Big

Red

I've been following a blog written by a chap who's recording his progress filling up an album of all the world stamps before 1940 - known to us sad people as the classic period.

I've been feeling drawn to doing something similar. He's in the US and the big stamp company there Scotts do their world wide albums in blue I gather. Here Satnley Gibbons do a modern version of these (for a LOT of money) in green but his is a pre-war set dating from 1936 and as you can see then Red was preferred

They're in pretty good condition and one has hardly been used so doesn't even have old stamp hinge traces all over it. I've been following a few of these on ebay (and bid on a couple without success). I went to the local stamp fair yesterday with it in mind to see if I could find a set.

Among other much smaller treasures I was pleased to pick these up for less than the ones I missed on ebay went and of course there's no postage attached. Which would have been horrendous they weigh a packet with about a thousand pages and a good few stamps.

The dealers I bought these off are delightful and always have a huger amount of stock for you to go through. Their customers seem to be mainly regulars and even I, as a complete novice, got drawn into a fascinating conversation about some of the byways of philately. Oh my God, what is happening to me?