Bookmark This!

Since I hate throwing things out, even damaged stamps, I keep them. For some unknown purpose. Until now. Today I grabbed some card stock and a paper cutter, and cut about 15 strips to make bookmarks. On one side, I glued some of those damaged stamps. On the reverse, I wrote the tag line like that in the header photo of this blog. Then I laminated and cut them, and intend to send them to fellow collectors.

Occasionally, a very sharp-eyed collector will send me back some damaged stamps I sent. Now, I know it's bad form to send stamps that are obviously damaged. But how did I have them in my possession if someone else hadn't sent them to me? Chicken-and-egg thing. Some of the damage was pretty subtle. It's not like a whole corner was missing, or an obvious thin, tear, or heavy cancel. It really is in the eye of the beholder. 

I could write a book on exchanges in which I've participated. And now I'll have a bookmark to use!

MaxNap!

We started out the day with a wee spree to Napanee to pay a fee. You see, a Maxsold auction ended in my favour. There was only one other bidder. Maxsold did its usual fine job of showing the items in the lot - mint Canadian stamps plus FDC's and even a Royal Wedding Keepsake Kit! 

From the auction's photos (screenshot below), I estimated the current-day value at $70. My bid was a princely $6. But I had to drive all the way to Napanee, about a 90 km round trip. Figuring a gas cost of 10 cents/ per km, let's add $9. Total cost = $15 and yes, the sum of mint postage I totalled up was $70.41. Best Buy so far on Maxsold!

P-stamp proponents often promote the pro of P stamps appreciating over time. In fact, the P stamps in this lot would have been purchased for (scribbling on back of envelope sound) $27 at the time and now have a value of $46. They will be used as outgoing postage to fellow collectors, circuit participants and exchange partners. As postage costs continue to increase, especially International, this is one way of keeping my pursuit of philately less pricey.

I never enjoy 'picking the bones' of someone's existence. Pulling up to the former farmhouse west of Napanee, the exterior and interior told a story. A little dusty, a little musty, respectively. Nearer-my-goal-to-thee fun fact: the cancellation on the ill-fated liner's FDC depicted one of the oft-rearranged 'deck chairs on the Titanic'! Two Titanic souvenir sheets made the voyage west worthwhile. The purchaser of the stamps was a royalty fan and also a fan of Christmas card sending.

Afterwards, another surprise find at a post-pickleball prosit! Baller Larry has some acquaintance with stamps, having inherited his father's collection. After that drive, several more drives on the court, a Czechvar and creating this post, it was definitely time to serve up a nap!

From AI to ZOOM via RPO

 

This looks like an interesting ZOOM presentation about a week from now, though I suspect AI was used in the creation of this e-mail flyer. Remember, you can't spell rAIlway without AI.

Having joined the ZOOM, it was interesting with a good Q&A discussion afterwards. Also in attendance were fellow railfans/photographers/model railroaders: Steve Boyko, Andrew Chisholm and Bill Linley. The presenter had a wide variety of RPO covers from various eras, including this one from Kingston (screenshot):

There was some discussion about CN RPO's labelled United States Mail Railway Post Office. This image posted to social media by Mike Lindsay in 2020:

My Sort of Stamp-Sorting Box

 

There are certain things that are fun do do on a windy day. Like flying a kite. Stamp sorting is not one of them. A gust of wind and - poof! now everything is worldwide! When outside on patio or sunroom, using a plastic storage box can stop the wind from making a ticker-tape parade of your special stamps.

If you search online for "plastic storage boxes", you'll be there for a week. Some are large enough to store bedding, others tiny enough to store minuscule beads. I just happened to happen into our nearby Dollarama store and found one of these little beauties (top photo) made by Casper. I removed the sticky label and started using the box right away, but a screenshot from this YouTube video shows the box, though the video was posted two years ago and I think the box now sells for $4. Inflation. (Also, why are there YouTube videos being made by social media influencers like 'Dollarama Mama' about individual products at Dollarama? Is it any wonder why 720,000 hours are uploaded to YouTube every day? There is NO WAY that I can ever watch them all.) But I digress...

Advantages of this box:

• 12 nicely-sized compartments that can contain 'most' stamps
• lift-out divider strips
• good depth to hold a deep stack of stamps
• two sturdy clasps that work well even if you're a 'stuffer'
• shallow lift-out four-compartment tray with one large and three small compartments that are handy for tools, longer strips of stamps like se-tenant or unsoaked, hinges or other bits and pieces
• the price is right
• good overall size which keeps sorting focussed 

Druthers:

• divider strips lift out but are not individual, therefore a whole row of dividers comes out at once, potentially mixing three or four compartments with their neighbours.

