“…but are there any stamps celebrating the jane/johndoe’s of stamp collecting?”

I think so. Take a look at the Netherlands. There’s a mini sheet containing three stamps commemorating the 100-year anniversary of their first philatelic organization. It was issued in 1984, and I’m speaking of the 70-cent stamp on the sheet. This is one of my favorite stamps, because one of the collectors depicted on it belongs to my local stamp club here in Michigan USA, and he autographed the selvage for me.

Dear Keijo,

Yet another good topic that has been discuss again and again… IMHO, philately should be something from the heart and not just merely about investment.

I’m also a simple guy with limited budget. With that, Ive made the decision to go on the thematic route. mind you, thematic aint cheap too but I guess we can start slowly. Unlike classic where most of them start of with big $$$… LOL

Another area is collecting used. Again, I have to point out that though generally used are a little cheaper but not all.

I guess in philately, we can start slowly.. just get what u can afford first. As time passes by, Im sure we will get something special. It does not necessarily be inverted jenny or basel dove, etc. Sometimes, small stuff that doesnt matter to others somehow is something special to our collection. Please dont put a benchmark. its ok if you fellow philatelist has something very expensive. We need not get the same item. If you ask me, all materials in my collection is valuable becuz of the passion i have for it…

IMHO, just enjoy philately. Please do not relate monetary value to it too often. Monetary value just kills off our passion for philately.

I’ll see what I can find out, but it may take a while.

Thanks for the good words re: “The Hobby of Kings”. Having been what you call a “regular collector” off and on for 50 years, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Been working on a stamp exchange selection to send you, but its taken a while to assemble it.
Graham

I wasn’t sure if the gentleman who had signed the selvage of my mini sheet was still alive, because I hadn’t seen him in years. I gave him a call, and to my delight he answered the phone. He is 89 years old.

He told me that the photograph which was chosen for the stamp was taken by a reporter on the very first night the philatelic club met in 1949 in Lochem, The Netherlands. There were two other people at that first meeting who did not get in the photo. My friend does not remember the name of the stamp club and is not sure it exists anymore. He believes the youngest guy, who is in the center of the stamp, is the only other founding member who is still alive.

By the time the stamp was initially issued on sheets on June 13, 1984, one of the club members depicted on the stamp had died, my friend had emigrated to the United States, and the photographer had emigrated to Australia. All of the surviving founding members, including my friend and the photographer, were invited back for a ceremony at The Hague when the mini sheet was later issued in September.

I’ll let you know if my friend calls me back with anything else he remembers. When all is said and done, stamps may come and go, but the social connections that they spark are what live on.

Greetings,

Thank you for this thoughtful article. I find that what I enjoy most about stamps is learning from them. I find that the learning from stamps takes time. As a result I must pace myself when collecting and acquiring stamps. Money affects the hobby in two ways. It affects either the quantity or the quality of the stamps one acquires. The danger, if you choose to see it as such, is to become an accumulator–to acquire more stamps than you can collect and study. A great help in that study and sharing of stamps are people like You. Thank you.

Another living commoner on a stamp: Shekhar Borker of India