Philately - The fun of collecting!
9 Mar 2015 - My interest in philately goes back many years, and I never cease to be amazed at the sheer variety of subjects available for study. Some topics make POW mail from Uganda or the Revenue Stamps of Tannu Tuva sound decidedly run-of-the-mill!
And it is these limitless possibilities that make the hobby so enthralling.
Most collectors start off with a wide field of interest, which gradually becomes refined and whittled down to some specialist subject. The surprisingly good news is that whatever the specialisation, there are always others who share the same interest; this often leads to joining a specialist Society and forming valuable friendships, which all adds to the fun of collecting.
And of course no specialist subject is discrete or ring-fenced. Interests continually ebb and flow and extend and overlap into other fields; this is excellent, because it helps the collector to constantly add to his field of knowledge. Reading an article on an ostensibly unrelated subject can often prove surprisingly interesting and relevant.
And the amount of philatelic literature on any conceivable subject is quite astonishing; I’ll never forget the first time I saw a philatelic library! Improved access to the Internet and to philatelic journals and books, as well as societies and fellow enthusiasts, makes philately more vibrant and dynamic than ever.
My own interest is ‘G.B. Used Abroad’ (I am at present collaborating on a book).
I’d be delighted to hear from any ‘kindred spirits’ at: kenneth.gordon5@which.net
Published on 9 Mar 2015 | Mr Kenneth Gordon