For the first time in its charter’s history, the North Bay and District Stamp Club has handed out lifetime membership awards.
The honour was bestowed upon three of its long-time members.
The recipients are 98-year-old Tony Hardy, 83-year-old Fred Bukowski, and 86-year-old Jack DeLavergne.
One of “the criteria was to be over 80 years old,” explained club president Larry Brown.
Members range in age from 21 to 98.
“Many started when they inherited a collection,” said Brown who noted there was a resurgence in stamp collecting as a hobby during Covid.
“During the pandemic, it came back like crazy. And the value of stamps has gone way up too.”
Most people take up the hobby for the thrill of the hunt, trying to find that one special stamp to add to their collection, and of course to learn its history.
“People are generally into it just to collect. It is like everything else somebody collects. A lot of fellas in the stamp club collect coins too,” said Brown.
“It is pretty addictive. It is a great pastime. I spent last night watching TV and working on some stamps.”
Members meet twice a month.
“A lot of it is just to get together and discuss stamps,” explained Brown.
“If anybody purchases anything, they bring it with them. We have a show and tell. All stamps are connected to the history of some kind. And so there is a discussion on the stamps, and some guys go into the history of them.”
Over the years Brown has seen some valuable stamps at the club level.
“The most coveted stamp is of Canada and the value of it depends on the shape it is in, whether it is well centered on the piece of paper, like on the background, whether it has never been used, whether it has been hinged. That is where in the old days they used to put a hinge on the back and put them in their book. Nowadays, we have hingeless pieces to put the stamp in.”
The Canada stamp Brown refers to is a beaver in a pond setting with some “scrolling” around it.
“Unused it is probably worth around $ 30,000,” Brown stated.
“This stuff goes to auction and it goes crazy.”
Brown collects stamps from Canada and Iceland.
The Club President has paid as much as $150 for one stamp.
“Right now, I’m working on Newfoundland and I’m collecting Newfoundland mint, so that has never been used and never hinged.”
Brown is particular about the age of his stamps.
“As far as modern stamps, I don’t collect them. I only collect the 1970s. In 1970 and after that, the post office sort of made a funny commitment and they posted too many stamps for the year.”
A King Charles stamp will no doubt find its way into many collections.
“Yeah, everybody wants to get one, and probably get it on an envelope. Everybody collects something like that because it is history.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about the North Bay and District Stamp Club is welcome to attend its meetings held at the North Bay Public Library on the second and fourth Thursday of the month starting at 6:30 p.m.
