a really beautiful stamp in my view

Hello, Today a friend here in Sydney gave me some stamps. He collects them from letters he receives and every now and again we meet up for lunch and exchange stories, and I get a few stamps. Of course the stamps are all modern, current issues and from a few countries, including the US and Great Britain, as well as, and mostly, Australia. I decided to sort and soak them as soon as I got home. Reason I am telling you this? Well I have not much more than 60% of what he gave me. Most stamps do not soak off these days. You knew that right? So is this the end of collecting modern issues? Of course it is. I've been saying this for a few years for a number of reasons actually. And, added to my reasons, is this use of non soluable gums. Really a way to stop stamp collecting as we have known it for the past 100 years. Why? because no one will be soaking stamps and enjoying the relaxation etc that gives, and then placing the stamps in albums. That is a dead past time, a dead hobby. Don't try to soak modern stamps. GB, Australia, US.. maybe others I do not see. You will have little to no success. Collecting from now on - actually from a few years back I started this with my own GB collection - will be with the stamp still on envelope, or at least a portion of the envelope.

So that is my ramble and rant. Your views? or have you given up collecting new issues used? Using GB as an example even as far back as 1960(the year, not the SG number) you will find used stamps are catalogued more than Mint. I've been saying for some years now, collect GB commemoratives postally used - if you can find them. :-)

so back to the stamp I showed. What a surprise to find this. How lovely a stamp is it? Brilliant in my view. But what is missing? Yes there is no postal franking. What is even more amazing is that a GB Commemorative was actually used on a letter..... :-) unexpected I am sure as Royal Mail seem to think these are issued for collectors of mint stamps only, many Post Offices do not even sell the commemoratives, so I have read.. or seen implied... Anyway, rather than get systems that work ( re franking) the Royal Mail now produce stamps with non soluble gum..... hopefully the commemoratives will still be sold in regular gums for a while, but I doubt it given the total (it would appear from anecdotal evidence) incompetency of the Royal mail franking processes. So even less chance of used commemoratives saved as stamps should be saved :-)

write to me at cddstamps@gmail.com or post a reply / comment here. If we want stamp collecting to continue as a hobby for generations to come something will have to change; either the way we collect and mount / store our used stamps, or the Postal Authorities view towards collectors, and I wouldn't back the Postal Authorities if I were you.

Enjoy your stamps.. if you enjoyed reading this, and agree, write to me. If you didn't enjoy and don't agree, write to me. I welcome all points of view.

Michael