Stamps Give Collectors Mental Satisfaction

Bob Dumaine, owner of Sam Houston Duck Co., is featured in a nice article that appears in the Houston Chronicle.

Written by reporter Alyson Ward, "Collectors Looking for New Generation to Carry on Hobby," says
"Dumaine, 73, got his first stamp at age 10, but he didn't become a real collector until he was in high school. That's when he ventured into a New Orleans stamp shop and fell in love with an orange Columbian stamp, part of a set issued to celebrate the Chicago World's Fair in 1893."

Ward goes on to say, "As an adult, Dumaine became an expert on Duck Stamps, a required purchase for hunters of migratory waterfowl. After 25 years, he left his career in the oil industry behind and became a stamp dealer. He now owns Sam Houston Duck Co. at 14780 Memorial, where he sells Duck Stamps, postage stamps and more to an international clientele."

Dumaine is quoted in the piece as saying, stamp collecting "gives you a mental sort of satisfaction."

And the more collectors work at it, he said - the more time they invest - the more interesting it becomes.

Shown above, Bob Dumaine.

To read the entire article, click here.

Ben Franklin on New Canadian Stamp Stirs Controversy

Canada's CTV News reports, "A new stamp to be issued by Canada Post Monday is already raising eyebrows for its depiction of famous American inventor, philosopher and founding father Benjamin Franklin. But officials say the tribute makes sense, if you know a little about Canadian postal history."

According to the report, "The stamp is being released to mark 250 years of postal service in Canada. Looking back at the service’s history, Canada Post notes that in 1753, Franklin, then Philadelphia Postmaster, was promoted to joint deputy postmaster general for the British colonies.He opened the first Canadian post office in Halifax to serve as a link between the Atlantic colonies and Britain, before going on to start mail service in Quebec."

To learn more about the controversy and watch a video, click here.

New Documentary Explores Stamp Collecting

A documentary about stamp collecting,  “Freaks & Errors: A Rare Collection,” is in works according to Collectors Weekly.

Reporter Lisa Hix writes,"Chicago-based documentary filmmaker Mark Cwiakala grew up surrounded by stamps, yet, he never felt compelled to become a collector himself. However, eight years ago, he teamed with executive producer Jonathan Singer to go on a globetrotting journey to find out what exactly made stamps so irresistible to his grandfather and father, both well-respected philatelists."

According to Hix many people perceive stamp collectors as "out-of-touch eccentrics, obsessed with an old-timey habit." “Freaks & Errors: A Rare Collection," hopes to change that perception.

Mark Cwiakala is quoted as saying, "As a documentary filmmaker, it interested me simply that there’s never been a feature-length documentary on stamp-collecting. My grandfather was a well-known collector for more than 70 years, and my dad is a collector and philatelic consultant. But I don’t want it to seem like I’m making this documentary to promote them or their business interests. I’m not a stamp collector myself, but I wanted to learn more about why they do it, and why it’s so special to them."

To read the entire article, click here.