Selection Of Avatar

Mine represents my change from a dabbler in U.S. revenues to a dedicated collector. I purchased this stamp and a Boston Revenue Book from Richard Friedberg at the Columbian Stamp Expo in Chicago in 1992. I had to borrow money from a friend to do it, having already blown my budget on my other collecting passion, worldwide 1840-1940 in a Scott International Part 1.

The avatar I have chosen was picked because the steamer on the stamp is berthed only 14 miles S of us, and, is still in operation today. My wife and I have been on it several times. The steamer also has a significant place in the history of the area here as well.

Chimo

Bujutsu

I gave a lot of thought as to what stamp to use for my avatar. Three choices were the SC#621 (my mother's grandfather emigrated from Norway and when I was a child I always wanted to be a Viking), the SC#1041 8¢ Liberty (my favorite stamp as a child) and the SC# C-23 (which I think is one of the most beautiful stamps ever printed).



Like many of you, I collected stamps as a child, but got away from it in my 20's. (While I was in the US Army my sister threw out my stamp collection.) I began collecting coins again in the 1990's and when the 50 State Quarter series started in 1999 I had the idea to set them in a frame to hang on the wall. I happened to see a photo of the 1982 State Birds and Flowers stamp sheet and thought that it would look good framed next to the state quarters, so I found a stamp dealer and bought it. I never framed the quarters, but the birds & flowers is still hanging in my living room. The more I looked at it back in 1999, the more I like the idea of collecting stamps again. I began to hang out at the post office, and before long I was a philatelist again. So as I live in Michigan and it was the birds & flowers sheet that brought me back to stamps I decided to use the Michigan stamp as my avatar. (I hope my post isn't too long & I didn't bore everyone to tears.)

One of my favorite early U.S. stamps, and I just like the way it looks

BKing, my mom graduated from a Michigan high school. I, too, had someone toss my childhood collection. We collected those quarters for our oldest child. I have been a 'student' of ornithology, for the past 8 years, and do enjoy, in particular, the stamps of birds.

Those are just a couple of things, I can identify with, in your post. It did not seem too long, nor was it boring. I can appreciate the symbolism of your avatar, after your explanation. Thanks for sharing it.

sdtom, thanks for starting this thread, and asking the question. I am enjoying reading, and learning about the other members here, and as well as, about the stamps, themselves.

I've always liked the US 1869 Regular Issue - unusual size and shape, plus some interesting subjects. I started assembling a specialized collection of the 3-cent locomotive a couple years ago and the pre-printing crease is the most visibly striking piece I have.

Each avatar tells a little bit about the person.

I was just getting back into stamp collecting. I had never really noticed the C23 stamp before and thought it was the bees knees. I had recently acquired a plate number block of the stamp and used it for my avatar.

Over the last year I have been seriously thinking of changing my avatar. My main collecting passions are the stamps and postal history of Panama and Minnesota postal history.

Mine comes from a old cover bearing a postmark from my home town.

Although I don't currently collect U.S., this series and the 1901 series are my U.S. favorites. I particularly like this stamp. The color is my homage to the ebay fraudsters. It took all of about 30 seconds to a minute of photoshopping to modify the stamp, thus illustrating how easy it is to be fooled by those with bad intentions...and also reminding me to never rely on the colors I see on internet auction items.

keep on going. Very intelligent reasons