When I first came to the US, a good friend who migrated the year before introduced me to stamp collecting. She and I loved the same things: stationery, pretty things, and music, so stamp collecting became another hobby we enjoyed together. Sometimes we’d send each other special stamps, bought on approval from stamp companies. She even taught me how to request first-day-of-issue stamps, so I have a number of those. I spent more than half of my salary on stamps every month, and amassed quite a collection. I even had a (free) subscription to the USPS catalog so I knew every time a new stamp was coming out. There was a time I bought every mint stamp that came out. Obviously it got expensive and I had to stop. I also have stamps from countries I have yet to find on our wall map.

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I now see how stamp collecting was such a benign but engaging hobby to get into for an eighteen-year-old who left family and friends behind. I was adjusting to life in a new country and just didn’t have much to do but work (still waiting for that transcript to be sent in so I could go back to college!), so there were many moments of loneliness and semi-depression. My parents did what they could to keep me sane/happy, but I lived for phone calls and letters that first year we were here. When the letters didn’t come as often as they I thought they should have, stamps became a welcome diversion whenever I opened that mailbox. The great many colorful — and tiny — artworks from Belize, Christmas Island, Seychelles, Malta, etc., drew my mind from disappointment many many times.

Eventually I went back to school, met my now-dh, and moved on. The stamp albums and storage box moved with us to every home and apartment. I probably have a couple thousand stamps in there, from 80+ countries (at least that’s what I remember).

Twenty-one years later, my kids have discovered my stash and WHAT A TREASURE TROVE IT IS. I’m already thinking of geography studies and art studies and history studies and biographies, etc., etc.

So here I am, just gathering ideas. Of course, my first stop was at 4real, where I found the perfect thread, and two great posts from fellow 4real moms…. I also found a couple of sites that will be helpful with this project!

the “Rabbits at the Post Office” thread at 4real
Matilda’s Post
Mary’s post
Basics of Stamp Collecting — goes through everything you need to know as a USED-stamp collector — soaking, drying, flattening, etc.
Stamp Supplies

Now all we have to do is pick a date to get started.