A New Home..

.. For my ex-husband's father's stamp collection! At last..someone wants it! 

It has been in a cupboard in my basement for decades - many decades...and I just didn't know what to do with it. I really tried to find someone to adopt it a  couple of years ago, but gave up and just put it back in the cupboard!

Today, however, was the day. Those books of stamps had to go, even it was just to the thrift shop, but first I called the local senior centre to see whether they still had a stamp club that meets there and... Yes, they did! And they were meeting as we were speaking! 

That was the impetus I needed. I rushed right over and walked into a very small group of old folks like me, pouring over catalogues, and sorting through their stamp binders and the piles of loose stamps strewn all over the table. 

I was greeted with great enthusiasm! My offering? Two huge binders of stamps, a separate and very old, falling-apart Stamp Collection book plus a small vintage Lifesavers box of loose stamps; it was as if I had opened a candy store for them!  "Do you have any Canadian stamps? What about German stamps - I collect German stamps! One of our members collects stamps with butterflies on them...do you have any butterfly stamps for her?" Well...it seemed that there IS someone who wants this collection - in fact, many "Someones"! 

The woman who collects German stamps - she is German - showed me her collection ( main) and described in great deal, her stamps and her obsession with them. Her organizational skills were impressive. Even the stamps not yet in the final binders were in binders! OMG! The amount of time she must devote to her hobby is mind-boggling.. She said she researches each stamp and writes out its history and the background of the person being honoured on the stamp! Whew! 

Another woman was much more laid-back with her collection - she just likes stamps - especially Canadian stamps. She also had an organized  binder to show me, but I particularly liked her filing system for stamps waiting to be selected for that binder!  (see extra)  That would be me! 

SO..the group does want the collection and will evaluate the stamps  (lest there be a treasure within) and let me know of any valuable ones and then the rest of the stamps will be available to the members to purchase (for mere pennies - proceeds donated to the senior centre) any stamps they want for their own collections. 

Apparently the group has many more members than were there today, but it is summer and attendance always dwindles in the summer. No matter, the people I met there today were great - so very friendly and fun. I learned a great deal about stamp collecting, we had a lot of laughs together and although stamp collecting is not my thing, I am still welcome to drop by any time just to chat!  I think I will do just that!