My Stamp Collection

Stamp collecting, also known as philately, is the hobby of collecting postage stamps. The term "philately" is coined by Georges Herpin, a French philatelist. Philately is a fun and rewarding hobby.

My Journey As A Philatelist

I started collecting stamps when I was 8 years old. My maternal uncle gave me his stamp album to inspire me in philately. From time to time, my father and cousins helped me grow my collection. Later, when I started penpaling or writing letters to my penfriends in 2021, stamp collecting became an inseparable part of it.

Whenever I receive an envelope from other countries, I cut down the stamp part of the envelope and soak them together in water to peel off the stamp from the envelope for collection purposes. Besides, my penfriends often send me nice stamp sheets from their countries, and I arrange stamp sheet swaps with philatelists from other countries to collect stamps.

Starting with a few stamps, I now have a collection of almost 2,000 stamps. And the number is increasing every month.

On July 31, 2022, I participated in a philatelic exhibition called "Varendrapex 2022," which was organized by Varendra Philatelic Society in Rajshahi. It was an amazing opportunity for me to show my collection to others, as well as enjoy other collectors' beautiful collections. I met with some enthusiastic Bangladeshi philatelists at that exhibition and bought so many beautiful souvenir stamp sheets.

Philately has taught me about the diversity of the world and offered me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people around the globe who share the same hobby as me.

Pros and Cons of Philately

Some people criticize philately as a time-consuming, expensive, pointless and boring hobby. They say that stamps are just pieces of paper that are used to send mail and do not have any intrinsic value. Some also argue that there is no excitement or challenge involved in this hobby.

The truth is, the interest or affection for something varies from person to person. What one person finds meaningful, another person may not. However, philatelists love this hobby and find it satisfying to collect rare stamps or complete a collection. Philately helps us enrich our knowledge about:

• History: Stamps can tell us about different countries, cultures, and historical events.

• Geography: Stamps can show us different places or maps around the world and how they have changed over time.

• Art: Stamps can be works of art in their own right. They can be beautiful and intricate, and they can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

• Culture: Stamps can teach us about different cultures, traditions, lifestyles, and customs. They can help us understand different ways of life.

• Contemporary Events: In most countries, during important state events, First Day Covers (FDCs) and stamp sheets are issued. Through these stamps, we can learn about the current affairs of a country. For example, Bangladesh Post has recently issued stamp sheets on the occasion of the Inauguration of Metro Rail and the Inauguration of Padma Bridge, which will allow foreign collectors to know about these two milestones of Bangladesh.

In short, philately is a rewarding hobby that is fun, educational, and social. It not only expands our knowledge, but also satisfies us mentally when we collect our desired stamps or complete a collection. In my opinion, it is one of the best hobbies in the world.

Some of the stamps from my collection