by Peter Fleck Have you ever wondered who actually collects stamps? What kind of image comes to mind? You may be surprised. Among the celebrities captivated by the hobby are tennis star Maria Sharapova, Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood, supermodel Heidi Klum, world chess champion Anatoly Karpov and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. For Sarkozy, who had built up a reputation for boozing, karaoke singing and a fierce temper, news reports emerged last year that he had decided to take up stamp collecting “to cultivate a calmer public image.” Now he even sponsors a local stamp club that meets at the presidential palace. Heads of state and monarchs have long gravitated to what has been referred to as “the king of hobbies and the hobby of kings.” Perhaps unmatched in his zeal and vigorous pursuit of stamps was Britain’s King George V, who declared, “I wish to have the best collection, not just one of the best collections in England.” Today, his eventual heir to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II, has amassed an unrivaled and ever-expanding collection estimated to be worth in excess of $150 million. But stamp collecting is not just for those with burgeoning wallets. For this reason, it’s also been called “the hobby of princes and paupers.” Should you show up at a meeting of the Calgary Philatelic Society, you’ll encounter men and women from all walks of life. Members include a welder, accountant, retailer, bus driver, auto mechanic, a couple of university professors, oil industry executives, several librarians, homemakers and even (shock, shock) some stamp dealers. As someone still on the south side of 50, I am admittedly among the younger members. Many start collecting as children, go through a period of dormancy as family and career responsibilities take precedence, but eventually rekindle their interest in stamps later in life. Peter Fleck is Vice-President of the Calgary Philatelic Society and columnist with Canadian Stamp News.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova is one of about 50 million stamp collectors worldwide.