Boat #318, Still Sailing in Poland

I thought we'd spend one more day sailing in Poland.

Boat #319, Poland

A couple weeks ago I walked into FOUND, one of my favorite stores in Ann Arbor. The owner, Mary, greeted me when I walked in: "Phil, I was just thinking of you. I've got a bunch of new stamps in today." She had acquired a small box of all Polish mint sets from the 60's—not necessarily valuable, but all very attractive and in great shape. Here is one of my favorites. Thanks Mary!

Philip

Boat #320, United States - Highlights from the Dearborn Stamp Show, Day Three

I paid 12 cents for this stamp block. Not a bad deal at all.

Boat #321, Guernsey - Highlights from the Dearborn Stamp Show, Day Two

Another great stamp from the Bailiwick of Guernsey...

Boat #322, Jersey - Highlights from the Dearborn Stamp Show, Day One

It's stamp show season and last week I visited the Dearborn show. This show was a lot smaller than the Plymouth one. There were twenty or so dealers crammed into a dimly lit social hall that smelled of sixty years worth of roast beef dinner and cigar smoke—a philatelists's natural habitat.

Philip

Boat #323, Mozambique

Boat #324, China

Boat #325, French Guiana

Boat #326, Brazil

A nice stamp on its own, but even better as a collector's plate don't you think?...

Boat #327, Argentina

Boat #328, Kiribati

Where is Kiribati you say? Kiribati is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It's made up of 32 atolls and 1 coral island. Kiribati has been an independent nation since 1979. The population is 98,000—smaller than my home city of Ann Arbor.

Philip

Boat #329, St. Helena

Boat #330, Japan

I've been meaning to get to this stamp for a while. When I'm rich I'm gonna buy a boat just like this and sail it in the Detroit River.

Philip

Boat #331, Riverboating in Canada

The internet has finally arrived at my new apartment which means 365 Boats is back!

Philip

Boat #332, United States - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, The Final Day

My five year old nephew, Evan, was kind enough accompany me to the Plymouth show. It was his first stamp show and I'm not entirely sure that he knew what exactly was going on. He was a good sport about it though. He scoured a pile of free stamps and found this one for me. Thanks Evan! After the show we went out to lunch and had this exchange while sharing a plate of french fries:

Me: "So you're a stamp collector now."

Evan: "What's a stamp collector?"

Me: "Hmmm...It's a person with poor to middling social skills who spends his of her Saturday afternoons rummaging through postage stamps and moldy envelopes in a smelly gymnasium. Often they smell of tobacco."

So that concludes our two weeks of highlights from the 41st Annual Plymouth Stamp Show. Can't wait till next year.

Philip

Boat #333, Guernsey - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Thirteen

Tastes change as you get older. When I was a kid I might have passed this stamp up, choosing instead a flashier WWII battleship or a Spanish galleon. These days, give me a steamboat a buoy and calm seas and I'm happy. This is my favorite stamp from this year's show. I didn't realize it till now, but it actually has a lot in common with the cover art for Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat. Maybe soon, when the first proofs come in, I'll be able to share that art with you too.

Philip

Boat #334, Guernsey - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Twelve

A great stamp. An instant classic in my collection. But as good as this one is, I like the next one even better. So back tomorrow for my favorite buy from the 41st Annual Plymouth Stamp Show.

Philip

Boat #335, Panama - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Eleven

Day two in Panama—a unusual stamp.

Boat #336, Panama - Highlights from a Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Ten

One of the main characters in Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat is a whale. Maybe later this year we'll have a week of boat/whale stamps. I'll have to see what I've got. The other animal characters in Jonathan might be harder to find in conjunction with a boat—an elephant, and a mountain goat.

Philip

Philip

Boat #337, Guernsey - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Nine

The British Crown Dependencies have an excellent tradition of nautical stamps. Guernsey here is a great example of that, as is the Isle of Man. Ironically, Great Britain itself has one of the most lackluster stamp catalogues of any nation on earth (Germany is the hands down worst in my opinion). We'll be back in Guernsey later this week for two stamps that I feel are among the finest in my whole collection.

Philip

Boat #338, Mauritius - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Eight

Boats, like trains, have a way of making pollution look scenic.

Philip

Boat #339, Denmark - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Seven

Boat #340, Denmark - Highlights from the Plymouth Stamp Show, Day Six

I think we'll spend the weekend in Denmark...

Philip