Closed (above), open with lift-out tray containing magnifier, tongs, pencil, Sharpie and miscellaneous stamps (below):

Tray lifted out onto lid, showing 12 compartments with removable dividers (above)

There is always a temptation to put stamps in all compartments and never take them out. I intend this to be a 'working' box and not a 'storage for someday' box. Glassines in a larger photo-storage cardboard box are a better way to do that if desired.

I have two larger, shallower sorting boxes. One has removable dividers between the compartments in each row. Both are larger overall. Neither has a lift-out tray.

Mystical Browsing

The Mystic Stamp Co. and Kenmore Stamp Co. may be the last of many mail-order/approval houses that used to exist. I subscribed to their mailing list for near-daily emails. I'm unlikely to order due to high US exchange rate and shipping costs, plus the expense actually purchasing.

The complete-set images in the sale listings are inspirational and colourful, though. U.S. Overrun countries and definitives:

Celebration of Life...Stamp of Approval

...while I dislike the current, euphemistic term for a funeral, this notice shared by Canadian Stamp News is actually eye-catching. Perhaps AI-generated, look how it integrates Bob with relevant information and some near faux stamp images.

Fellow blogger, model railroader, Order of Canada recipient and religion writer John Longhurst published several posts on Death and the Model Railroader. Some might find the topic of mortality morbid, morose or moribund. John's treatment of the topic was practical and timely, based on the demographics of model railroaders and stamp collectors. 

Not that I want to consider what will happen with my albums when I have licked my last hinge (that sounded weird). I will try to keep the zip loc bags under control, the stamps largely albumized, and the hoard unamassed. And I would be pleased to have a graphically-pleasing representation of my life, okay, celebrated, as Bob Vogel did. Fly with the birds, Bob!

The Finds Found at the Kingston Spring Stamp Festival

In an earlier post profiling my haul from the church hall at the Kingston Spring Stamp Festival, I listed my sorting hierarchy and an update about the full Ziploc bag of Review stamps I plucked from the postal plethora. I've now had a chance to review the Review and found the Finds, which I'm profiling in this post. I've grouped the Finds generally, placing them in a stock book and photographing them before integrating them into my collection.

Cinderella/back of book and a few leftovers (top photo). 

Some worldwide Finds:

LargerBritish Commonwealth issues:

KGVI and QE2:

KGVI and earlier, including QV Australian predecessors:

One of my favourites, the Falkland Islands. Also another 30 issues not pictured, 

plus some New Zealand private post:

WWII Germany, Russia plus some Danzig and early US:

 A baggie of US also emerged...

I likely have a lot of these already, but it will be fun to check and I know I can improve on the postmarks I already have. I found the Occupied Nations/Overrun Countries I was missing - Luxembourg. 

Free postage! Various eras mint stamps, some self-adhesive, approaching $5 total:

Free Stamps at Boston 2026 World Expo!

Over a year ago, I donated 5,000+ stamps to the Boston 2026 World Expo, the global decennial stamp show. Organizers hoped to gather as many as they could, eventually 2,000,000+ for distribution to youth and beginners. I've been catching up on several YouTube videos taken at the show and I have a few impressions:

• the venue is huge and maybe too huge!
• the overall colour scheme is...grey!
• exhibitors were given white booths with glass display cases
• the USPS had a huge auditorium where several new releases by Faroes Islands, Fiji, US etc. were revealed. Their merch area seemed to do a good amount of business.
• the display frames area was almost uninhabited with wicked glare off the glass. Perhaps the judges had a field day there, but regular folks seemed to be avoiding the area. I've written about this phenomenon before.
• every so often, an important looking person in a blazer would walk briskly by the videographer, clipboard in hand!

There was discussion in the videos about which [high-end] dealers were participating vs. local dealers. Prior to the show, there were certain political considerations affecting attendees, dealers and even club presidents due to the host country.

The brightest point for me was the [adult] beginners area. There, one of the glass display cases was filled with stamps, while beginners were encouraged to fill an envelope with the stamps arrayed on top of the case (video capture - top photo). Fun! 

A few more photos of the free fun, posted to social media after the show:

Freestyle Philately!

Finally! Somebody is doing something to make stamp collecting more accessible, less intimidating and dare I say, more popular. The Kitchener-Waterloo Stamp Club is hosting Royale 2026 , the convention and exhibition of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) this June:

Here is the information from the linked page:

Who can participate?

Anyone who has something they would like to share with other collectors and the public at a stamp show: stamps, covers, postcards – anything philatelic. You can also include related non-philatelic material. The sky’s the limit!

