Well, with regard to money, the old adage is true: "Philately will get you nowhere". Yet, for you and many others it provided hours of fun, bonding, and friendly competition with your family, helped you explore world history and culture, and provided an awesome topic to write about. My family also dabbled in the hobby, my parents mostly, and I fondly remember them soaking used stamps - both in water to remove the bit of envelop still attached, and then in lighter fluid, I think to remove residual glue (or some combination of that). Dad had plenty of that around due to his ever present Zippo to light up his Kent cigarettes, until he quick cold turkey and chewed gum like a fiend for what seemed like a year to assist with kicking the habit. They had the big binders and focused on US stamps exclusively. I had an old international book and got US castoffs to add and the occasional international stamp from my world-corresponding paternal grandparents.
My husband and I both have multiple albums from the 1950s filled with stamps from hundreds of countries. Not sure what to do with them now. Seems a shame to put them in the recycle bin.
You can try to sell them but, if you're like me, you should lower your expectations:) I had a similar experience with some old books - an old Encyclopedia Brittanica set and especially a complete set of Matthew Brady's A Photographic HIstory of the Civil War.
Well, with regard to money, the old adage is true: "Philately will get you nowhere". Yet, for you and many others it provided hours of fun, bonding, and friendly competition with your family, helped you explore world history and culture, and provided an awesome topic to write about. My family also dabbled in the hobby, my parents mostly, and I fondly remember them soaking used stamps - both in water to remove the bit of envelop still attached, and then in lighter fluid, I think to remove residual glue (or some combination of that). Dad had plenty of that around due to his ever present Zippo to light up his Kent cigarettes, until he quick cold turkey and chewed gum like a fiend for what seemed like a year to assist with kicking the habit. They had the big binders and focused on US stamps exclusively. I had an old international book and got US castoffs to add and the occasional international stamp from my world-corresponding paternal grandparents.
Great piece as usual, Will!
Great memories, John. I love the part about soaking the stamps in lighter fluid:).
My husband and I both have multiple albums from the 1950s filled with stamps from hundreds of countries. Not sure what to do with them now. Seems a shame to put them in the recycle bin.
You can try to sell them but, if you're like me, you should lower your expectations:) I had a similar experience with some old books - an old Encyclopedia Brittanica set and especially a complete set of Matthew Brady's A Photographic HIstory of the Civil War.