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De-Lurking Member / Stamps For The Wounded

 
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New Member
United States
3 Posts
Posted 05/13/2025   10:56 am  Show Profile Bookmark this topic Add ferthalangur to your friends list Get a Link to this Message
Greetings!

I have been lurking for a while in this Community, but this is my introductory post.

I have been a stamp collector since my early teenage years. As with many collectors, it has been an "on again / off again" thing most of my adult life. As they say ... "life happens" ... college, careers, kids, etc. The stamp collection gathers dust for years, then it calls and you come back ... then you get busy. When I traveled to a foreign country, I would try to purchase some mint stamps from the country at the post office, which made for some interesting "populated areas" in an otherwise sparse albu.

I started out collecting everything, somewhat indiscriminately. As I learned more, I became a little more selective about condition, grade, whether to buy quantity or quality, etc. When I retired, and planned to spend more time with my stamps, I realized that I could not collect the whole world, all the way into the present. Specialization has always been difficult to me, but I made a solid decision to dispose of every stamp in my collection that was issued after 1963. So I did. Everything, except Iceland.

I had been collecting year sets from Iceland since I first visited the country, and I decided that I would keep them, and work that country backwards, at least until I got to the point where I could not afford to fill more spaces. Fortunately, they stopped issuing new postage stamps (at least for now), so it is a finite country to collect. I think we will need a new term in the philatelic lexicon. "Dead countries" refers to stamp-issuing entities that no longer exist independently, or that no longer have a separate postal system. Iceland continues to have a working postal system, they just don't need to issue new stamps, or create new stamp designs. They always have the option to resume, or to reprint existing designs.

I am also a beekeeper, and I have started a collection of stamps, covers and philatelia related to honey bees and beekeeping. There are some interesting possibilities, since the US Postal Service still ships bees in the mail.

Finally, I am a volunteer with Stamps for the Wounded (SFTW), which is based here in the Washington DC area (Dunn Loring / Vienna, Virginia). At present, I am the president of the organization. It is a huge job. It takes up most of my time. So, once again, my own collection sits, calling for attention.

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Pillar Of The Community
Netherlands
5536 Posts
Posted 05/13/2025   11:20 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add NSK to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
"Dead countries" refers to stamp-issuing entities that no longer exist independently, or that no longer have a separate postal system.


From Linn's Stamp News (https://www.linns.com/insights/stam...ntries.html)


Quote:
There are times when the name of a country will undergo a permanent and significant change, usually under historic circumstances, such as the installation of new government or a declaration of independence.

Even if the shape of the country doesn't change, when the earlier name is retired the country is considered dead, and the newly named country is considered a new entity.


Irish Free State (Saorstat Eireann) = Ireland
Persia = Iran since 21-3-1935

Not to mention the many colonies of European countries that did not lose, but gained their independence and have just changed their names.

Or European countries that were annexed and then resurfaced:
Republic of Lithuania = Lithuania
Republic of Estonia = Estonia
Republic of Latvia = Latvia
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Edited by NSK - 05/13/2025 11:30 am
Pillar Of The Community
United States
3424 Posts
Posted 05/13/2025   2:01 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Parcelpostguy to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply


Quote:
Finally, I am a volunteer with Stamps for the Wounded (SFTW), which is based here in the Washington DC area (Dunn Loring / Vienna, Virginia). At present, I am the president of the organization. It is a huge job. It takes up most of my time.


The is no need to use the search function here at the SCF, but if you did, you will see I am directly responsible for helping inundate you with donations. I often even attach the illustration below. I have know JH since the 70's and that was when I learned of SFTW from him.

FYI, you are not the only beekeeper on the forum and no it is not me. I will alert him to you post.



Additionally it is my fault you get some much material from the Santa Rosa (CA) Stamp Club either in out name or the President's name from a town just north of Santa Rosa.
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
816 Posts
Posted 05/13/2025   2:28 pm  Show Profile Check johnsim03's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add johnsim03 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Welcome!

Very nice to see you here!

I know who you are but suffice it to say that this "new" guy will be a great asset here...trust me.

John
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
3424 Posts
Posted 05/13/2025   4:43 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Parcelpostguy to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Please see: https://goscf.com/t/89559#830528 3rd and 4th posts in thread ferthalangur.
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New Member
United States
3 Posts
Posted 05/14/2025   4:04 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add ferthalangur to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
you will see I am directly responsible for helping inundate you with donations. I often even attach the illustration below. I have know JH since the 70's and that was when I learned of SFTW from him.


Thank you. Being inundated with donations is certainly a good problem to have.

When I set up the web site for SFTW in 2020, the goal was to be inundated with veterans who wanted to receive stamps from us.

So keep on spreading the word ... we will keep on sending out the stamps and supplies to our vets.
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Valued Member
Learn More...
United Kingdom
87 Posts
Posted 05/16/2025   6:38 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add pjr to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Hello!

I'd be interested to learn why you picked 1963 as the cut-off date for your collections.

I collect Iceland but (as you say) the early issues are frighteningly expensive.

Would it be reasonable to call the countries that have stopped issuing stamps "post-stamp countries"? Or is that too simple?
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