MaxMeaning!

A recent MaxSold auction here in Kingston included at least five stamp lots. Three comprised card file boxes with a few stamps carefully mounted on cards, with Scott numbers pencilled in, filed by country. I thought, "Wow, that was an organized, meticulous collector!" I was unsuccessful on those three, the highest bid was $33. By contrast, I won these two - the shoebox lot on paper (below) for $23 and the mint Canada lot (above) for $29 - interestingly, when I added all the mint Canadian postage I've found so far, there is at least $32! Feast your eyes on this spread - doesn't that look like a huge, fun sort? As much as I wanted to view that philed philately, I really looked forward to the messy mélange looming in this lot:

Mint Canada 1976 Olympics. Some had been removed from the commemorative presentation books put out by Canada Post that year. Surprisingly, I was lacking one of these stamps, had several Used, and most of the rest of the Olympic stamps in my collection were Mint Hinged. I put these in mounts and albumized them already, so my complete 1976 Olympics collection is now MNH. Thank you, collector!

The binder at centre of the top photo caught my eye - check out this label on the inside front cover. When we made things here! DuPont, hmmm. A lot of Kingstonians have been employed there since the plant opened during WWII.

I became curious about some of the interesting covers...so many addressed to Montreal addresses, many from Estonia, and many of those bore Russian stamps! Utsal is an Estonian surname.

More covers - addressed to the same addressee but now in Oakville. As a former Quebec resident who also moved to Ontario, I can identify:

Yet more covers, now to two addresses in Kingston:

By now I was really curious, and I did an online search to find out more about the Utsals. If I could, I would write a small note beside many of the notable stamps I've collected over the years...where they came from, who sent them to me, but unfortunately that would visually clutter the albums. 

Nonetheless, I'll present several data points here. Jack Utsal arrived in Canada as a child, graduating from Grade 9 at Montreal West High School in 1954, then McGill University in 1961. They moved to Kingston in 1998. Mr Utsal was a prolific Letter to the Editor writer to the Kingston Whig-Standard, on topics ranging from wind turbines to the scarcity of downtown housing, to recycling. There was even a Whig photo that made it to the wire services showing him dropping off his leaves at the Kingston recycling centre! Carol also made it to the editorial page, and was a sorority member. Other auction lot photos were taken in the former mill at the foot of Gore St., with the Block D condos visible in the background, though I picked up the lots at a different location. It's obvious that the Utsals were prolific correspondents!

The Utsals had three children. Interestingly, their children Kate and Michael gave them grandchildren within a month of each other in 1995! Their youngest daughter Helen was married in 2002. In the mid-nineties, Jack's parents died within two years of each other in the Toronto area. Also interestingly, his mother Salme was a professional artist in Montreal, exhibiting in Westmount.  A contact in the UK continued sending Jack mint British issues in the 1980s. These will be enjoyable to go through, and I know several of these sets are Used in my UK collection - they too will now be MNH. Look at those interesting British baggies:

Here are the many, many mint UK sets!

Several of the newspaper notices I read revealed that the Utsal family was in tune with the environment, natural life and art. The Utsals' daughter Helen is a professional artist to this day on Vancouver Island, and her nature art is really impressive. 

One of the most touching, personal parts of this collection that I am now proud to be part of is that tiny piece of red construction paper you can see in the top photo. Written in a child's script is the inscription, "Merry Christmas Dad! love, Katie". Then, the red paper is wrapped in scotch-taped Saran Wrap, with five Canadian stamps floating around inside! His daughter definitely knew what he liked.

Royal Mail Millennium Stamps 1999/2000

 

This past week, I was fortunate to add two more stamps to my Royal Mail two-year millennium collection (top photo). That means only two are still evading me: 2000/27 and 2000/36, both high values which are the trickiest values to come by. It only took 26 years to reach this point! I continue to try to improve postmarks on all the ones I already have.

BOLO!

APRIL 2026 UPDATE: I found #36 in a Maxsold lot - slightly damaged over the denomination, but a great Space Filler!

Just Settled our Brains for a Long Winter's Soak

Was this the penultimate phase preventing passage to the Long & Noble Crusade 3.0? My burgeoning tea-box of Canada on-paper remains un-soaked but US, UK and worldwide hit the soaking dish this week. I premiered a second-hand stamp-drying book - the stamps do indeed dry, albeit for at least the 24 hours mentioned in the instructions and come out flat, not requiring further flattening. They've now been sorted into the zip-loc bags for Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East/North Africa, French Colonies, etc.

Just after that, an envelope of mainly recent UK landed in our mailbox, thanks to a neighbour. Tracing the transition from Queen Elizabeth II's reign to that of King Charles III , they provide a phascinating philatelic phinale to the soaking step. (Most are self-adhesive, many are barcoded, therefore remaining un-soaked, just clipped.

Now, there's nothing preventing the start of the crusade! Let the further sorting and albumizing begin!

JANUARY 1 UPDATE: The Long & Noble Crusade 3.0 began on the first day of the year. An easy way to remember when it began. The British Commonwealth baggie was burgeoning and beckoning!

Merry Christmas - Happy New Year 2026!

In the course of sending and receiving stamps from exchange partners, I've noticed that some don't write much with their exchanges, others do. Garden results, the weather, family news and once in a while, politics. In this case, US-Canada relations. I'm happy to engage on the topic, because in talking about it, we can seek and find common ground.

An American exchange partner sent a nice Christmas card with a blessing inside (top photo) that no matter your political stripe or beliefs, rings true. Here's to more Peace, more Justice and more stamps (of course!) in 2026.

 

My New Stamping Grounds are Old!

You can work stamps anywhere. 

