Sunday, 16 June 2013

You never know where you’ll come across a motorcycle

Back when I was just a kid in short pants one of my hobbies was stamp collecting. At the time Canada’s stamps were usually a monochromatic picture of the Queen overprinted with the word Canada and the denomination. Boring, especially to a 10-year-old. So I focused more on the stamps from lesser known countries that had interesting and colourful pictures of birds, animals, cars, and so on on their stamps. My collection never amounted to much and I stopped collecting after a few years. However I have always retained some interest in stamps and the images and ideas they represent.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Canada Post has issued two new stamps featuring a 1908 CCM and a 1914 Canadian-built Indian, the first in a series dedicated to Canadian motorcycle manufacturing and design.
I ordered some just to get a firsthand look and they are quite beautiful and unique.
Photo: Canada Post web site
Now I am temped to haul out my old stamp books and restart my collection, perhaps concentrating on stamps from around the world that feature motorcycles in some capacity. Or perhaps I should just accept that as a Schnapsidee (Sonja will know what that means), enjoy them for a while and then use them on the few pieces of snail mail I do send these days.
Regardless, I will definitely keep my eyes open for the next stamps in the series.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous16 June 2013 at 21:52

    I used to dabble in philately when I was a kid as well. I still have my entire collection tucked away into storage. I guess it would be cool to put together a motorcycle stamp collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Canajun17 June 2013 at 12:15

      A pretty common situation I think. With most post offices now focused on making money from selling to collectors you pretty much have to have a specific concentration else you'd be overwhelmed.

      Delete
  2. David Masse17 June 2013 at 06:19

    Dave, collecting stamps is much better than collecting anything else because it takes up so little room, unlike collecting books (guilty), inkwells (ditto), scooters (yikes!)...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Canajun17 June 2013 at 12:19

      True enough. In my case it's probably more a matter of accumulating than collecting so I'd add accumulating tools, motorcycle parts, golf clubs, books(!).....

      Delete
  3. The City Mouse in the Country17 June 2013 at 12:09

    My thing was always coins. At one time I had a collection of over 200 different and unique ones (not counting duplicates). Sadly somewhere along the line they got traded in, now I just collect ex girlfriends and wives.

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    Replies
    1. Canajun17 June 2013 at 12:12

      I expect the coins were significantly cheaper and easier to handle. :)

      Delete
  4. Trobairitz17 June 2013 at 13:18

    Cool.

    My grandpa used to collect stamps but I don't think they were this neat. well, either that or I was too young to think they were.

    I wish the USA would have a neat stamp like that. Instead we get Johnny Cash or the flag. Old Glory gets to be a mighty boring stamp after a few years.

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    Replies
    1. Canajun17 June 2013 at 18:24

      I know what you mean. We've had the same Queen on ours for 60 years!

      Delete
  5. Steve Sweat18 June 2013 at 21:50

    Gotta love vintage bikes anywhere you see them even on a stamp! Be cool to see the real deal.

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    Replies
    1. Canajun19 June 2013 at 09:32

      Steve - apparently these are photographs so the real deal is out there somewhere. Unfortunately they don't say where.

      Delete

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