The following is an article from The Town Chronicle, a local news agency covering the neighborhoods of South Sarasota, Florida. Click here to see the article on their website.
Cover image: RIGHT: A pile of 15-cent stamps being sorted at Suncoast Stamp and Coin, demonstrating the diversity of designs that are available on stamps. LEFT: Venice Stamp Club members Jack Harwood, James Lapham, and Fred Smith search for treasures at the stamp marketplace, called a bourse, held on March 11 at the Venice Public Safety Facility. MICHELL KENNER / TOWN CHRONICLE
April 19, 2023
BY MICHELLE KENNER
Town Chronicle Correspondent
When was the last time you sat down to hand-write a letter? If you don’t have an immediate answer, don’t fret because you are not alone.
According to a 2021 CBS News survey, 37% of those polled stated they haven’t mailed a letter in over five years. What’s more surprising is that one in five of people aged 45 and younger admitted they have never mailed a letter in their lifetime.
A group in Venice is working diligently to change this mindset. The Venice Stamp Club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this April — and is hoping to revive the art of philately, more commonly known as stamp collecting.
The group currently has 105 members. Stamp enthusiast and VSC board member Mike Vagnetti is one of those hoping to increase those numbers and entice a new generation of collectors to join.
How does one become a stamp collector? It can be as simple as just making that first stamp purchase. Mr. Vagnetti is quick to say most people he knows were introduced to the art by a family member. He, himself, joined the club seven years ago after seeing a display at the Venice Post Office.
What’s interesting about collecting, according to Mr. Vagnetti, is that, “It is a hobby with no rules. You can collect any way that you want.”
He further explains that he prefers the geography lessons that come from finding a stamp from an obscure country and then locating it on a map. He might even dive deeper into its origins.
Others may save what is referred to as “topical” collections. For example, if you like space exploration, you can collect stamps not just from the United States but from around the world featuring that subject. Others may choose to collect cartoon characters, political figures, comic book characters, hot rods or even famous musicians. There quite literally is a stamp for just about everything.
Something for everyone
VSC treasurer and Wellen Park resident Barbara Steverson has been collecting stamps since she was 11 years old. She was introduced to the pastime through her parents who were also avid collectors. She enjoys being part of the VSC because of the camaraderie of her fellow collectors — especially learning what drives them to collect the way they do.
Venice Stamp Club President Frank Blum shows off a set of colorful, uncut press sheets (without die cuts) at the stamps marketplace held on March 11 at the Venice Public Safety Facility.
“It really is an amazing hobby,” said Ms. Steverson. “Everyone can do it. You can be sedentary and still do it. It is such a diverse hobby; you can pick and choose what you want to collect.”
While it is enjoyable to get together and share each other’s finds, Ms. Steverson further explains, “It really is mostly an individual sport. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.”
For her, the collection includes only stamps from the United States, while her husband has a topical collection that revolves around only baseball. His collection even includes postage stamps and postmarked “covers” — a philatelist’s term for envelopes.
With the invention of the forever stamp in 2007, one might think it marked the beginning of the end for collectors. But according to Mr. Vagnetti, that just isn’t the case. He feels that there is a place for every stamp.
“I understand why they do it and it isn’t going to stop stamp collecting,” he said, “but it’s going to change the way people collect.”
ABOVE: Some collectors prefer to save covers, or envelopes, with postage and postmarks on them. This example is from Cleveland, Ohio, postmarked Aug. 8, 1860, and includes an early form of advertising used on envelopes. The stamp is a #26A (an 1857 3-cent George Washington stamp). Its catalog value is $150. LEFT: An example of an 1871 Daniel Webster 15-cent Philatelic Stamp Authentication and Graded (PSAG) stamp that is considered to have a $3,500 catalog value, being sold for $1,200 at Suncoast Stamp and Coin.
In fact, some people do collect the modern stamps. According to Mr. Vagnetti, most countries have a version of the first-class postage stamp similar to our forever stamps, making it just another possible category to collect.
Right now, the VSC is working hard to attract new members, especially a younger generation.
Mr. Vagnetti suggests that, in order to get youth interested in stamp collecting, you should consider bringing them to a bourse — a stamp auction and marketplace — to introduce them to the variety of stamps that are out there. He believes that showing them all the different collections might inspire them.
Another suggestion he has is to encourage youth to participate in letter writing and sending thank-you cards in the mail.
Ms. Steverson also has a creative approach to attracting the younger generation. She purchases stamps while on vacation, especially overseas, as a souvenir of places they have traveled to. Then she keeps them in a family travel collection album.
Frank Blum, the current president of the VSC and a semi-retired educator, is also a lifetime stamp collector. He knows the challenge of getting the younger generation interested. He suggests trying to find out what they are interested in and then, “Look around the world, everything is out there. Collect what makes you happy and have fun with it.”
As is often the case, there are a variety of apps for stamp collectors. Introducing this technology, such as an app called Stamp Identifier, can bring a new level of interest from a younger population to the hobby. This app uses an advanced image recognition software to help the collector quickly identify where a stamp is from and more details about it. It, along with many others, can be found in your favorite app store.
But there is a caution.
Smart shopping
While technology can help connect collectors across the globe, each of the veteran collectors cautions beginners in making internet purchases. They say you don’t know what you are getting.
“There is a modern stamp dilemma with fakes on the market,” says Mr. Blum. “You’ll see that the perforations are different or in the micro printing they don’t always get it right. Fake ones are almost always too bright.”
But in case you were wondering, yes, collecting of fake stamps is also something some people do.
Mr. Vagnetti encourages new collectors to buy from other reputable collectors. He mentions that many of the current members of the VSC are knowledgeable about authenticity.
One such member is Jim Kuca, who owns Suncoast Stamp and Coin at 8520 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, and who sells and buys stamps across many genres. It’s a place where collectors might just find that Holy Grail missing from their personal collection — or, at the very least, get ideas about new collections.
For a fascinating history of classic stamps from 1840 to 1960, see www.classicstamps.org.
If you are looking for more information about the VSC, see https://classic.stamps.org/Venice-Stamp-Club.