Sarnia Stamp Club Canada

The first stamp Al Gualtieri collected arrived on a letter his father sent home to Italy in 1951 from Canada where he had travelled to find work and a new life for his family.

“The first stamp I saw was a Canadian stamp,” Gualtieri said at the Sarnia Stamp Club annual show he helped organize Saturday at Sarnia Collegiate Institute.

Just two years later, the whole family followed his father to Canada, and Gualtieri began also collecting stamps from letters his grandfather, a retired post office clerk, sent from Italy.

He was 11 when that first stamp arrived from Canada and now, at age 74, the retired high school teacher still enjoys the hobby.

This year’s Sarnia show and “bourse” had a half dozen dealers and 17 displays of stamps.

Bourse is term for a stock exchange used to describe a gathering of collectors and dealers where stamps are sold and traded.

The Sarnia Stamp Club dates back to the early 1950s, Gualtieri said.

“In the last few years, the stamp collectors have been going online so they’re not going to the stamp club as much as they used to.”

That has also led to fewer people attending stamp shows.

“But, it’s still fun to be able to talk to other collectors,” Gualtieri said.

“You can learn a lot from going out to the stamp club meetings, and going out to the stamp shows.”

These days, the annual shows generally attract 40 to 50 people, Gualtieri said.

“It used to be more.”

But, he added, stamp collecting is “still going strong,” even with changes that have sent many collectors online.

And, while more people are giving up sending letters, Gualtieri said he still believes there’s a future for stamps

“Canada Post still has to deliver parcels,” and Christmas cards are still being sent, he said.

“Even if they stop using stamps on mail, you still have lots of stamps that people will collect,” Gualtieri said.

“Look at the Greek and Roman coins.”

The civilizations that created those coins are long gone, but the coins are still being collected, he said.

“Many years from now, people are still going to want to collect the first Penny Black stamp that came out in 1840.”

That stamp, the first pre-paid stamp for use in a public postal system, was issued by Britain and included the image of Queen Victoria.

“I haven’t got that one,” Gualtieri said, with a smile.

Generally, collectors come to the shows with hopes of finding stamps they’re searching for.

“I think it’s the pleasure of the hunt,” Gualtieri said.

And, he said, the ultimate feeling of success comes when a collection is complete.

“If you’ve got 199 stamps and you’re looking for the 200th, the last stamp, that’s the pleasure of the hobby.”

Gualtieri said he has never added up the number of stamps he owns.

“The number of stamps is not important,” he said.

“It’s the fun of finding the last stamp you’re looking for.”

The club, which current has approximately 25 to 30 members, meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at Sarnia Collegiate, at 2 p.m.

New members are always welcome, Gualtieri said.

paul.morden@sunmedia.ca