Stamp collecting always used to be straight forward. You started off, while still at school, sticking stamps from all round the world into a Junior Album. The only criterion of success was the total number of stamps you'd collected...it's true, isn't it?
Then you progressed to collecting stamps by country. You would probably have started with Great Britain, and then moved on to Empire and Commonwealth. For each country, you would collect by date and set, starting with the easy ones, and saving up for the more difficult. And for the brave few there were Foreign Stamps, which came in packets, and were difficult to decipher.
And then you'd discover the delights of going out, or staying in, and other distractions.
But as the other distractions begin to pall, many former collectors come back to the hobby, slightly ashamed to admit it, perhaps, because stamp collecting has such a nerdy reputation, and not certain what to collect, or even how.
Do not worry. Stamps have changed. Collecting has changed. The only rule now is that you collect whatever you want to collect. Hercule Poirot probably set the style when he arranged his collection in order of size, but many collectors now choose some subject or theme which is of interest, and follow that line. Even the catalogue publishers have recognised the New Collecting, and it's possible to buy catalogues for stamps with subjects such as cars, or aircraft, mushrooms or fish.
So, whether you collect in the traditional way (which is quite OK) or by subject or theme (which is OK, too) or even by size or shape, you will be welcome at Southport Stamp & Postcard Club. Our Alphabetic evenings give Members the chance to be creative. In September 2005 the subjects were 'G' and 'S' which could range from Gladioli to Gerbils or Geronimo, and from 'Submarines to Sharks or even Stalin.
In the meantime, may we take you to two or three alternative worlds? We have a few examples of Classic Stamps, Commemoratives and Pictorials. Not a case of Click and Stick, but Click and Go!
Or, if you've read enough, click on the Penny Lilac to go back to the home page!
