At the beginning of each year I pay a rather ordinary sum of money, usually less than the price of ten decent coffees, to Australia Post Philatelic.

Throughout those twelve months, at irregular intervals, I receive through the post sturdy white envelopes that are tougher to breach than Alcatraz. These envelopes make it to the corner of a bedroom unit where they form a pile until the calendar indicates that family will be visiting from interstate within days.

It's a scramble to wash the windows, replace cockroach baits and defrost and refill the freezer to impress the relatives and deter them from suggesting I need to relocate to Assisted Living.

Those white envelopes which have remained unopened, untidy, and have never seen a feather duster, need to find their home. And quickly.

(C'mon. We all have a space which we neglect, don't we? A kitchen drawer, a corner in the garage. Don't be so judgemental). 

This week has been THE week. My bedroom unit is bare except for sunglasses and lipstick. Twenty seven novels have been rehomed and I dealt with the white envelopes. I think at 64 years of age I am finally getting this whole "adulting" thing. 

The mail that I obviously have little interest in includes stamps from Australia Post that my father started collecting as a hobby in his retirement in the early 1980's. When he passed in 2003 I inherited his wheelbarrow, his collection of fishing rods, and the stamp collection. I am now The Keeper Of The Stamps and continue to add to his albums as new stamps are issued throughout the year.

When I was a child in the '60s swapping stamps with school friends was a popular interest. Then again, those were the days when the postman rode a pushbike and whistled outside the front gate as he popped mail into the letterbox. It was so exciting to rip a corner off the envelope and then soak it in water until the stamp came away from the paper.

According to one article I read "Interest in stamp collecting has declined in popularity in recent years. Today, philatelists are largely made up of baby boomers and investors. Retirees may have more time to devote to the hobby, but they may be reticent to invest in the most expensive, high-end stamps that attract investors."
(www. Investopedia.com)

Elsewhere I read "It was once a byword for boring, but it seems stamp collecting is finding a new – young – audience, despite the fact that some hobbyists have never actually posted a letter. Philately is gaining popularity among millennials, many of whom see the creative pursuit as an escape from their screen-based lives." ( The Guardian 11/4/2020).

I will continue to sacrifice a handful of coffees each year for the benefit of the stamp collection though both daughters have assured me that they are more interested in collecting real estate and shares, not stamps.

Looks like I'll be retaining the title for a few years yet.