16

Everyone would have an interesting story to tell regarding their collecting experiences.

Mine began when I was about seven years of age. My father was the manager of the Bank of New South Wales in Victoria Park and the family lived on the premises. My two sisters, somewhat older than me, were pressed into service in helping to do the bank cleaning. (Obviously things were tight in those days for banks - they couldn't afford to pay for cleaners!).

The two girls used the opportunity to tear stamps off envelopes from waste paper baskets and so built up their collections. I tentatively asked my father if I could also get some stamps to start a collection, thinking he would say no as I would be cutting across what my sisters were doing. To my surprise he said yes and encouraged me by buying a beginner's album.

And so I was a stamp collector!

An uncle of ours gave me a great number of stamps that he had (I don't know why the two girls didn't get any but at that age I didn't care).

My father knew a fellow who ran an import/export business and I was able to go into his office getting many stamps from Malaya and Malaysian states.

I can't recall swapping stamps with school friends, though I probably did. However, I do know that the brother of one of my sisters' friends pedalled all the way over from Maylands on one occasion in order to swap. From memory he had a better collection than me - he never came back again!

As I got into my teens, stamps took a back seat to other interests and remained so through to the time that I retired, when my interest was rekindled. Fortunately I had kept my collection, giving me a good starting point for when I joined the Mandurah Philatelic Society. This was the best thing I could have done as I learnt a great deal in a short space of time.

It certainly pays to let people know that you are a collector. One chap who I got to know for a short period of time asked what I collected. When I told him he gave me hundreds of stamps, wanting nothing for them. Being a kind-hearted soul I gave him a block of beer in return. He was happy and I was over the moon.

From humble beginnings a great passion has developed, one that I will retain for life.


BRIAN SWEETAPPLE