How to participate?

Arrange your items on one or more pages and write something about them – for example, tell us why you like them, what do they commemorate, how and where did they travel through the mail? You can include philatelic and/or non-philatelic information. The items and text can be format ted any way you like. You can submit one letter-sized page (8.5×11 inches) or the equivalent of up to 8 letter-sized pages. Other page sizes can be used (for example, double-width 11×17 inches, square 11×11 inches). Insert your page(s) into clear sleeves to protect your items.

What will happen at the show?

Submitted pages will be mounted in frames for public viewing during the show. There will be no judging.

A time slot will be scheduled in the program for Freestyle Philatelists who wish to interact with visitors at the displays. A facilitator will also be present during this time to answer any questions participants may have about practical aspects of their displays.

If you have thought about exhibiting but don’t know where to start, this is a great opportunity to get friendly feedback and advice in a no-pressure setting.

Why participate?

Sharing is one of the greatest joys of our hobby. Take this opportunity to share something you love from your collection. Let us know what you like to collect – you may find others with the same interests. Most importantly, have fun!

EUROPEAN EXHIBITIONS

Does this look like fun to you? Traditional exhibition halls from recent European stamp exhibitions. Note the glass 'barrier', the cumbersome-looking exhibit frames, the ample unoccupied floor space and the near total absence of viewers:

Freestyle philately sounds like a welcome innovation to me! I'll be interested to see the level of uptake and participation. Based on accounts in the current issue of the Federation of European Philatelic Associations (FEPA) Journal, high costs were cited by the vast majority of participants as a major constraint on traditional exhibiting, followed closely by declining attendance, aging exhibitor bases, and shortages of volunteers willing or able to take on demanding organisational roles. A variety of innovative approaches already being tested across Europe. Many federations are experimenting with smaller, more flexible exhibition formats, including one-frame shows, micro-exhibitions, and specialised events focused on a single class or theme. These formats lower barriers to participation and can be organised with fewer resources.

SAVE US, A.I.!

Could AI and social media ride to the rescue? Philately faces a demographic challenge that is openly acknowledged within the hobby: the average age of organized collectors is high, and sustained growth in membership of philatelic societies has proved elusive for decades. Part of the barrier to entry for new collectors is precisely the accumulated and gatekept expertise that makes the hobby so rich — it is also, for many, bewildering and unwelcoming. AI could serve philately as a patient and knowledgeable guide: answering the novice’s questions about postal history, identifying the stamps in a mixed lot acquired at an estate sale, suggesting areas of specialization that might suit a collector’s particular interests. It could translate the specialist vocabulary of exercising certificates, decode the abbreviations of old auction catalogues, and locate relevant literature on any topic. This is the kind of ambient expertise that currently requires personal connections to established collectors or dealers — connections that new entrants to the hobby may simply lack. The real promise of AI in philately is not speed or scale alone, but the redistribution of access to knowledge.

MEANWHILE, IN AMERICA...

The American Philatelic Society (APS) 2026-2030 Strategic Plan notes today’s mailbox rarely delivers surprises, and communication has largely gone digital. The natural exposure that once sparked a lifelong hobby is far less common. Yet the underlying curiosity that drives people to the hobby remains as strong as ever.

Over the past decade, APS member attrition has exceeded new member acquisition by 37%, resulting in a 27% overall membership decline and a 19% reduction in operational revenue. Age-related attrition remains the primary driver, with 80% of members aged 65 or older as of 2025. While there is no accurate data on the total number of active stamp collectors in the United States, market indicators demonstrate that the hobby extends far beyond APS’s approximately 22,600 individual members. One major national stamp dealer reports more than 100,000 active customers annually—nearly five times the size of APS membership. Additionally, the stamp and postal history categories on eBay are vibrant marketplaces, with tens of thousands of listings and continuous buyer and seller activity at any given time.

One more image, this one from the APS document:

MaxScore!

A partner-managed MaxSold online estate sale this past week included this lot of Canada Post hockey stamps. The owner was clearly a hockey fan and amassed a small collection over several years and denominations: 46, 48, 49 cents and Permanent stamps. I had an eye to not only adding some to my own collection, but also for their potential use as postage for stamp mailings. 

The pressing question was...how much to bid? Judging from these photos included in the auction, I estimated the total value at $60...if the booklets were complete. (They were not!) With a bid, taxes and fees totalling $30, I was the successful bidder. Picking up the lot north of Kingston, someone had penned "Value $81.78" on the envelope. Score! I was estimating low $60's, but realized I was overlooking some huge $1.80 goalie stamps from 2015 that I didn't know ever existed - in fact I thought these were just cardboard hockey cards. Accepting the penned-in total and total bid amount, this was postage purchased at 36% of face value!

