Page 62 - The Hunt - Summer 2020

VINTAGE
Treasure Hunt
Even in the online age, stamp and coin collectors still search out rarities.
It may no longer be common practice to rummage through attics in search of yellowing envelopes with rare stamps, or to search one’s pockets for a prized Indian head penny. But that doesn’t mean collecting them is a thing of the past. Last year alone, the U.S. Postal Service released 33 new stamps to entice philatelists. Not to be outdone, the U.S. Mint offered a new coin, coin set and commemorative medal almost every weekday in 2019.
Such newer issues are less popular with serious collectors, though. “Experienced stamp collectors stop at around 1940,” says Robert Rufe, head of the Brandywine Valley Stamp Club. “They aren’t looking for new issues.”
With about 60 members, the club
is the largest of similar regional ones, meeting monthly at the Summit, a senior living center in Hockessin, Del. Of those members, all but a handful are men, and most are over the age of 50. “There aren’t many younger people
who are collectors,” says Rufe, adding that some from that demographic do get hooked when they inherit their parents’ or grandparents’ collections.
Despite a lack of youthful interest, stamp collecting remains a surprisingly strong pastime. Linn’s Stamp News estimates there are 5 million stamp collectors in the United States, with over 30 national stamp shows annually.
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60 THE HUNT MAGAZINE summer 2020
By Roger Morris