Several years ago, I read in one of the Stamp magazines a sad article about a philatelist who had to sell his collection because of failing eyesight.
Clearly in a hobby that is all about “seeing”, this is a nightmare scenario. It is the same for a music fan who loses the joy of “hearing”.
It was October 1970, when I started organising my stamp collection and writing it up. The problem with starting off a collection is that we are bound for (at least fifty-two years) by the decisions we make.
Thus I chose an album …Stanley Gibbons Senator Medium. Maybe I should have chosen a bigger album. I chose Black. I thought it was the “classic” choice. But I did not know that Black would be “deleted” from the Gibbons range.
And of course in 1970, I was making these choices before home computers allowed us all to print pages and effectively create our own albums.
And of course “writing up” as advised by all philatelic experts was all done manually.
But in 1970, my eyesight was better and my handwriting was better. And I had no real difficulty in “writing up” in a straight line in very small spaces.
Last week I wrote up the 2021 issues. And distressed that my vision and handwriting has deteriorated so much in recent years.
At one level I am happy that for more than five decades, I have used this system. Is it TOO personalised? No, I think this stamp collection is part of who I am. I am proud of it all.
But maybe as the second century of Irish stamp issues begins at the end of 2022, I can find ways to “print up” rather than “write up” the remaining years.
To be clear, my deteriorating eyesight and handwriting is not serious. Just wear and tear. But when I was 18 years old, I could not think this might happen.
Collecting Stamps of Ireland 