I've been anxious to read Simon Garfield's book since it appeared last year in England to favorable reviews in philatelic and non-philatelic publications on both sides of the Atlantic. My only trepidation was the author's main stamp collecting focus of modern British errors--specifically, missing colors and design elements. I had succumbed to a similar interest with modern U.S. errors decades ago which lasted perhaps six months. Admittedly, Garfield's errors were the much more elusive stamps while mine were only "oddities" such as miss-registrations and erratic perforations. Fortunately, while the error-related parts of the book are interesting, they comprise a comparatively small part of the book. In fact, there is a goodly amount of non-stamp material, although most of it collecting related, ranging from David Hockney prints to antique Jags.
What I enjoyed most were the observations and characterizations of our beloved hobby. Some were personal: "My children though stamp collecting both strange and perverse, and inevitably used that same phrase they employ to describe anyone over twenty-five in trainers and into rap music: 'Sad.'" (Page 11)
Others were from professionals. A dealer described a collection of worldwide stamps "with a phrase that put a chill around my heart. He called them 'mostly small nothing stamps.'" (page 71) Now that's 'sad.'
Any "Blue" International stamp collector will recognize him/herself in passages throughout this book. A quick, entertaining and informative read.
The famous stamp collector Josiah Lilly said that there were 100,000 postage stamps he wanted for his collection and he succeeded in acquiring 77,000. My considerably easier target is 35,000 of the more common stamps from 1840-1940 contained in the Scott Blue International Album Volume 1. This blog will record my progress, provide general information about Classic era philately and hopefully encourage other "Blue" collectors.
