Recently, I heard a man who claimed over forty years of collecting tell members of a club that they should never spend a cent for anything but United States stamps and they should always be sure that the postal clerk gives them a plate number with each purchase.

There are similarly misguided exponents of First Day Covers, British Colonies,Latin Americaand all other collecting fields. There are those who expound loud and long on the merits of no hinges, sheet collecting, used only, unused only, printed albums, blank albums, rarities, cheap stamps, etc.— in fact, almost anything one can think of in connection with stamp collecting.

Advice that tends to take away from anyone the possibility of the fullest enjoyment of our hobby is narrow thinking. Collectors should be free to save what they like to save, not what some self-designated expert advises. If Afghanistan is interesting and one wants stamps from there, it doesn’t matter a bit if no one else locally is interested. In fact, stamp collecting will profit in any community from a diversity of collecting interests of local collectors.

Broad studies by economists have proven that increase in worth or scarcity of stamps is not limited to any type, country, or group of issues. Prizes in shows are as often given for so called unpopular as popular subjects.

Philately is big. Its followers, on the whole, are big people who want to know the thrill to more than a small segment of its scope. We cater to all stamp collecting interests and encourage ventures into any phase of this great hobby.