As a stamp collector for over 40 years I have always been interested in Topical stamps. Topical stamps depict all types of topics like cars, lighthouses, cats, dogs etc., on postage stamps. While older collectors like me tend to be more specialized and try to buy stamps for investment - I found that younger collectors buy topical stamps for all sorts of reasons - one of which is framing. I found this out by chance when I started talking to my customers who bought stamps depicting Dogs - some told me they frame a collection of similar breeds and give it to one of their friends who has a Dog or Dogs of that breed. Some make bookmarks out of them for their friends and of course there were some who just did the traditional thing and set them out in an album. Almost every breed of dog is pictured on a stamp of some sort from Countries all over the world. On April 21st this year, Canada issued a stamp depicting a Golden Retriever which commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Montreal Association of the Blind and the wonderful contribution of Guide Dogs everywhere. The 52¢ stamp, according to Canada Post is the first in Canada to have Braille on the stamp itself. You can see it by visiting the Canada Post website to which I have provided a link below.
I am still amazed that in our high tech world, the old hobby of stamp collecting is still alive and well. If this article has peaked your interest, you can find a lot of stamp on the popular auction sites, just search for Dog Stamps. Just be aware that there are a lot of fake labels depicting dogs from the former Soviet Republics. There are also a lot of stamps from real countries. So ask the seller if there genuine or labels before you buy.
Regarding cost - most of these stamps are moderately priced ranging from $2.00 dollars to $10.00 for a complete set. Most of them are in Mint Condition which means, they have not been used to mail letters.
If dogs are not your cup of tea. There are lots of other Topical stamps to collect from Apes to Zebras. In fact if you look hard enough, you may be able to find a stamp issued in the area that peaks your interest.
Stamps have given me great pleasure in life. It’s a relaxing hobby and also an educational one. Starting a child off on stamps is a great way to go. When I was growing up a pen pal from California sent me a great book – Stamps and Stories – it identified each US stamp and carried a story about that particular stamp. Later in life, when I lived and worked with Americans – they were amazed at my knowledge of the US, even though I had never visited America. I guess stamps even played an important role in my decision to move and live in North America.
Another great example of stamps and learning is that my daughter and I used to collect dog stamps. By the time she was eight, she could identify any breed of dog. She was also able to make friends easily with so many great people and their dogs by just been able to identify them and talk about them.
To summarize, collecting stamps is a great hobby - start it off with a young child and see them learn and grow. It also keeps a great hobby alive. I will be writing more on this subject as time goes by. So if you are interested, do look for my follow-up articles on this subject.
Bryan Noyahr
bnoyahr@yahoo.ca
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Contributor's Note
If you are interested in this topic or want to see specific information related to this topic, please let me know your area of interest at bnoyahr@yahoo.ca
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