An accompanying one-looney lot included this 1978 Coles Bookstores how-to one-inch paperback with black & white illustrations and...

... a few stamps that one of our grandsons enjoyed looking through. He actually took one of the pre-printed 6-cent envelopes and glued some other used Canadian issues on front and back to make a unique take-home stamp art piece! Now, should I use the other pre-printed envelopes for stamp mail, simply by adding make-up postage to them? Is there enough room?

The key lesson here for inexpensive postage via MaxSold bidding is: know your bid limit, stay within it, appraise the photos realistically and trust that the seller has described the lot appropriately. He stamps, he scores!

Eighty-Seven Bucks o' Fun! Kingston Spring Stamp Festival

Here's another haul-from-the-haul post, based on yesterday's visit to the Kingston Stamp Club Spring Stamp Festival at Crossroads United Church. Unable to make it for the opening bell, it was 12:30 when I arrived, large reusable shopping bag in hand and ready to fill. As always, first stop was the Club consignment table. LOTS of good offerings - country collections separated from an album, those always-tempting US precancels priced per page, and yes, bagged lots of mostly off-paper. I found two and headed to the club desk. "Oh, good, someone is buying them", said Val. "Oh, I love those bagged lots", I replied. (The bags were already marked down from 10 bucks to $7.) Val then said, "Any that are marked $7 you can have for $5". So I returned for two more. Another club volunteer was enthused and we discussed our love of sorting, and they said they were also happy that someone was buying them. So I returned (top photo) for two more! That's twenty-seven bucks o' sorting fun!

A few more consignment lots (above): Africa, Commonwealth, Philippines and another burgeoning bag of Commonwealth! Dealer Don had some tempting stuff, too. Fortunately, $9.25 black mounts in just the two sizes I had written on the back of my hand to look for. And just as (when we used to) cross the border, we buy a bottle of booze, when you go to a stamp show, you always buy hinges. Don's shoebox (I love shoeboxes and cigar boxes just as much as those large Zip-Locs!) and this $7 Canada off-paper caught my eye. Some are stuck together, but can be soaked. 

As usual, my sorting hierarchy was in my mind:

• keepers for my collection
• traders for fellow collectors 
• thematics for Michael Lynn's free stamp program
• common definitives for charity
• damaged stamps culled for future stamp art projects.

June, 2026 update: 

• The $7 Canada box turned into quite a project. There were multiples, and I mean multiples, of many 1960s-70s issues. So many that I made up 100 packs of 15-20 Canada, to include as Free Bonuses with traders. 
• Those large Ziplocs were extremely enjoyable to sort through! I got a quite-full bag of 'Review' ones - many are new, some are better cancellations, some I'm not sure if I have already. But I'll check! In the Review bag are some Finds. I'm going to pull these and photograph them for a subsequent post.
• All the Ziplocs have now been sorted through. I ended up with two large Ziplocs for charity, a few envelopes' worth for traders, and I sent 4,000 topicals to Michael Lynn. Also a small pile for soaking, many are duplicates but will be useful for traders.

Politics Meets Philately - Again!

Though I'm not involved with organized philately, this recent philatelic news item did catch my eye. I can identify with the Royal Philately Society of Canada president's position. It shows just how far US-Canada relations have been damaged by poorly-informed and rashly-made decisions of the current US administration. Their effects reach out like troublesome tentacles, cross-border cancers, like woebegone weed roots choking out an otherwise green garden of goodwill. I mean, this is stamp collecting, for goodness' sake! How much more far-removed from the headlines can one pastime get? Apparently not far...

“I do not wish ill on Boston 2026, the attendees or my American philatelic colleagues,” he wrote, adding he had originally planned to attend before making his decision. “I wish the exhibition the best and hope it will be successful.” Redner explained that his decision not to attend stems from a broader moral objection to the current political climate in the United States.

He also addressed criticism that philately and politics should remain separate, arguing that such a distinction is no longer realistic. “To those of you who say philately and politics should not mix … I say to  you, that today everything is political and to think otherwise is naive,” he stated.

While Redner noted that attending international exhibitions has never been a formal requirement of the presidency, he acknowledged that some members of the RPSC board were concerned about the optics of his absence from a major global event. “As it is not my wish to harm the reputation of our national stamp club, I have made the decision to step down immediately,” he wrote. Redner said his resignation would allow the board to appoint a new president who can attend and represent the RPSC in Boston, framing the move as one made in the best interests of Canadian philately.