I remember collecting stamps as a child; I had a gigantic album with preprinted pages, and whenever I found a new stamp I would search the album diligently until I found the image that corresponded to the stamp, and carefully attach stamp to page with one of those little cellulose tapes. It was fun, but a little daunting, since there were many more images of stamps on the pages than actual stamps.
I think if I started the hobby again I would do things differently, and I would be right in style. Today many people focus on assembling their own unique collections based on the subject matter of their choice. Aeronautical themes, animals, celebrities, historical figures and other topics are popular choices among stamp collectors.
I think I would start with art-both commemoratives of famous artists and reproductions of the artworks themselves. I already have a First Day of Issue cover from the Vatican City pavilion of the 1965 New York World's Fair, with a large reproduction of Michelangelo's Pieta. I treasure that; it reminds me of the viewing I had of the actual statue during my visit to the pavilion-the statue closed off by glass, bathed in blue light, while the onlookers were moved steadily along by a conveyor belt that ran parallel to the stage housing the statue.
That small memento means a lot to me; and that is the point of individualized collections. They can be deeply personal, very meaningful, and a catalyst for keeping in touch with the things we find important in our lives. The quiet pursuit of collecting special stamps that somehow speak to us seems much more rewarding to me than simply matching random stamps to images in a preprinted book.
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.