Stamp Collecting is Alive and Well in the Cowichan Valley

Stamp collecting (also known as Philately) has been around almost as long as stamps have existed. Collectors have been busy in the Valley for a long time. Among them was Gerry Wellburn, local lumberman, founder of the BC Forest Discovery Centre, and one of Canada’s foremost philatelists. The Cowichan Valley Stamp Club he helped establish in 1956 is active to this day. It is a great way to find information about the hobby and make new friends with similar interests.

Stamp collecting is a hobby that can encompass and educate most interests - history, geography, art, science to name a few. While rare and expensive items spring to mind, the hobby can be pursued with reasonable spending.

A lot of enquiries received by our club involve people inheriting, finding collections or trying to decide what to do with their old collection. The club offers an information package for these enquiries. We also offer a look-see (NOT an appraisal) to provide a basic idea about the collection’s contents. Then we can suggest the most likely alternatives to dealing with the material.

There is a very important thing to remember when looking over an inherited collection, or even just finding an old bunch of envelopes when sorting through belongings. If envelopes have legible cancellation and other postal markings DO NOT cut off the stamps, save the whole thing. These are called covers. The stamp may be worth 5¢, but the markings can be worth a lot more to a postal history collector. You won’t get rich, but you may make someone very happy with a good cover.

The Cowichan Valley Stamp Club is involved each year in Cowichan Exhibition, both as an exhibitor and as sponsors of prizes in two categories of “Design your own stamp” within Fine Arts category. We also participate in special events at the BC Forest Discovery Centre by staffing the Westholme Post Office, which we helped renovate, and putting on activities.

May 18, Cowichan Stamp Club meeting, Valley Seniors Centre, 7PM. Visitors Welcome, Free 1-778-554-5434 I tarynogormandesigns.com

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