Magic In Small Pieces of Paper

Community Journalist Jerry Shnay of Chicago's Neighborhood Star website writes about the upcoming Park Forest Stamp Club's 50th anniversary show on April 10-11.

Jerry pens, "Stamp collecting was once an easy way to learn a country's geography, history and culture. Stamps had stories, and collecting those small pieces of gummed paper was perhaps the best way to travel around the world. From Rio Muni and French Polynesia to Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, stamps had wonderful tales to tell.

"It is different now. You don't need stamps to talk to the other side of the world, only a computer. Small countries now make money selling large billboard-like stamps that never see the outside of an envelope.

"But the magic of stamp collecting never fades. The assortment of worldwide stamps, old covers, cards, is still fascinating. There is still powerful magic in those small pieces of paper. See for yourself when you go to the exhibition."

For more on the show, click here.