Stamp Collectors Share their Passion

Almost every Wednesday night during the Fairfax County school year, several local residents meet at Lynbrook Elementary School to discuss a common passion: stamp collecting. While the members of the Springfield Stamp Club all collect postage stamps, their interests are diverse.

“[Stamp collecting] can fit people of all interests," club president Cal McWhirter said. "You can collect used stamps or new stamps, United States stamps or foreign stamps, and you can also collect them based on their topic.”

McWhirter said that the Springfield Stamp Club, which has over 100 members, has a close camaraderie.

"It’s hard to say what is so special about our club, but we definitely have more members than most [stamp clubs]," McWhirter said. "There is a lot of interaction, and the interest levels are very high. There is a lot of involvement in our club. This is not a ‘me’ world.”

This interest level couldn’t be exemplified any better than with long-time member Paul Spires. Spires has been collecting stamps for 41 years, and began collecting postage stamps when his coin collection was stolen. He collects Turkish stamps, as his wife is from Turkey, but he has run into trouble with his Turkish collection recently.

“I’ve collected Turkish stamps for so long that I haven’t been able to find any that I don’t already have," Spires said. "I’ve been looking for seven years with no luck.” He then joked, “If you find anyone that wants a Turkish collection, let me know.” After trading with fellow club members Mickey Ennis and Patricia “Pat” Kuch, Spires has started a new Australian collection.

Spires has been a member of the Springfield Stamp Club for 26 years of its 42 year existence. The club recently gave him an award recognizing him for his outstanding service to the club.

“I was completely surprised when I got my award,” Spires said. Spires has held a couple of positions in the club’s government over the years, and also advises other collectors on stamp purchases. “Several dealers have asked for my opinion on stamps that they were interested in, and so far I haven’t been wrong,” Spires said with a smile.

According to Ennis, the youth coordinator of the club, having the next generation interested in any kind of collecting is very important.

“We always are looking for ways to get youth involved," Ennis said. "Usually, youth are introduced to stamp collecting by their elders and start with topical collecting. They might collect stamps with horses, important figures, ships, or other topics. As they mature, they might refine their interests to a specific country.”

Most youth involvement comes through stamp shows. The Springfield Stamp Club provides free materials to youth who are interested in starting a collection. Ennis stressed the benefits of stamp collecting for young people.

“Stamp collecting gets youth interested in different topics and can inspire them to learn more about the topics on the stamps that they see," Ennis said. "It can be very helpful in the areas of history, geography, and earth science or biology.”

The active meeting season is coming to an end for Springfield Stamp Club. Because their meetings are held in a public school, they cannot meet when the school is not in session. During the summer, the officers of the club stay active. This summer, McWhirter will be drafting proposed changes in the club bylaws to be approved by members at the first September business meeting.

If you would like to find out more about the Springfield Stamp Club, you can visit www.springfieldstampclub.org.