Saturday, 9 August 2025
On the Educational Value of Stamp Collecting
Tuesday, 5 August 2025
Burying the Lead and Maybe the Hobby
But what message does the number one topic each day send (top photo)? Membership is declining! There are 176 replies and 628 views so far, by far the most popular topic. The usual suggestions follow: make more use of social media to attract new, younger members; pay some influencers; give more courses; focus on expertizing and exhibiting. Does it say 'make stamp collecting more fun' anywhere in here?
Imagine if a business started an app, and the main message the app sent you each day was, "Why are our prices so high?".
Monday, 7 July 2025
MaxStamps
Some in the top row from bag 'D' that will be fun to identify - not a word on 'em:
There are a lot of small, but interesting stamps in each bag: South and Central America, Cyrillic writing, and early European. They will take time to identify and check with the current stamps I have from each of those countries.
The Time Has Come - Postponed Projects?
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Sunday, 6 July 2025
Michael's Free Stamp Collectiong Starter Kits - 900 and Zooming!
- Pueblo, CO - Wow — I received the stamps in the mail and they are truly great! Thank you so much for sending me such a beautiful collection. Your kindness made my day and now I can't wait to look them over with my nephew. I truly appreciate your thoughtful gift — it will be treasured.
- Glenwood, IN - Thank you for all you do to assist new collectors. I recently came across your post and was truly impressed by your dedication to keeping the love of stamp collecting alive worldwide. I also wanted to express my gratitude for all the time, effort, and resources you’ve invested in this mission.
- Ray, MI - Today I received the package and I was so surprised at the incredible variety of stamps and even more surprised by the “First Day” covers and “Issue” additions. As I glance through the these I was also struck incredibly surprised again by the blocks and well by now you get the picture. I am so very grateful to you and your program.
- Meridian, MS - I have received your stamps and they are absolutely stunning and I would love to have more if you can, I love anything old! From other countries, I mean it can literally be marvel and I would go nuts! I try to collect everything! The post cards were to die for! If you can please send me more! This is amazing for my beginners collection
- Daytona Beach, FL - I just received and opened the stamp packet you sent me. I am beyond thrilled with the selections you have made for me. You have made my reintroduction into stamp collecting very exciting moving forward. Thank you once again for providing this service to me.
- Slate Hill, NY - I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful stamp kit that you sent me. I just received the stamps in the mail today and when I opened the huge manilla envelope, I was stunned! I could not believe my eyes! All of the stamps are so different, so unique, so amazing! I keep looking at the stamps and each time I do I find a different one or one stamp that I missed seeing before. These stamps are a perfect addition to my growing stamp collection and I will treasure them always. I promise that these stamps have a good safe home. I just want to let you know what a kind and generous man you are to do this for us stamp collectors. I never thought that I would ever become interested in stamps, but one day I saw a pretty USA stamp and cut it out. I also found a whole collection of endangered species stamps and then I really became involved in stamp collecting. Well thank you again for your kindness and thoughtfulness. You are a very nice man. Have a nice night and thank you once again. Take care and God bless.
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Hold On and I'll Go and Czech!
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Summertime Sunroom Sorting
Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Sixty Bucks o' Fun! Kingston Spring Stamp Festival
STAMPed Volume 4 Published!
Monday, 14 April 2025
This Saturday! Kingston Spring Stamp Festival
- Jim Skelding. a postcard dealer from Merrickville will be bringing 150 vintage Kingston/Queen's postcards.
- John Beddows, a dealer from Gananoque will have some vintage Kingston postal material.
- Graham Noble, a club member will have some Kingston-based postcards.
Thursday, 10 April 2025
Why Stamp Collecting...
This Canadian Stamp News article explains why quite concisely. A nice break from (how one somewhat-critical article described) philately becoming simply postal history. When we focus only on Penny Blacks and hoary old covers with nearly-unintelligible postmarks and quill-penmanship, we forget what interested us in the first place: bright, colourful, engaging.
Friday, 21 March 2025
Boston 2026 World Expo - Donations Wanted!
I will be making a donation, especially my hundreds of the same NZ bird stamps! I appreciate the fact that the organizers are offering the stamps not only to the perennial 'youth' but also 'beginners' of any age. Also...glassines.
Update: I put together a package of 3,825 New Zealand and 1,710 US doubles. The former from a bargain pack of a half-dozen bird and other NZ stamps picked up for $2.50 at the most recent stamp show in Kingston. The U.S. were from a packed stock book of US at a previous show purchased for $12. Found a few I needed for my collection, several postmark improvements on some already in the collection, and the rest now going to new homes. That's 5,535 stamps heading to Boston soon!
Update: I saved a dollar on postage by making the weight up to 500 grams. Even so, I had another 600 U.S. and a few New Zealand stamps that wouldn't fit, so those stamps went in a separate mailing, along with some surplus glassines!
As of March 21, over 2 million stamps have been received! I got this nice letter in the mail acknowledging my donation:Monday, 17 February 2025
New Vatican City Album
Thanks to Michele's generosity, my mainly-mint collection has burgeoned into its own album. I took a quick video of the results: new cover, glossary of some Latin/Italian inscriptions, the collection, then my collection of Pope John Paul II.
Youtube link here.