You can work stamps on a train. 

You can work stamps on a plane.

If working stamps is your quest,

How about this new old stamp desk?

The real-wood(!) desk has been in our family for generations, and it actually got used! I've always liked the drop-down work surface, and it's at a slight downward angle which helps aligning stamps and albumizing them. The scroll work on its exterior adds interest, and who doesn't like the old-timey pigeon-holes on the interior? There's plenty of space below for photo-boxes holding stamps for sorting, and some vintage stamp collections and reference material. And space above for some other items on display highlighting some of my eclectic interests!

Previously, my issue has been getting to the desk. A recent blitz cleared out some of the obstructing material and today I was able to do a proof-of-concept by sorting some donated and accumulated material: Colombia covers and stampshow-find early US. 

It worked - success! Warm beverage standing by, music playing in the background, my wife working on her crafts a few feet away, plus I can choose to 'button up' the desk when finished, or just leave it down to resume the session.

Politics Meets Philately?

For several months we've been hearing about tariffs imposed by the US administration and their impact on various sectors: softwood lumber, steel and aluminum, automakers and philately. Philately?

For several weeks, the organizers of the Boston 2026 World Expo have been publishing posts on social media regarding how tariffs would affect their upcoming international stamp show. Specifically, concerns that were expressed by dealers and collectors about having to pay tariffs on material being brought to the show, and not just to be sold.

This caused the organizers to scramble to seek answers from US government agencies to address these concerns. Boston 2026 World Expo organizers have now confirmed that tariffs will not be an issue for show attendees. 

Who'd ever have thought that this arcane and benign field, pursued by collectors on their own premises all around the world, would ever have the stamp of political considerations applied to it?

Sikhs and Seeking Truth about Canada Post Stamp Issues - Remembrance Day

On November 2, Canada Post unveiled its 2025 Remembrance Day stamp recognizing the long history of Sikh soldiers serving with the Canadian military. More than a quarter million Sikh soldiers answered the call of duty for Britain and its allies during both world wars. In Canada, discrimination prevented many Sikhs from enlisting. Only 10 broke the barrier in the First World War – most fighting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Europe – including eight who joined before conscription.

At 22 years old, Private Buckam Singh was the youngest Canadian Sikh soldier to enlist. He was wounded and returned to action after recovering in hospital – only to be injured again. He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and died from the disease in 1919. The Private Singh stamp features an illustration of a [modern-day] Canadian Sikh soldier paying his respects in remembrance of those who have served. The background is an illustration of Private Buckam Singh's grave at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, the stamp's cancel location. 

A collector named Peter Bishop posted a lengthy rant on social media stamp group, upon which I will interleave some comments:

I cannot express how utterly disappointed I am at the new Remembrance Day stamp issue.  Honouring soldiers of a specific religion?  While I understand the atmosphere of inclusion that is prevalent in today's society, I think we do an injustice to all those who served who don't happen to be Sikh with something like this.  Not to mention the man honoured on the stamp survived the war, albeit his death was likely due to the fact he did serve as he contracted tuberculosis and passed a year after the war ended.  

Disagree - This is splitting hairs. The fact that one person featured had particular characteristics - chosen or natural - does not detract from all others who served. Does the fact that he didn't die in action mean that his service was in vain?

 I don't understand why anyone feels the need to bring attention to a specific group although Canada Post's site quotes it is to bring "to light the forgotten stories of these and other Sikh soldiers in Canada."  Forgotten stories?  I've always assumed men and women of all races and religions fought side by side for Canada.  Indigenous Canadians, white Canadians, black Canadians, Asian Canadians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Sikh, heck, even German Canadians.  

Disagree - I think it's fair to say that those with means were able to preserve their service and stories better. A good example is indigenous veterans who returned to isolated areas and did not publicize their service or even receive benefits to which they are entitled. I think those stories should be told.

Shouldn't everyone who served and ESPECIALLY everyone who gave the ultimate sacrifice, be honoured as one?  

Disagree - you're arguing against your own case here. Should Canada Post put every veteran all on the same stamp? What is 'as one' if not 'just one'?

It's like the annual Diwali and Eid stamps...why?  Because we have Christmas stamps?  We have Christmas stamps because the rates for Christmas cards was different due to the increased volume at that time of year so the Post Office issued a stamp with the different denominations.  We no longer have that unfortunately, so maybe it's time to take religion OUT of the stamp business?  Btw, Canada is about 2% Sikh, 2% Hindu  and 5% Muslim while it is over 53% Christian (and I belong to none of them)  Feel free to try and change my mind...

No thanks, because I don't think I can, Mr Bishop. We just cannot compare our current Canada with the Canada-of-yore that you seem to idealize and idolize. Sure, Canada issued the first 'XMAS' stamp back in 1898 with the map of the British Empire in red. Throughout the 1960s, we saw praying hands, a family holding hands, children carolling, children's paintings, Natal stars and gifts of the Magi depicted on Christmas stamps. The issuing of these stamps carried on long after rate differences for Christmas mail existed.

Agree - I see the CBC, various ad campaigns, Canada Post and municipal governments feature visible minorities far outside their demographic distribution. This is likely an effort to reflect Canadian society but to the majority, this sometimes seems like tokenism and dare I say reverse racism at times. However, it is a practice neither one of us is going to change, Mr Bishop. Canada Post has already taken religion OUT of the stamp business, as it pertains to Christianity. You note Diwali and Eid, not to mention Hanukkah. Do these stamps sell? I don't know. But as Canadians, we are constitutionally required to respect the rights, and indeed fight to defend the rights, of all Canadians. 

Even when it comes to Remembrance Day stamps!