” and he lived during the 19th century.  He was indeed a pioneer of national romantic and folk music motifs.  Well, because of the man’s great achievements, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared this year – 2010 – to be his year.  In delight and recognition of this, the postal administration of Hungary (Magyar Posta) has released a postage stamp.   If you take a look at the stamp you will see Chopin with his childhood home, a piano and personal signature.  The first day cover has a silhouette of Chopin at the piano as well as hands playing on the piano.  It really is quite a treasure for serious stamp collectors.

Anyone who follows news about stamps or is an avid stamp collector might be interested in learning about recent news to make the Guinness World Record.  The highest number of stamps ever used on a parcel has been recorded.  Manoj Kumar Mondal from West Bengal’s Nadia district in India sent a parcel to his London office, using a record 3809 postage stamps.  The breakdown of stamps was as follows: one of 10 paise; 86 of 15 paise, 3649 stamps of 25 paise and 73 of Rs 10. Mondal broke the previous record which came from Australian Les Stewart, who used 3,400 stamps on sending a parcel in 1999.

If you are new to the hobby of stamp collecting, or you want to get someone else into the joy this hobby can bring, then I am here to give you a few tips on how to start.  First of all, you should find a place to house your stamp collection.  Perhaps you have a pretty box you like or you want to dedicate a drawer to it; whatever you decide it should be easily accessible, but not too easy for little kids to get to and cause a disaster.  In a case in which that can happen, you might actually want to have a lock and key on your stamp collection to prevent unwanted sticky fingers from causing problems.  Next, set your alarm.  Well, not exactly but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do what you can to ensure that you are the first to see the mail that comes to your door. You want to make sure no-one else in the house inadvertently throws away an envelope upon which a very exciting stamp is stuck.  For even more stamps, you might want to get in touch with friends and family overseas to see if they want to send you their stamps.  If you do this, stamp collecting also becomes a great way of reconnecting with long-lost relatives.  Make sure your hands are clean before you try removing the stamps and ask for help in getting the right equipment with which to most safely do this too.  Finally, it could be a good idea to develop your own special way of organizing your stamps.  You don’t have to follow a specific guideline; just make sure that you understand how it is going to work.  And then have fun!  You’d be surprised how much you learn from this fun hobby.

If you were ever a fan of Archie Comics, you’ll be pleased to hear this recent news. This summer, on July 16th to be precise, Archie Comics, is going to have its favorite characters immortalized by the United States Postal Service.  The Archie Comics stamp will be part of a new stamp collection featuring Sunday Funnies.

In this stamp, Archie Andrews shares a soda with Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper.  As the United States Postal Service explains it, they will be honoring Archie for ”offering an idealized portrait of American adolescence.”

The daily newspaper strip is a favorite for many, and it continues to run in many newspapers and online publications worldwide.  Today, it is written by Craig Boldman and illustrated by Fernando Ruiz.

Enjoy your Archie stamp soon!

If you think that stamp collecting is silly, or that it can’t be potentially lucrative, think again. The most expensive postage stamp in the world was just sold at auction in Geneva!

This one-of-its-kind stamp was printed in Sweden in 1857 and is known as the “Treskilling Yellow” or three shilling stamp. It was issued by mistake during a printing run of eight-shilling stamps which are yellow.  Normally, the three-shilling stamp would be green, so this was a mistake.

In 1885, a Swedish schoolboy apparently stumbled on the mistake while looking for stamps to sell for money.  It has passed to many stamp collectors since then, to a German aristocrat and to a Belgium tycoon.  The last time that it was sold, in 1996, it fetched $4.5 million dollars!

The stamp auctioneers did not confirm how much the stamp was sold for this time, or to whom it was sold, but they did confirm that it remained the most expensive stamp every sold.

