My Private Collection (That very few people know about!)

I was lucky, I came into stamps at a very early age, they have been a companion to me throughout my life.  My wife once said that if you cut me, I would bleed stamps!

Scientists now say that having hobbies and activities can stave off certain illnesses  like dementia and depression.

Having worked in this industry for over 35 years doesn’t mean that I can’t have a private collection.  Its often frowned upon in the trade as it’s not seen as being totally professional! (Come on!!)

I was born in the semi rural county of Cheshire in North West England and was shown by a work colleague old letters and postcards from this area, my eyes lit up as I said  “Hey, that postcard (dated 1903) Is from the town that I went to school in!”  I was hooked.  I started to collect old cards, covers, letters and documents from a small area of Cheshire.  Thirty years later I now have a 200 page display that I’ve displayed to local stamp societies and discussed at great length with anecdotal stories of its contents.  (I also have shoeboxes full of material that I need to get around to mounting!)

I have items ranging from an envelope addressed to my mother at the hospital that I was born in cancelled (in Cheshire!) on the day that I was born,  a postcard (1906) addressed down the country road where I lived to a local farming family, also the majority of all known postmarks on covers and cards and even a macabre suicide report for a POW at a local internment camp.  The collection just goes on and on!

Your collection can be part of you, and can reflect your origins.  That’s the great thing about this hobby, it can be anything you want it to be, personalise it as you please.  There are no rules with this fabulous pursuit.

All the best Simon Carson