Stamps, postal history, Cinderella? If you have resurrected your interest in philately, my congratulations as you will now be participating in the greatest hobby in the world. The days of swapping stamps in school, getting aunts and uncles to clip their mail to save and give you, convincing mum and dad to buy a new issue on your behalf or even first day covers, as well as sorting out your stamps on tables and floors in the house… may well bring back many happy childhood memories. Many people take up the hobby again when their children leave the nest. Often for the first time mum and dad have extra money in their pockets and as importantly, more time for themselves. So what to collect? My first and most important piece of advice is to not collect stamps and postal history for investment. It takes several years to get acquainted with the market, it is not at all easy and does not follow the normal patterns of supply and demand. Often the core of an investment, is not so much the stamp and covers you have bought individually over the years. Rather it is that you have described them and put together a story to tell in your albums. The new perspective you have given, can mean that the whole collection is worth much more than the sum of its parts, that is why I introduced the word Cinderella into the title of this article. Cinderella encompasses proofs, essays, rejected designs, revenues as well as other collateral of many types. If you can go beyond the standard areas of stamp collecting and rather enter into the universe of creating your own interesting story with a new historical perspective. It is much more satisfying for example to reveal evidence of propaganda - or the opposite i.e. stamps withdrawn from the post office by rushed edict from the state – ‘all China is red’ comes to mind, when they forgot to include Taiwan! Equally interesting would be a war correspondence disclosing gradual increase or loss of land by either side – volatility in the battlefield for example, say the battle of the Bulge or feldpost/fieldpost from German Officers in Monte Cassino in 1944 or even the American Civil War in the early 1860s and the rejection of US postal stamps by the newly formed Confederate States, or as good the Napoleonic war pre-stamp postal history, all veritable goldmines of information - much of these correspondences still inhabits attics, completely unappreciated for historical or philatelic importance. Any of these categories of Cinderella to augment your collection can make what would otherwise be a normal stamp collection into an exhibition collection… and axiomatically increase its value. Make the sure though the investment is an unexpected bonus, not the main motive for making your own individual unique creation in philately and postal history. Also, remember that throwing money into stamps and postal history does not necessarily guarantee an exhibition collection, research and scholarship is at least half the battle. When you wish to sell, you can meet Stephen on the first Sunday of every month, at the Sussex Room, Norfolk Arms Hotel, High Street, Arundel, BN18 9AB. Between 2.30pm – 6.30pm
To secure your appointment, please call Stephen on 01798 817579. www.stephenosbornestamps.com | www.addissonbrydenandco.co.uk
