Encouraging more collectors
How we can encourage more collectors to join the philatelic hobby of stamp collecting?
That is a magic question which every postal corporation in the world would like to have an answer to. Each country has its own itinerary of issues over a year, but there seem to be common factors which seem to correspond with some international postal union themes, especially in terms of definitive, because flowers seem to be common in a lot of countries.
Canada’s 2018 stamps are diverse this year, with many themes. For too long has the Chinese new year been the first stamp. There are many New Year’s themes that would be interesting. Women in sports were a good choice, but for the first responders, a more personal Governor General Award stamp might have been better than “Who are the people on the stamps?”
The sharks, like dinosaurs, although interesting to some, are seldom seen by most if any people over a year. Show us things we are familiar with. Canadian history is diverse and interesting and to most people’s surprise, is still going on today, right in front of us. The renegotiated NAFTA deal has just been finalized. Would that make a historic tri-issue stamp between the U.S., Canada and Mexico?
We also have a pair of astronomy stamps for the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The stamp featuring the aurora borealis is very significant to the Canadian sky, just like the Big Dipper would be, but the stamp showing the Milky Way is usually not very visible from the northern sky.
British stamps this year have a lot to celebrate with the royal wedding, but here, too, we see the collector card fetish of catering to movie and television series themes, with Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, with 15 and 16 stamps respectively. There are also some series on the anniversary of Captain Cook, reintroduced animal species, owls, the First World War, as well as art and architecture. There is also an issue for the 70th birthday of Prince Charles.
Other countries are not mentioned here, but they all have interesting and historical stamps. It seems that Canada Post has lost touch with our history. We have seen so many hockey cards (stamps) that are too big and high priced for mailing, and football, that other sports are forgotten, along with our loved or hated politicians.
Going down Nostalgia Road, do you remember the 10 stamps of the provincial premiers, the two stamps of the Charletton Conference, or the stamps of our first astronauts? We have had some nice stamps over the years. Creating new and interesting themes that enhance the image and history of Canada are key to encouraging collectors.
Walter Kerber is a longtime member of the Lethbridge Philatelic Society