Stamps and Stamp Collectors - Endangered Species?

Oliver Good writes on the National.com website, "Stamp collecting is a pursuit that combines elements of history, art and investment, all of which are quite respectable on their own. So why is the image of a hobbyist clutching a magnifying glass, painstakingly placing his latest purchase into an album a slightly depressing one?"

He goes on to pen,"For most of us, stamps are like batteries or petrol: an expense that all must endure but few actually enjoy. And if enthusiasm for government-issue stationery isn’t baffling enough, what about the multimillion-dirham price tags that rare stamps can command?"

"And in an age of e-mail, prepaid postage stickers and same-day courier services, could the common stamp, and by extension the philatelist, become endangered species?," he asks.

Shown above, 1995 Endangered Species sheet.

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