Today I have been looking at stamp albums. I used to love collecting stamps as a child and I think it helped me to learn a bit of geography. This included where different countries were and what their names were in their own languages and well as their currency and who their monarchs were. When I go to the post office to post overseas I have to ask for stamps and they just print out a label now instead of giving you stamps. For me part of the excitement of receiving mail has always been receiving a new stamp and even today I cut the stamps off any envelopes and keep them in an envelope with the idea that some day I might get round to putting them in an album.
Children today don't seem very interested in stamps at all. I have tried to instill an interest in stamps in all my children when they were younger and Darius received his first album, together with a lovely collection of Australian stamps, from my mother when she first met him on a trip over when he was five. In turn all of them have started collections at some time. Sophia found her small collection when she was sorting her room last weekend. She remembered doing it for her collector's badge when she was a Brownie.
Today I plan to show the albums to Stuart to see if he might be interested. When Imran was young I started sending him first day covers whenever one was issued. If I missed one I sometimes bought a presentation pack instead. Looking through the album of 59 first day covers and presentation packs I wondered if they might be valuable. I was so disappointed when checking on ebay to find they were selling for about a pound each. Only sentimental value then!
So many subjects are covered on stamps. There is always a new set every Christmas and also to celebrate anniversaries of different organisations.
Christmas 1991
75th Anniversary of Scouting
Not sure where this one came from but I think it was the start of the collection
Sport is well covered too, this one for football and we also have one with golf courses on.
Historical event are also depicted on stamps
From the Civil War 1642 - 1651
To the D Day landings of 6th June 1944.
This one I sent to Sam as Imran had lost interest by that time.
This set were issued for the opening of the Channel Tunnel on 6th May 1994.
This set commemorate the 50th anniversary of the George Cross in1990
Green issues are also covered
I like the animal and birds ones as you might guess.
This is the latest one which I bought this year
I think the collection is one that I won't be parting with unless of course one of the children want to claim it.
