Wilbur the Pig inspires young collector

Fourteen-year-old Amber O'Reilly's passion for philately was fuelled by her father, but her inspiration came from an animated pig named Wilbur according to the Edmonton Journal.

O'Reilly is quoted as saying, "I've always liked pigs - I had a stuffed animal collection - but I was three when I saw Charlotte's Web and it was one of the first movies that made me cry."

Her pig-themed stamp collection, currently at more than 1,000 and growing, is on display at the Edmonton Stamp Show.

The Edmonton Stamp Club, with nearly 350 members, is one of the biggest clubs in Canada. It is also one of the oldest, its activities dating back to 1912.

Reporter Jamie Hall writes, "Then, collecting stamps of the world was almost a rite of passage for children, but that is no longer the case...In the world of philately, which attracts those of a much older vintage, the teenager stands out."

Shown above, Wilbur the Pig commemorative which was one of the "Favorite Children's Book Animals" stamps issued in 2006 by the United States Postal Service.

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