Callen's Philately Page

Member, American Philatelic Society, 1996-8
Member, American Topical Association (member #52211-0; topics--theater, Wisconsin), 1997-9
Member, Badger Stamp Club, Madison, WI, 1998-2000
Life Member, American Philatelic Society (life member # 8075), since September 30, 1998
Published author (wrote Family Reunions, which appeared in Scott Stamp Monthly, December, 1998)
Member, American First Day Cover Society (member # 25826), 1999-2000
Owner, The Eclectic Company (producer of high-quality First Day Covers and cachets), 1999-2000

Finding McKinley

Every time I see the 25 cent William McKinley stamp from the Presidential series I get nostalgic. One Saturday when I was about 12 years old, I was cleaning the cellar for Etta Kelly. She was a retired school teacher who paid me $5 a month and occasional bonuses to stop by after school every day during the school year, as well as every morning during the summer, to do errands for her--everything from running to the post office to cleaning the cellar to carrying boxes upstairs. On that particular Saturday, I was hosing down the floor of the cellar and I noticed a small piece of printed paper go floating toward the drain. I picked it up and held in my hands the McKinley stamp. I was one of those kids who knew all the state capitals and all the Presidents, in order, and it intrigued me that this old stamp was a 25 cent stamp for the 25th President.

I showed the stamp to Mrs. Kelly, who agreed that it was interesting and told me that I could have it. I was elated. It was a piece of history and as good or better than my $5 salary. I went home that day and looked up everything I could find about William McKinley and about stamps. I then found an empty notebook into which I glued my find--little did I know then that stamp collectors do not glue their stamps into notebooks--and then immediately started searching around the house for more, ripping the stamps directly off of the envelopes (ah, the exuberance of youth). I may be a little more sophisticated about stamps and collecting now, but I have not lost the passion.

To this day, when I come across a new stamp or a subject on a stamp with which I am unfamiliar, I start searching for more information. And to this day, when I see the McKinley stamp I am reminded of that day and my lucky find. I am also reminded of Mrs. Kelly, a woman I gladly worked for at such minimal pay, because every day after work, we sat and talked for anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple hours. I was conscious even then that I was being paid with her generosity, wisdom, and encouragement. Through my contact with her, I learned how to be myself and how to be proud of it.

There are other stamps like this in my collection, close to worthless by the standards of the hobby, but rich in meaning--stamps that remind me of certain people or events that had an impact on me, both in my youth and as an adult. This is the type of thing that should be the joy of collecting. When I hear other collectors gripe about not being able to afford all the new stamps and complain that they are going to quit collecting, I can't help but think that they must have at least one stamp in their collection like my McKinley, more valuable for its meaning and how it came into the collection than any stamp they could go out and buy. If not, then I have to believe they are investors and not collectors. If so, if they have even one stamp like that, then I have to believe they cannot afford to quit collecting.

Favorite philatelic resources and links

Return to Callen's Home Page Send e-mail

Member of the APS
APS # Life Member 8075
Visit the American Philatelic Society
Website at www.stamps.org
This page hosted by GeoCities Get your own Free Home Page
1