Stamp-collecting: Yesterday’s Post or Here to Stick Around?
In an age of emails, GIFs, and emojis, Ciaran Hallbery explores why good old fashioned stamps are alive and well in London, the home of their history and possibly their future.
What do Freddie Mercury, John Lennon and King George V have in common? Aside from the obvious, they were all first-class stamp collectors.
The nostalgic pastime is enjoying a digital revival, embracing AI and influencers to pave the way for new generations of philatelic enthusiasts – a.k.a ‘stamp fans’.
London is the birthplace of the stamp. The ‘One Penny Black’ was printed in Whitefriars Street in 1840 and continues to be a fan favourite, with a set going up for sale later this year for £500,000.
Ebay
A (stamp) dealer’s perspective
Founded in 1856, and with their headquarters on The Strand, Stanley Gibbons is the world’s oldest stamp dealer – having seen everything from the ‘One Penny Black’ to the latest Monopoly themed stamp collection.
“Having a physical presence on The Strand is hugely important”, Gabriel Gold of Stanley Gibbons told City News. “We get a huge amount of walk-in valuation… it allows us to just talk to the people really.”
In Gold’s own words, stamp collecting is “as social as you let it be”, paving the way for younger generations to get into the hobby.
Their My Collection service allows collectors to show off their stamps to others around the world, organise deals and use AI services to authenticate.
In years gone by, philatelists — that’s stamp-collectors to you and me — would use “a big old spreadsheet”, but have now embraced modernity in place of many “little scraps of paper”.
What once may have been kept in a plastic wallet, only to be seen by school friends, is now visible in a mail-titude of countries.
Stamps in-person
Hosted at the Business Design Centre in Islington, itself a relic of the Victorian age, Stampex International brings the philatelic world together for four days each year.
Commemorative flyer for Stampex International.
Stampex added an online version of their show, to be seen all over the world. Given their role as the number one philatelic gathering, it is proving to be a sign of the times, and an example of what the future holds.
Auctioneers David Feldman also exhibited their ‘produce your own rarity’ stand, allowing Stampex attendees to take a picture and turn it into a usable stamp.
Influence of Influencers
What once looked like ‘Grandad’s hobby’ is becoming a grandchild’s game, thanks to the likes of James Gavin, otherwise known as ‘The Digital Philatelist’.
“Once (philatelists) saw the benefit and reach of the online platforms, they started to adapt.”
While some within the hobby fear it may be dying out, James says this is “a skewed view and somewhat of a poor excuse.”
Even though the traditional groups are not as popular as before, the use of social media has certainly delivered the stamps to new recipients.
With Royal Mail also announcing their plan to introduce solar powered postboxes, it may be time to ditch the ‘snail mail’ allegations.
Coupling this with a recent collaboration with TikTok Shop, you can expect a certain postman and his black and white cat to be delivering your Labubus.
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HeadlineStamp-collecting: Yesterday’s Post or Here to Stick Around?
Short HeadlineHow Have Stamp Collectors Welcomed the Digital Age?
StandfirstIn an age of emails, GIFs, and emojis, Ciaran Hallbery explores why good old fashioned stamps are alive and well in London, the home of their history and possibly their future.
What do Freddie Mercury, John Lennon and King George V have in common? Aside from the obvious, they were all first-class stamp collectors.
The nostalgic pastime is enjoying a digital revival, embracing AI and influencers to pave the way for new generations of philatelic enthusiasts – a.k.a ‘stamp fans’.
London is the birthplace of the stamp. The ‘One Penny Black’ was printed in Whitefriars Street in 1840 and continues to be a fan favourite, with a set going up for sale later this year for £500,000.
Ebay
A (stamp) dealer’s perspective
Founded in 1856, and with their headquarters on The Strand, Stanley Gibbons is the world’s oldest stamp dealer – having seen everything from the ‘One Penny Black’ to the latest Monopoly themed stamp collection.
“Having a physical presence on The Strand is hugely important”, Gabriel Gold of Stanley Gibbons told City News. “We get a huge amount of walk-in valuation… it allows us to just talk to the people really.”
In Gold’s own words, stamp collecting is “as social as you let it be”, paving the way for younger generations to get into the hobby.
Their My Collection service allows collectors to show off their stamps to others around the world, organise deals and use AI services to authenticate.
In years gone by, philatelists — that’s stamp-collectors to you and me — would use “a big old spreadsheet”, but have now embraced modernity in place of many “little scraps of paper”.
What once may have been kept in a plastic wallet, only to be seen by school friends, is now visible in a mail-titude of countries.
Stamps in-person
Hosted at the Business Design Centre in Islington, itself a relic of the Victorian age, Stampex International brings the philatelic world together for four days each year.
Commemorative flyer for Stampex International.
Stampex added an online version of their show, to be seen all over the world. Given their role as the number one philatelic gathering, it is proving to be a sign of the times, and an example of what the future holds.
Auctioneers David Feldman also exhibited their ‘produce your own rarity’ stand, allowing Stampex attendees to take a picture and turn it into a usable stamp.
Influence of Influencers
What once looked like ‘Grandad’s hobby’ is becoming a grandchild’s game, thanks to the likes of James Gavin, otherwise known as ‘The Digital Philatelist’.
“Once (philatelists) saw the benefit and reach of the online platforms, they started to adapt.”
While some within the hobby fear it may be dying out, James says this is “a skewed view and somewhat of a poor excuse.”
Even though the traditional groups are not as popular as before, the use of social media has certainly delivered the stamps to new recipients.
With Royal Mail also announcing their plan to introduce solar powered postboxes, it may be time to ditch the ‘snail mail’ allegations.
Coupling this with a recent collaboration with TikTok Shop, you can expect a certain postman and his black and white cat to be delivering your Labubus.
