Stamp Nostalgia: Looking back at our childhood collections

"Large streams from little fountains flow, Tall oaks from little acorns grow." this quote from D. Everett in 1797 is still true today so we asked two of our senior team - Managing Director Victoria Lajer & Head of Commonwealth George James - to dust off their very first stamp albums and show us how their collecting career began.
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For more information on any of the areas featured in this video please visit www.stanleygibbons.com or feel free to contact any of our specialist teams directly...
Commonwealth Stamps Team - [e-mail]
Great British Stamps Team - [e-mail]
Auction & Valuations Team - [e-mail]
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[@kamuzu]

Victoria...........perfection in every way.

[@michaelmiller641]

Fascinating. I haven't collected stamps since I was a kid! This is tempting me!

[@RUL87]

Great to hear about some other stamp collecting experiences of kids from my generation. I also collected as a kid and teenager and recently got back into. Stamps are a nice distraction these days. My experience as a child was mostly soaking stamps that we got from kiloware off water with my siblings. We used stock albums that were periodically rearranged so my first collection naturally grew into what I had at age 16/17 when I took a break from stamps. We also tried to sell small packaged of stamps (arranged by country) at flee markets with some success.

[@danielfinch362]

My experience was pretty much the same, I was given a 1980 SG catalogue and I collected British stamps in a stock album, I used to use my pocket money to buy packets from the stamp shop to sort out.

[@rb6725]

Thankyou for upgrading the video to 1080p and thankyou for the interesting video.

[@rusiesito1]

Muy bien George y Victoria un gran aporte soy de Chile y siempre sigo a Stanley Gibbon... Soy coleccionistas de stamps

[@neilwilliams8251]

Really enjoyable, Victoria and George, and great interaction between you. Took me down Memory Lane, and gave reassurance that, by loving stamps (in my case GB), I am not alone, the doubters are wrong, and that help is at hand if I need it!!! : ) Neil

[@tedlawrence4189]

My dad and I used to order some US stamps from the Gibbon's price list. This is back when you had an office in New York.

[@prasenjitghosh2874]

Hi George and Victoria. Thanks so much for the entertaining video. Myself from India. One interesting fact to share with you that, pandemic has brought me into this hobby again after finding my childhood collection. ☺ Now i am really becoming more amazed everyday how the qualitative attributes change the value of a stamp. Now collecting in such a way that it becomes an investment also.

[@YellowfinGrouper]

I think the pandemic will have rekindled a lot of people’s interests in hobbies. It has for me too. Happy collecting!

[@ab6124]

Thanks - great video

[@RichardTClark396]

I started in 1972 at age 8 with 1 HE HARRIS album now I think I have over 20 albums total I may be a philatelic addict!😢

[@michaelanzelino5068]

Hands down, Victoria has the better album. No hinges, that's a good tactet to follow. Which I personally perscribe to, in my own collection. And the way she arranged her stamps is also attractive. Also, her choice of topics are interesting. I would be very courious to see her current stamp collection. Good job Miss Victoria.

[@SirDeekan]

Hello from Canada! I enjoy your videos (I've watched all of them) and am subscribed. I follow multiple other channels as well, and have yet to see any coverage of the various printing techniques over the years.

[@edwardhands2018]

Great video

[@vbainpowerpoint2401]

Iv been collecting since I was 6 and my frend I infected with the bug when he was 12

[@WilliamHenryRoll]

Use an overhead stationary camera for showing stamps and pages.

[@jimgordon6629]

Both of you are extremely nice people. This was very nostalgic and enjoyable! Philatelic greetings from Texas!

[@swiftgames5382]

I remember the stamp bug club.

[@markorollo.]

i was given mine in the 80's when i was a kid by my Mums cousins, still got all of them but didnt really add to them except on rare occasions id buy packs of 100's or 1000, its only in the last couple of years ive really been into it with most new sets & presentation packs, i only intend to collect mostly British isles related stamps, & i'm not bothered about things like errors, i just want to fill gaps with new & used stamps, theres lots still to fill!!!

[@johnpeterson3299]

As an American, I am shocked at the popularity of stamp albums in the UK which do not allow for adding and removing pages. I was customizing albums at the tender age of eight and always adding additional albums.The collection should determine how stamps are placed and not a pre-printed album. Topical collecting never interested me as it was for "kids." I primarily use German Lighthouse hingeless albums, but also have American Scott Specialty albums.

[@YellowfinGrouper]

I was very impressed Victoria about how electric your early collecting interests were. I wondered, following from that why Stanley Gibbons only sells UK and British Commonwealth? Why not start up another brand with a name like Stanley Gibbons World which could sell other countries and also thematics and cheaper stamps which would encourage young people into the hobby. There are so many eye catching stamps now with themes like Star Wars which would make a bright accessible store.

[@jamesn3485]

Great video, but if a young George or Victoria were starting now, what should their parents buy them from the SG range to get started? I can't see anything appropriate one your website, which is a pity.

[@yanmarin4445]

So true! I'm actually 15 years old, and can't find anything really affordable on the SG site... Well, at least not for my allowance...