The Reluctant Philatelist begins....

What is a reluctant philatelist?  I believe it is a stamp collector that is in it for fun, not to be bound by the stuffiness of the hobby.  More serious philatelists zero in on a particular area of the hobby, which enables them to put together high quality exhibits.  These exhibits are put on display at various stamp shows and are judged by a panel of experts.  This is all good and well, but I believe this is not for the faint of heart (or the broke of wallet).  Exhibitors are usually very serious, spend lots of money acquiring material for their exhibits, and spend tons of time of research.

Let me share with you a less serious side of the hobby.  Before I do, I need to share my story about how I got started in the hobby.  My husband dabbled in philately in his youth, mostly because well meaning adults had first day covers sent to him.  Well into adulthood, his mother found his material and insisted he take it home.  I think all empty nest mothers begin a mission to clear out their children's "stuff" as soon as they can.  Years later, hubby saw an advertisement in a local paper for a stamp show in the area.  He grabbed our youngest son and off they went to the show, mostly to see what it was all about.  While there, they both joined the local club that sponsored the show. After a while, I was curious about what this was all about, so I began attending meetings with them.  The rest, as they say, is history.  I was completely hooked.  However, I was hooked in a different way than the serious collectors.  I was having fun!

Instead of exhibiting, I enjoy looking at the beautiful and interesting exhibits.  I believe in being active in any group that I'm involved in, so I give back to my club, the West Suburban Stamp Club.  I am currently the secretary and newsletter editor.  I also serve on the committee that puts together our annual show, The Plymouth Show.  My husband and I have taken several vacations attending stamp shows in various parts of the country.  I probably spend more time talking with other collectors at stamps shows than I do searching for stamps and covers.  I enjoy attending our local club meetings and the presentations by members and guests.  These presentations have allowed me to learn about the hobby.  I have also learned a lot about art, history and culture along the way.

I know that I will probably never pull an exhibit together, but if you want to have fun, learn about history and culture, and meet some pretty nice people, come along with me.

Thanks for reading.