Stamp collecting as a popular hobby

Stamp collecting as a popular hobby

JAKARTA (JP): Stamp collecting could be the most popular hobby
in the world. The young and old, and the rich and poor from all
corners of the world enjoy collecting stamps.

Stamp collectors are called philatelists. The word originated
from two Greek words, philos, which means "loving", and atelos,
meaning either "free of tax", or "has been paid".

According to the World Book of Encyclopedia, King George V and
Franklin D. Roosevelt are two famous collectors of the print
proofs of payment for the mailing costs of a letter.

The increasing number of collectors made stamps a highly
popular item for private collections, giving birth to a hobby.
The craze began to spread after the first recorded sale of an
adhesive stamp in 1840, in England. The rest of the world soon
caught on.

Philately has expanded to the study of stamps and related
items.

People have different reasons for collecting stamps. Some
simply see it as a fun way to fill in their spare time, others
enjoy the beauty of the unique prints. Some specialize in stamps
from one country, others focus on a particular subject like
birds, trains or a particular color.

Collecting stamps is an unique way to gain insight into a
nation's culture and history.

According to Suwito Harsono of TMA Stamps in Metro Plaza in
Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, there are several types of
collectors in Indonesia.

"The first qualifies for primary level. They usually collect
stamps without a real purpose. They are mostly children. As
children, they like the stamps for the beautiful pictures. In
this way, the individual sense of art makes itself known.

"The second type of collectors has passed the initial stage.
In his or her youth, he or she might have been a collector, then
lost interest and then revived it with renewed force in later
life. It is in this period that they become more selective,"
Suwito said.

There is another group, those who collect stamps as an
investment, commercializing philately.

"One does not need to make it a hobby to invest money in
philately. They assume that when they invest now, they will make
a certain amount of profit in several years," said Suwito.

Biologist Tirtadinata, 70, started collecting stamps because
of health problems in the 1960s.

"I started to collect stamps because of my asthmatic
condition," he said, explaining that when he couldn't sleep he
would keep himself busy with his stamps.

He cannot remember how many stamps he has because he stopped
counting long ago. Because of his expertise in the field, he is
often invited to sit on international and national juries at
stamp exhibitions.

"It is impossible for a collector to store stamps from all
over the world. The philatelist has to make a decision -- a
choice has to be made about one or two countries. This should be
given serious thought," he said.

Tony, a young philatelist, specializes in musical instrument
prints. His hobby has led him to an interest in composers like
Bach and Beethoven.

Most philatelists strive to enlarge their collections while
widen their horizons. An easy hunting ground for stamps is stamp
exhibitions, where many philatelists first try their hand at
being stamp dealers. One collector, Berthold, limits his dealings
to bartering.

"Maybe I lack business talent," he said.

"My collection of 80 land mammal prints is now worth Rp 15
million. However, it is nothing compared to Suwito's
collections," said Berthold.

Berthold is straightforward about his investment. When in need
of money, he will be able to make a quick sale of his collection,
because he has access to auction houses here and abroad.

Stamp prices never depreciate, but tend to increase.

Foreign interest in Indonesian stamps has remained steady,
despite unscrupulous traders besmirching the reputation of the
nation's stamps.

"The Dutch, for instance, who have historical ties with
Indonesia, like Indonesian stamps," said Tirtadinata Thung, a
philatelist.

-- Lila Fitri Aly