Saturday, April 14, 2007

Photo Hunters - Hobby

Call me old-fashioned, in these days when you practically get things done through computers. I receive mail - personal and business - through the computer.

I have been collecting stamps since I was 10, when my Dad wanted to throw away his letters and I took a fancy to the stamps on the envelope. He later produced a stack of old letters which had stamps from the time when the British ruled Singapore.

Then I started having pen-pals when I was 12. Teens from different parts of the world would write me letters frequently. And they would send me stamps from their countries. I would wait expectantly for overseas mail. It was fun. Whenever I had an enveloped addressed to me, I would be on cloud nine. Even up to this day. I love to open my personal mail or a parcel. hehe....

I think I strike gold. Many of the stamps in my collection are more than half a century old, and some were issued to commemorate some big events. I have a stamp from my UK penpal, it was issued to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana then.

I'm going to have them valued. hehe..... *rubs my hands in glee....*

44 comments:

  1. I lost all my old stamp albums!!! I had so many too.. Semua gone!! *cries* And all those First Day Covers..

    And you're gonna be such a millionaire when you get all yours valued!!! Buy me one Lormaikai, ok?

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  2. lb,
    How come lost leh? aiyooo... sayang.

    Buy you the whole restaurant also no problem lah.

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  3. hi, i bloghopped from dr chen's.

    stamp collection? i shifted house so many times...now cannot remember where i left them.

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  4. Wah hello cantik nyonyapenang!
    Welcome.

    aiyooo.... sayang lor! Quick go and find, maybe you can become million air oso!

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  5. Hi eastcoastlife, thanks for visting my blog at http://hanneng.sg

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  6. Stamp collecting sounds like a wonderful hobby. How exciting to find out the value of your collection!

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  7. woohoo, i also collect stamps :P

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  8. My cousin gave me all his stamps when I was in primary school. I dun remember much of it except those "colourful" ones, if you know what I mean ;) Then one day, he asked me to return them, ALL of them. I learned later on that he gave it to one of his friends. Damn! If not, I think I'll also be rubbing my hands (hands only hor) not only in glee, but also in ecstasy... wahaha..

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  9. Hi Eastcoastlife, Wow! Have not heard of anyone (girls) collecting stamps long time, collecting boyfriends or lovers ada la. Ha ha. Just kidding.
    Good for you ECL, never know you might hit the jackpot. Especially those prewar days.
    I too collected stamps when young, then sold all when going abroad for studies. Returned collected again, then sold when migrated here. And here I now have 21 years of collection...I have those stamps with Hollywood actors as well comic book heros. Love them.
    Talking about comic books...I had hundreds of Captain Marvel, Phantom, Blackhawk, Kit carson, Lash Larue, Buck Jones comics etc etc. All bought at 45 cents each old days.
    Would you believe some collectors are paying US $500 for a immaculate one? One! Satu!
    Alamak oi! My mom gave them all away when I went for further studies.
    There was a Lash Larue comic book sold for $1500!!! One!! Aiyohhh! And I had so many!
    So, dudok bus instead of BMW. Ha ha.
    You have a great weekend, ECL. UL.

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  10. Stamp collecting is a good hobby...so much history!

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  11. A stamp collection can tell stories that can fill volumes. The worth of the collection is as valuable as the person wants it to be. You cannot place value on thoughts ideas and feelings that these little pieces of paper gives. Yes you could sell the paper but never the feelings. Continue success in your collections.

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  12. Oh, you collect stamps. The next time if I were to find my stamp album during spring cleaning (I wonder when that would ever be), I shall consider you as a potential recipient. My father used to encourage me to collect stamps, but I never learn the true value of it back then.

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  13. Hi daisy,
    Thanks for dropping in. I find your hobby interesting... but I dun like lizards very much :)

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  14. Hi nicole girl girl,
    You collect stamps oso huh! Good lor! same same as Mommy hehe....

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  15. Chris hehehe,
    We tok macam from Mars... hahaha.
    Stamps got colourful ones oso meh? Neber seen one.
    Sayang hor... if not we two can rub together (hands only lah!)muahahahaha....

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  16. Hi Uncle Lee,
    I think I better start collecting boyfriends liao ..... hahaha... see lah! kena influence by you liao!

    Waaahhh... sibei sayang hor! If not you would have enough money to fly business class to Singapore and have daily trips to top nightclub! Then shark's fin soup for dinner and bird's nest soup for breakfast. And I can tag along. haiz.....