Have you ever wondered when the stamp was first used, and who thought of this system of communication?  The first government-printed postage stamp was born on May 6, 1840.  In 1837, Sir Rowland Hill, the British Postmaster General, first introduced the idea of the postage stamp.  The idea was to create a system whereby mail could go anywhere in the British Isles at one rate (a penny a half-ounce).  The sender was going to pay the postage and payment would be receipted with a small piece of colored paper on the outside of the letter – otherwise known as the stamp.

The first stamp had the profile of Queen Victoria on it and it was designed by Sir Rowland Hill.  The stamp cost one penny and was printed in black, quickly becoming known as the Penny Black.  These stamps didn’t have perforation, so people had to cut apart the sheets.  The first perforated stamp would appear on the market in 1854.

Certainly, other countries soon found out about this system and thought that it was the way to go.  In 1847, the United States Post Office Department printed their first stamps; the 5 cent stamp had Benjamin Franklin’s picture while the 10 cent stamp showed that of George Washington.

One of the things that makes stamp collecting so interesting is the anticipation of new releases.  While many people think that new stamps come on to the market all the time, they really aren’t released that often.  This year so far, only 11 stamps have been issued in the United States.  Below is a list of the new stamps and a short discussion of each.

On January 14, 2010, the Year of the Tiger stamp was issues.  With its bright red background and stark white flowers, it’s a lovely stamp.  To applaud the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, a stamp was issues on January 22 in Park City, Utah.  The Mackinac Bridge just got a stamp issued for it on February 3^rd in Mackinaw City, Michigan.

Similarly, the Bixby Creek Bridge now has a stamp as of February 3^rd.  A new stamp recognizing Distinguished Sailors was issues February 4^th with pictures of four sailors, while an Abstract Expressionists stamp became available March 11^th.  Bill Mauldin got a stamp issued for him in Sante Fe, New Mexico on March 31^st, while the Flags of Our Nation in a set of 4 got stamps on April 16^th.  For those who loved the Western shows on t.v. from days gone by, they’ll love the Cowboys of the Silver Screen that came from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  For those you love, you can now offer then a stamp of Love: Pansies in a Basket from Kansas City, Missouri.

Finally, for pet lovers out there, there is a new stamp being issued on April 30^th for Adopt a Shelter Pet.  Grab up these new stamps and enjoy collecting today!

When I first started my stamp collection, over 50 years ago now, the importance of a piece of mail was far greater than it is today.  Indeed, one of my first childhood memories is of my father opening a letter that he had received from his great uncle in Bulgaria.  The said piece of mail had taken around three months to arrive at our house in Texas, America.  It was certainly a bit battered and somewhat worse for wear by the time my father carefully unsealed the envelope and it was a moment of intense excitement for the entire household. 
But whereas my older brother let it go then and there and no doubt didn’t give it a second thought, I would daydream about that piece of mail non-stop.  It was the first thing I looked at when I returned home from school, despite my mother’s insistences that I come and wash up for tea.  It was the stamp more than anything that did it for me.  It seemed so grand and colorful to me, and so distinct.  And I couldn’t help but wonder how it had survived its long journey and remained in such good condition. 

It still probably took me a good 10 years or so until I was able to start my own stamp collection.  And when I did, guess what stamp first made it in to my album?  The very one that my father received all those years before that had inspired me so much.

In my day, everyone collected stamps.  Ok – so maybe not everyone, but a lot of people certainly did.  Today, our kids barely even know what a stamp is, since it’s not something used for a computer.  Sigh.  What is one to do.  Now, actually, more than ever, I really see the importance of the stamp collection. It’s like a piece of history.  Sure, stamps are still used and they still serve the practical purpose of getting your mail from one location to another, but they are used by the young generation so much less, that stamps are like a historical relic.  I guess that makes me historical too.

Anyway, with this blog, I hope to share my enthusiasm for stamp collecting and to give you just a taste of why I’ve been collecting stamps for over 50 years.  They are really an incredible road map of the history of any country and its people.  With their vibrant colors, their interesting symbols and character choices and more, they tell a story like none other.  Come along on my stamp journey and start to appreciate the beauty of the stamp!