A couple of weeks ago, I went on an Old Manila Heritage Tour sponsored by the Pilipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club, a tour that covered the Metropolitan Theatre, the Arroceros Forest Park, Liwasang Bonifacio, and the Manila Post Office. It was not as organized as I would have liked, but then again it was a free tour, so I shouldn’t be complaining.
At the end of the tour, there was a stamp collecting seminar and by then my book club friends had decided they’d had enough geekiness for one day. I was tired, too, but I couldn’t resist staying. I’ve never had any formal instruction in collecting stamps and I’ve got two albums bursting full of them, some from my childhood collection and some accumulated after two years of BookMooching.
I learned a lot from the seminar, especially about handling stamps and seriously collecting them. Not that I plan to join the stamp collecting club, but I did get an idea to revamp my collection — focus on bookish stamps! And right outside the room were a bunch of stamp dealers that were more than eager to start me off on my collection! (And give me an excuse to shop!)
Check out the goodies I got:
A Tintin stamp from the Netherlands.
And a Doraemon stamp from Japan.
A commemorative stamp for the 75th anniversary of the National Archives in 1976.
Reading campaign stamps from 1982.
And the piece de resistance, my favorite of the bunch:
A Noli Me Tangere stamp from 1949, the 88th anniversary of Rizal’s birth (he just celebrated his 149th birthday a few weeks ago!)
The geek in me would like to announce that it’s not my only Noli Me Tangere stamp — I have another one from 1986, and another from 1998, survivors from my original collection:
I’ve been putting off reviving my stamp collection for a long, long time, and now I can’t wait to go hunting for more bookish stamps — and new stamp albums!
(If you have any bookish stamps you can spare, send them my way!)
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oh, i hope i find some to add to your collection. will ask my friends.
Yey! Thanks Gege!
I have an album full of stamps. I don’t think I’ll ever really go back into resuming collecting those stamps, so you can have them. I think my rarest ones are from Yugoslavia ages and ages ago.
I remember we traded stamps a loong time ago!
:) Would be glad to take them off your hands!
Blooey, I found my stamp collection a few years ago when I moved all my stuff out of my parents’ house. Some of it is organised, most of it is not. I only wish I’d known about this seminar and could have attended it with you! Bookish stamps are a fantatic idea. When I have time to go through my piles, I will set aside what I find for you.
Any idea on how to value the rest? I have some pretty old ones, maybe they can be sold, or I can keep them in case my son ever decides to collect what will certainly be an antique item for his time, as I don’t think kids these days will ever experience the thrill of snail mail.
Thanks Iya!
The stamp club meets every third sunday of the month at the Post Office, they can value your collection.
Or there are (squee!) shops along Recto that specialize in stamps. I hope to drop by there one of these days (maybe when the book raids by the police aren’t so hot) to get a new stamp album.
please send contact info of this tour. i would like to participate as part of the book i’m completing. TIA
Hi Ms. Zarah,
Will email it to you :)
Hi there.
Your Doraemon stamp caught my attention and interest. Can you get in touch with me I just need to ask you a personal question on stamp collecting.
Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.