Stamp collection, once a favourite pastime for many, is now struggling for survival with the advent of modern technologies like email and cellphone.
Stamp usage has drastically shrunk at the domestic level as postal service is losing its ground with most people preferring stamp-less courier services to send letters.
The number of young collectors is gradually declining. Computer games, cable TV and use of internet and cellphones have become the hobbies of the young generation.
Retired or middle aged persons who once took stamp collection as their main hobby are now searching for their successors to carry on the tradition.
Stamp collectors save postage stamps and related objects, such as envelopes or packages with stamps on them. Some collectors prefer used stamps while some go for unused ones. Most of them try to collect commemorative stamps issued on various occasions.
The future of stamp collection in Bangladesh is bleak as the number of young collectors is on decline," said Kazi Shariful Alam, president of Bangladesh Philatelic Federation (BPF). "However, the hobby is fighting back at the international level.”
The veteran stamp enthusiast said, "Now we hardly see any collectors aged below 20 because stamp collection is no longer easy and cheap for youngsters."
Commemorative stamp is beyond the purchasing power of most collectors, he said.
Alam, also a professor at the marketing department of Dhaka University, is a collector of 'error stamps' and winner of several medals in Asian philatelic competitions.
For beginners, mostly schoolchildren, the easiest source was incoming personal letters with colourful stamps of home and abroad. Since the volume of incoming mails is coming down, the easiest source of stamps or envelops is shrinking.
Since independence Bangladesh Post Office has issued 732 postage stamps and 28 souvenir sheets on various national and internationals days and events, about the country's heritage and culture, and to honour eminent personalities.
Postage stamps no longer attract the young generation who use modern communication technologies, Prof Alam said. “Modern entertainment sources are driving the young generation out of the classic hobby of stamp collection.”
Expressing concern, he said, “If we cannot attract young stamp collectors to this hobby, there will be no one to inherit the tradition.”
For a stamp collector, stamps are not merely a paper evidence of postal fee, they are much more than that. It has an emotional appeal for them.
There are several types of collection and country-based collection is the most popular one. Collector's country of residence comes first when on starts collecting stamps.
Then comes thematic collection. It can be based on a specific topic such as birds, animals, nature, a renowned personality, architecture and landmarks, even a specific sport or a player. The subject of thematic collection is vast.
Some collectors look for 'error stamps' which means stamps that are rejected by the printing press or the postal department for any errors. Some collectors think an error in the stamp brings value. A stamp with a missing word, bad printing, perforation mistake, misalignment or blurred colour is called an error stamp.
Stamp collection also includes collection of covers or envelopes, money order forms, even parcel packages. Anything that comes through the post office is considered as a collectable item for most of the stamp collectors.
The starting point of every new collector is to save stamps from incoming personal mails and ask family and friends to save theirs. Official mails, pen friends, post offices, stamp dealers and philatelic bureau are the other sources of stamps. Sale and exchange of duplicate stamps among the collectors enrich their collections.
Stamp collection is also considered as a means of study and source of general knowledge.
“It is a splendid teaching aid because it leads to study of the topic depicted on the stamp. To understand the stamp better, a collector must research on the topic and that is the most exciting part of the hobby,” Prof Alam said.
“Every stamp or cover has a story to tell. A collector discovers history, science, geography, politics, art, architecture, cultures, custom, rituals and more by analysing it.”
Prof Alam said the young generation of Bangladesh is no longer interested in working hard for a mere hobby like stamp collection.
Mannan Mashrur Zarif, a young stamp collector, however differs on some points. "After the invention of television everyone thought newspapers or books will disappear but they did not. Like that stamps still exist,” he noted.
"Emails and other electronic means of communication did not end the journey of hand-written letters. It still poses a romantic appeal to many," he added.
Zarif started with collections left by his elder brother. He is now a collector of wartime postal history of Bangladesh. He focuses mainly on letters of the prisoners of war exchanged with the help of Red Cross after end of the Liberation War.
The young collector blamed lack of promotional activities for the dying condition of the hobby. “There are hardly any promotional activities by the postal department to encourage collectors and create new collectors," he said.
Bangladesh Post Office organised the last national philatelic exhibition in 1992. There were several initiatives to hold such event by both collectors and the postal department afterwards but the efforts never succeeded. Lack of sponsors and fund held them back.
The classic hobby also brings hard cash for many. There are some dealers who collect and sell rare postage items. But their number in Bangladesh is very limited.
Only four authentic philatelic stores exist in Dhaka city. Salam Stamp Store at Farmgate is the oldest specialised dealer in Bangladesh that started its journey in 1962.
However, a new breed of stamp brokers is evolving in the city. They are called the 'mobile dealers' who visit other collectors and offer exchange of their collection.
The auction organised by Bangladesh Philatelic Federation on the first Friday of each month and another one on the second Friday organised by the Philatelic Association of Bangladesh are considered as the best place to exchange stamps.
However, the auctions are also losing participants. The Philatelic Association of Bangladesh has around 500 members from across the country.
There is also online auction through which stamps can be collected from abroad. E-bay is one of the most popular online platforms worldwide.
SB Salam, a professional philatelist and owner of Salam Stamp Store, said, "Our business is on decline. We are gradually losing customers.”
He said the hobby requires a good amount of money to purchase rare stamps, which most young collectors cannot afford.
The collectors also need to preserve the stamps, also very expensive youngsters. This is why we are losing young customers, Salam explained.
Most people in the beginning tend to focus on the number of stamps or covers they are able to save. Quality or the age of a stamp does not make it more valuable, rather quality and rarity is very important in stamp collection.
By : Shahnaz Parveen
