Death of philately
By Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (13179)
Ireland
December 2, 2024 5:04am CST
In my childhood I collected stamps - maybe some of you did too. It was easy for me to amass a large quantity of stamps from exotic places because I lived in the company of people from all over the world and the school I attended was a truly international affair.
I kept the habit up through my teenage years as did some of my peers, and continued to correspond with friends from everywhere so my collection grew.
Sometimes I take a look at what I’ve collected and recently concluded that I need to part company with my stamps - they serve no useful purpose and take up space that could be more sensibly used.
But what do you do with old stamps? Philately is a hobby long fallen from favour, and with email having largely replaced snail mail, stamps are becoming increasingly otiose. They’ll soon be museum pieces documenting a past considered bizarre by anyone under 30. Or 50.
My grandchildren don’t want them and even find the concept of licking a stamp odd. What’s a stamp granda?
7 people like this
5 responses
@Orson_Kart (6850)
• United Kingdom
2 Dec
I too collected stamps in my Stanley Gibbons album during my youth and still have them in a box somewhere. Unfortunately this hobby has fallen a bit ‘philat’ and out of fashion these days.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (13179)
• Ireland
2 Dec
@orson_kart I’ve got many that are older than me from countries that no longer exist. I must check Stanley Gibbons to see if they’re worth anything.
3 people like this
@Orson_Kart (6850)
• United Kingdom
2 Dec
@xFiacre Me too. I remember collecting stamps from Helvetia and wondering where it was.
Coincidentally, do you watch Countdown on C4? Today your name came up - ‘Fiacre’, and was described by Susie Dent as “a small horse-drawn carriage”. I’m not sure that’s the meaning in Irish, but it certainly caught my attention!
1 person likes this
@Ghostlady (1406)
• United States
2 Dec
I inherited 2 stamp books full of stamps and a few in little envelopes tucked inside. Have no idea what to do with them. None of the grand kids want them. No idea what they would be worth if I could find someone who wanted them. Pretty sure there are a few worth more than $1 as I looked a few of them up. My step-dad was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. Have old 78 rpm albums as well from Japan as a few American ones. 3 of them are painted albums that are beautiful. But do not know what to do with them. I donated photo albums to the Library that had pictures of the Korean war. But they don't take albums or stamps. Anyway..if you find some place that will take your stamps let me know. I live in Florida, but can always mail them.
2 people like this
@popciclecold (39558)
• United States
2 Dec
I recall it was popular back in the day. I thought it was for money.
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
2 Dec
I don't know whether they will just become waste paper or whether they will be valuable because they are rarities. I collected stamps too, still do in fact, and so does Little One although it's a lot harder nowadays. I also have a bundle of stamps collected by my mother and also a bag from her mother
If you genuinely want to get rid of them, several charities collect stamps, including Oxfam, the RNIB and Amnesty. Others as well, for example see
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@Dreamerby (6012)
• Calcutta, India
2 Dec
Stamp collecting indeed used to be a popular hobby in the 60s to 90s.
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