    Neber mind, see I got luck or not. let me go value my stamps first ah.....

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  17. hehehe... Captain Picard,
    I should learn more about the history of my stamps than their value, right? I'm such a mercenary!

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  18. Teacher Dave,
    Thanks for the good advice. I'm sure that are lots of stories and a rich history behind the stamps. Let me do some research on them.

    My son Jaymes has developed an interest in my stamps too. Probably he gets to inherit them.

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  19. So oceanskies, you collected stamps when you were younger too! Hope you find your stamp album so we can exchange stamps!

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  20. Very cool hobby. I haven't heard of anyone stamp collecting in awhile. Ir is such a cool hobby. So much history and meaning behind it. Way cool!!

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  21. I dabbled in that when I was a teenager, too, but never continued as you did. Stamps are fascinating and full of history, both personal and national history. You have a lot of memories there.

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  22. you will be surprised to find that some of them may be colllectors' items by now

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  23. Hi present storm,
    Thanks for dropping in.

    I like your hobby which is scrapbooking. haven't got down to doing it, but I probably would do one for my son.

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  24. Hi robk,
    Thanks for dropping in. Welcome.
    I see that you collect stamps also.
    :)

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  25. meeyauw,
    I have been collecting stamps for about 30 years. Wow! And some of the stamps have historical value.

    I shall learn more about them.

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  26. bengbeng,
    I hope they are collectors' items!hehehe....

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  27. That looks like an interesting hobby. There are some really cool stamps out now days.

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  28. Hi autumn,
    Thanks for coming.

    I haven't been getting many stamps in recent years because people are just not sending letters or cards through snail mail.

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  29. I too collected stamps in the past, during my school days..
    I think I lost all my collections d after my sister shifted house 3 years back...
    *aiyhhhh*

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  30. i don't have many stamps, but I do have a collection at least. By the way, I have written a post on Chen Wen Hsi and his artwork printed on stamps. Would you mind if I put a link to this post? Somehow, this post reminded me that I still have things to share about Chen Wen Hsi, so I think I shall give you some due credit.

    It will be posted in a couple of days time on Yesterday.sg and on my blog.

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  31. Hi Eastcoastlife: I used to collect stamps when I was young. But when I grew up, I don't do this anymore... I don't know where are the collection books nowadays. Hmm...

    BTW, you have changed the way on how people leave comments on your blog...?

    Windy

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  32. At the risk of talking about work, I would strongly recommend you to visit the Singapore Philatelic Museum at Coleman Street. Its a little gem of a museum (in the words of Tommy Koh), and has lots of interesting, quirky little facts about stamps which are just right up the alley of philatelists both amateur and professional.

    Personally, I am not much of a collector though but I do always marvel at how folks like you can put in so much love into your hobbies. We definitely should talk more, and I should also introduce you to Uncle Wee Kiat.

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  33. Wow, this is a good hobby. ECL, if should you have the time, why not take a few beautiful one & show it to us. Pls.....

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  34. aaahh... chen,
    What a pity! You could have been a millionare too!

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  35. oceanskies,
    Of course you can put a link to my post, I trust you because you have always written factual posts.

    But I hope your readers don't mind the adult content on my blog...hehe...

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  36. Hello windy!
    During our young days, we don't have computers, so I think stamp-collecting seems the most common hobby at that time.

    yes, I have to moderate the comments now because I have cowards who make irritating and anonymous comments.

    Sorry for the inconvenience to my blogger buddies.

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  37. Oh cool insider,
    I do want to visit Singapore Philatelic Museum and blog about it. Thanks for the info, it is on my list of must visit and I hope you could give me all the help I need.

    Yes, I would love to meet Uncle Wee Kiat and see if he could tell me the stories behind my stamps.

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  38. Pauline,
    Next bloggers' meet-up at my house, you can admire my collection of stamps and whatever... hehehe...

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  39. I wish I could find the stamps from my pen pal days. Lot of fun getting stuff out of the blue. Even a little card can warm the heart.

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  40. right SA,
    I miss my penpals. I often wonder how they are doing now, some of them are in their 50s.

    I love surprises.

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  41. Here's the post that I have written for Yesterday.sg that has a link to your post.

    By the way, Uncle Wee Kiat is fantastic. I think it will be good to learn from him. Give him a theme (e.g. Chen Wen Hsi's gibbons) and he can almost point you to the stamps related to that theme. :)

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  42. What a cute kid :) It's important to be there for all the important first steps. Happy hunting!

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