collecting Archives - CONSIDER THIS with Annette Petrick

(Edited 3-10-19)

Backstory

Learn something new every day. It’s advice I try to follow. Sometimes it leads to unexpected or colorful new knowledge. That’s what happened here. A discovery led me to explore something I would normally take for granted. My curious nature always “wants to know the story.” This time it led me to stamps.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

Hodgepodge of Stamps – #192

When an elderly relative passed on, I was helping sort through her belongings. Someone gave me a box of stamps to inventory.

There was a treasure of stamps worth 15 cents and 23 cents and 10 cents . . . a nickel . . . even 1 cent. There were dozens of different designs and colors, each a miniature masterpiece of graphic art.

Some stamps had no denomination on them. The United States Post Office website has a place that shows how to determine their value.

That led me to the new FOREVER stamps. You purchase them at the going rate and they retain their value, even if mail rates go up in the future.

I also found that you can have customized stamps created, bearing your own image or message. How cool is that?

I asked who from the family wanted the box of lick-able old stamps. After all, they have a monetary value. But no one wanted to play with small denomination stamps that were not self-sticking. They invited me to keep them.

Well friends and relatives have been fascinated receiving my correspondence and cards with as many as ten different stamps on the envelope. I let them decide for themselves why the conglomeration. It sure has become a conversation piece.

P.S.

The U.S. Postal Service will release new stamps this year in honor of military working dogs. Four designs feature a German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd. The illustrations are in red, white, blue and gold to represent the American flag and patriotism. Also later this year, watch for stamps featuring a painting of tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker, designs from artist Ellsworth Kelly and engines from the Transcontinental Railroad,

[Show #192]

Backstory – Collector

This story was part of a recording that did not get edited for the radio. There is no music intro and you won’t hear Alan Arehart introduce me. I wanted to share it with the special listeners who receive our Sunday stories. Those of you who collect any kind of themed treasure will relate, I believe. Let me know what you think.

Consider This Show – Collector

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I am known to be a collector. How about you? Does everyone know you are enamored of frogs or cute little mice? Does your head turn for giraffes or red poppies? Do they shower you with towels, scarves, cups and toilet seats – all emblazed with grapes?

If you are a collector, how did that come about? Why did you buy the first item in your collection? Your second?

I seem to be a volunteer collector – like those flowers in your garden that sprout up without your planting them. Something comes into my possession. Someone sees that I have that thing, so I must like that, So, they buy me another version – for my birthday, for Christmas, for Kwanzaa, to help me get well. Soon I have a dozen things with the same theme.

By now, any observer can see that I am obsessed with this collection with which I have been showered.

I do admit to deliberately collecting teapots. I look for unusual designs at auctions and yard sales and have some real finds. There are over 30 of them in the kitchen now.

But how about the butterflies? And the miniature shoes? Those just kind of fell into my lap.

And there they are – official collections, ready or not. I enjoy them every day and give thanks for friends and family who gifted me with so many of them that I became their collector.

[Show #341]