Stamp Collector partners with The Postal Museum to host ‘Summer of Stamps’ virtual festival

The Covid19 pandemic has affected hobbies in many ways, not all of them negative. Whilst many collecting events have been postponed, the slower pace of life and extended time we’ve had to spend inside has seen a surge in the popularity of many traditional hobbies, including stamp collecting.

Now, in a bid to address both the absence of events and the increased interest in the ‘Hobby of Kings’, the team behind the allaboutstamps.co.uk website and Stamp Collector magazine will be running a month-long virtual festival, set to attract thousands of philatelists from around the world.

The ‘Summer of Stamps’ virtual festival will begin on 9 July, offering collectors a bustling stamp marketplace, featuring the latest stock and information from a wide range of stamp traders and auction houses; daily content, including exclusive videos and guides from organisations such as the British Library and The Postal Museum; a virtual goody bag, featuring offers and discounts; and competitions, challenging collectors to put together one-page stamp displays.

Chris Taft, Head of Collections, The Postal Museum, said:

“In a time when so many organisations are working innovatively to ensure hobbies, interests and research can continue whilst so many are at home, we’re delighted to be taking part in Summer of Stamps. At The Postal Museum, we’ve turned our attention to sharing our collections and expertise online, whilst our doors are closed due to Covid-19. Partnering with initiatives like this is a really important way to keep our Philatelic collection open and accessible.”

With many events having to be postponed, including the prestigious London 2020 international exhibition which would have taken place in May, the festival aims to bring collectors together, help them add new items to their collection with the help of knowledgeable stamp traders, and learn more about the hobby.

Event organiser Matt Hill said:

“This is a month-long celebration of the wonderful hobby of stamp collecting, and we can’t wait to share the festival programme and open the doors on this new type of event. It’s really exciting and encouraging to be working with organisations such as The Postal Museum and the Royal Philatelic Society London, which is the most prestigious stamp society in the world.’

The Festival Programme includes:

• Video presentations from experts, including curators of the British Library Philatelic Collections
• One-page competitions for both adults and young collectors, supported by the Association of British Philatelic Societies (ABPS)
• A series of limited-edition festival First Day Covers, featuring Royal Mail’s latest special stamps
• Philatelic society displays on subjects as varied The Mayflower, and the RAF in France during WW2

Stamp collecting is back!

In recent months there has been a number of news stories on stamp collecting’s growing appeal. The Observer recently ran a feature entitled ‘Post modern: why millennials have fallen in love with stamp collecting’ which claimed the hobby was becoming popular as an escape from ‘screen-based lives’;

the Daily Mail followed suit with a report entitled ‘Rise of the middle-aged millennials! From cross-stitching to stamp collecting, how people in their 20s and 30s are picking up old-fashioned hobbies to pass the time in lockdown’; whilst the Wall Street Journal recently ran with ‘Why Stamp Collecting Is Suddenly Back in Vogue’.

The Summer of Stamps will run from 9 July until 9 August with daily content, offers and updates. See the provisional festival programme at https://www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/stamp-festival