A write up of stuff heard at Stampex (see previous post), I once had a customer, he's dead now, but we went to auctions together. Henry was a millionaire, and I would spend three grand on the business and he would spend thirty on his personal collection, & I asked him what was the best bit for him? Was it finding the right stamp at the right price, or just the right stamp, or putting it in the album or looking at it. He said the best bit was crossing it of his list.
Animals? Birds? Eagles? Bald Eagles? Do you have any?
Collecting is an opiate, it charms and gets in your blood & you're finished.
The stranger things are more interesting, when compared to the rarer stamps. All you can say about them is, well they're rare. At least the stranger ones are interesting.
Many wise people collect the envelopes- single stamps are intrinsically worthless bits of paper, but the envelope gives the use and history of the stamp.
It's in your hand one moment and then you don't know where then into the person you sent it to.
It's all National Trust bags, F1 T-shirts, Insignias, Beards & Boxes (me).