What collecting leads to

Hi Folks

Collecting opened up a whole new world to me. I think that those of us that
collects stamps etc have an advantage over some hobbies. We are generally
geographically minded. We have a grip on history. We have an idea about
value.

I collect for the fun of it. True, I would love to have the gems that I see
in the various publications. Most of all, it occupies many hours. I can
easlily get wrapped up in stamps. I also have a collection of postal history
too. Some good ones and certainly, a lot of cheapies too. But the main thing
is, I am satisfied.

They say that one hobby leads to another. This is very true.

I am into the martial arts. Just recently, I started to collect stamps with
a martial arts theme on top of what I have been collecting for years. My
wife has aquariums with tropical fish. She asked me many years ago if
countries around the world issued stamps with fish and marine life on them.
Well, as you probably guessed, she now collects stamps pertaining to fish
and sealife as well as the real thing.

Hobbies in general brings to us a lot of satifaction and peace. I think
hobbies make us better intellectually too.
I can spend a few cents to 'x' number of dollars on stamps or covers. Either
way, I am satisfied.

I think overall it has made my day.

What do you think?

Happy collecting

Larry Matthews

On Sat, 7 Feb 2004 23:02:32 -0500, "L & L Matthews"
wrote:

Hobbies in general brings to us a lot of satifaction and peace. I think
hobbies make us better intellectually too.

Absolutely. As long as we take our hobby seriously and ourselves not
so...

I can spend a few cents to 'x' number of dollars on stamps or covers. Either
way, I am satisfied.

Overall, yes!

I think overall it has made my day.

Good deal. I know I've had stamp days like that as well.

Tracy Barber

| I am into the martial arts. Just recently, I started to collect stamps with
| a martial arts theme on top of what I have been collecting for years.


I have scans of Judo stamps from Cuba and Umm alQwiwain
if your interested.
From my previous post under "Great Stamp Blunders"
there is this with a Judo flavour............

HTH



SN 25-7 July 1978

Spain's World Judo Championship stamps issued on December 29, 1977 seems an
innocent enough issue, yet it must rate as one of Europe's oddest releases for some
years. Writing in "Stamp Magazine" Graham Turner tells the extraordinary
background to this stamp as follows:
The 3 peseta stamp was originally prepared by Spain's State Mint in Madrid for
release on September 19, 1977 - opening day of the Tenth World Judo
Championships due to be held in Barcelona. But disaster struck a few days before the
event began. There were acute political problems arising from the participation of the
Formosa team, and the championships were unexpectedly cancelled.
The Spanish Post Office hurriedly ordered the withdrawal of the Judo issue, but this
proved to be easier said than done at such short notice. The problem is that in Spain,
the Post Office doesn't distribute its own stamps. This is done, believe it or not, by the
state-run tobacco company known as Tabacalera. The tobacco company had already
distributed supplies of the new stamp to various regions of Spain, and as weeks went
by it became known that the stamp had actually been put on sale in the province of
Granada. Not surprisingly, this 'leak' of an unissued stamp caused a sensation in
philatelic circles, and dealers were frantically trying to buy copies for around £175
apiece.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Post Office was left scratching its head in embarrassment,
with the best part of eight million useless stamps on their hands. After a couple of
months of official hum-ming and ha-ing, they decided that the best solution was to
stifle all the speculation and get rid of their surplus stamps with one fell swoop. They
decided to release the stamp.
The revised release date was December 29, 1977, but due to the holidays, supplies
weren't generally available until January 5, and collectors were amazed to find that
their first new issue of the New Year was a stamp dated 1977 and commemorating an
event that didn't take place!
But, amid all the confusion, there's one thing worth bearing in mind. If you come
across the ill-fated judo stamp on cover, spare a second to glance at the date on the
postmark. It could be that small batch of September stamps that slipped accidentally
across the counter. So if the datestamp reads September or October 1977, grab it
quick!