Thursday, January 21, 2010

A Passion for Postage

Colorado's Loveland Reporter-Herald features collector Ron Surace in an article by reporter Sarah Bultema.

Sarah writes, "A few decades ago, Ron Surace was looking for a way to relax.The self-described 'Type A' personality who couldn’t unwind went to his doctor seeking advice. There, the recommendation surprised him. 'Quit drinking so much coffee and get yourself a good hobby,' Surace remembers his doctor bluntly telling him. So Surace took his advice and tried stamp collecting. Sure enough, it worked."

Ron is quoted in the piece as saying, "(The doctor) was right. It’s one of the most relaxing things you can do.I have no patience, but I can sit here for five hours working with stamps.If you love history and treasure hunting, this is incredible. It’s like being a modern- day treasure hunter. You never know what you’re going to find.”

While Ron has splurged for a certain stamp in auctions, most of his collection comes from digging through boxes of old letters and stamps he’s bought in bulk from companies or individuals according to Sarah.

Sarah says, "Surace only collects stamps that were made before around 1965 — but with the postage payment dating back into the 1800s, there are plenty of them for him to find."

Shown above, Ron looks through a book containing some of his stamp collection.

To read the entire article, click here.
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posted by Don Schilling at 12:01 AM