CONVERSATIONS WITH PHILATELISTS
Our brand new column from the creators of the popular stamp collecting podcast
My name is Michael Cortese, and alongside Charles Epting, I co-host the podcast ‘Conversations with Philatelists’. This issue we will be looking back on our interviews this past February. The month started off with an interview that we had been looking forward to for some time – Larry Rosenblum. Larry started his career as a philatelic writer back in the 1980s. An advisor for two philatelic societies, and a member of many more, Larry Rosenblum has spent the better part of four decades writing about and promoting the hobby. During the interview, we discussed his book, An Introduction to the Stamps of Great Britain, and his love for the Machin.
Following Larry, we interviewed Roy Betts, a name not soon forgotten. Roy is the Senior Public Relations Representative in Corporate Communications for the United States Postal Service (USPS), meaning that he is in charge of promoting all new USPS issues to the general public. As a second generation US Postal Service employee, Roy reflected on the career path that brought him to his position today, and gave us an inside look at how stamps are marketed to the public.
In mid-february, we launched a mini-episode in which we talked to the sponsors and partners of the Philatelic Traders’ Society Virtual Stampex show. We discussed the upcoming show with Heinrich Koehler, The Royal Philatelic Society London, Spink, and the American Philatelic Society.
The third full episode for February was one that Charles and I felt quite personally invested in. We spoke with Marcus Orsi and Ricky Verra of David Feldman, on the importance of mentorship for young professional philatelists. Marcus also reflected on the changing nature of full-time dealers and auction houses in the hobby. I feel this is one of the most important conversations we have held thus far.
To finish up February, we spoke with Lawrence Block, an award-winning fiction writer who also moonlit as a philatelic columnist from 2009-2012. In our conversation, Lawrence reflects on his time as a philatelist, and talks about the representation of philately in works of fiction, and how his passion for it shaped character development in his well known ‘Keller’ series, whose main character is a stamp collecting serial killer. February was a month full of especially engaging conversations, as we hosted such a wide variety of different guests. It was inspiring to witness how philately impacts and touches people’s lives in different ways.
In the popular podcast ‘Conversations with philatelists’ Michael Cortese of Noblespirit and Charles Epting of H.R. Harmer interview philatelists around the world; collectors, dealers, exhibitors, enthusiasts, and researchers. Find out more and watch the episodes at: www.philatelypodcast.com and read updates on the interviews in every issue of Stamp Collector magazine.