’Tis the season for stamp gifts

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

The holiday season is in full swing, and thinking of thoughtful gifts for a stamp collector can sometimes be challenging. That thought sent me reminiscing.

For many years, starting when I was around 10 years old, my parents ordered and gave me the United States Postal Service’s annual yearbook, complete with stamps. Those gifts carried great meaning and served as some of the puzzle pieces that kept encouraging me to stick with my collecting pursuits.

Philatelic friends have often surprised me with thoughtful finds that they knew would have a place in my collection. I would guess looking out for each other’s collecting interests is fairly common in our hobby.

One of the more entertaining items I have received is shown nearby. A friend recently purchased at a stamp show this postcard showing the Eiffel Tower and franked with a French definitive stamp.

How does this relate to philatelic gift giving? If you’ve been to crafting stores or some furniture stores, you may have seen pillows, fabric and other home goods decorated with similar types of postcards and stamps.

I know that my friend purchased this postcard not only because it was fun but also because it represented well some of the items that designers have gravitated toward for a vintage feel.

Friends also have created homemade gifts for me with a philatelic angle to them. These have ranged from clothing to picture frames and more.

I’m sure Linn’s readers also have some entertaining tales of gifts inspired by stamps, covers or other aspects of the hobby (received for holidays, birthdays or just because). I would enjoy hearing about them, and perhaps we will publish a few to inspire, or perhaps amuse, others in a future issue of Linn’s.

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