WORLD POST DAY NIGERIA 2018 – POSTCARDS AND STAMPS, THE SIAMESE TWINS

WORLD POST DAY NIGERIA 2018

As some of you are aware, I have been celebrating World Post Day since I got to know about it in 2011. World Post Day is celebrated every October 9th to bring awareness to the Post’s role in the everyday lives of people and businesses. It is also set aside to appreciate Postmen and Postwomen who ensure we get our letters and/or parcels everyday. During this day, I’m usually remained of Postman Pat, one of my favorite childhood cartoon characters *smiles*

To commemorate World Post Day in Nigeria, Nene-Uwa Hub Ltd collaborated with the Lagos Philatelic Club to host an event. The Lagos Philatelic Club is a group of stamp lovers and collectors in Lagos, Nigeria. There are other Philatelic Clubs around Nigeria who also celebrated World Post Day.

ABOUT THE PHILATELIC WORLD

Philatelist are those who collect and study stamps. Some philatelist do not collect stamps, they just prefer to study them. Many casual stamp collectors, like me, collect stamps for fun without worrying about the tiny details. Like I prefer collecting stamps that come with postcards.

During the World Post Day Nigeria event, we discussed the history of Philatelic and how countries all over the world are keeping the stamp collection hobby active and alive. In Nigeria, the hobby is still growing, though it is mostly among the older generation. The younger generation are hardly aware of the hobby and only a hand full are actively involved.

There is need to keep the hobby alive in Nigeria and to create awareness about the importance of Stamp collection. Some of the benefits of stamp collections are as follows:

(1) Connecting with people from around the world: You get to experience cultural exchange through collecting stamps from within and outside your country. You also get to make new friends with those you swap stamps with from around the world.

(2) Making money from collecting stamps: The famous Penny Black stamps go for a very high price, because it is the first made stamp in the world. It is a Stamp Collector’s most wanted collection. Collectors do swap and sell their stamps. Rare stamps are usually the best sellers.

(3) Trains one to be patient and careful: Collecting stamps is no easy feat, especially when looking for particular stamps that you want. You will need to hunt for them everywhere. Because of stamps’ fragile nature, one needs to also be careful while handling them so that they do not spoil. To preserve them you will need to put them in a proper place, usually in a stamp album.

(4) Information about others countries and culture: This is my favorite reason. I love stamps that show the culture of where it comes from. Most stamps have pictures of artifacts, natural resources, monuments and things that represent the country’s culture and history.

There are other opportunities that come with being a Stamp Collector. But the ones I mentioned above are the major reasons. Even though sending mails through post offices have become ‘old school’ in this digital age, the Postal Service in some countries are still very much active. People still send parcels, mails, postcards, perishable and non-perishable goods around the world. For example, The Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) has revamped their services and have been quite effective. The only issue I have with NIPOST is their tarrif that they recently hiked. It has made sending postcards which was among the cheapest thing to send, very expensive. The cost of sending postcards outside Nigeria has doubled.

POSTCARDS AND STAMPS – THE SIAMESE TWINS

Deltiologists are people who collect postcards as a hobby. As a Postcard collector, I love the feeling of receiving and sending postcards. I love the fact that someone takes their time to write me a handwritten note and that the postcard goes through many places to get to me. For most postcard collectors, the picture side of the postcard is of the greatest interest because it tell stories about the place it comes from. There are some postcard collectors who prefer postcards that have not passed through the mails. While most Stamp collectors are usually not interested in postcards until they have passed through the mail.

Both postcard and stamp collectors recognize the connections  between the two hobbies. Meriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines a postcard as “A card on which a message may be written for mailing without an envelope and to which the sender must affix a stamp”. This definition clearly shows how important both postcard and stamp need each other to thrive. That’s why they are identified as ‘The SiameseTwins’.

Postcard collectors also have the same benefits with stamps collectors, as mentioned above.

POSTCROSSING PLATFORM AND LAGOS LAIDBAC POSTCARDS

During the event, I had the privilege to talk about two of my favorite brands that make sending and receiving postcards fun and educative.

Sending and collecting Postcards in Nigeria is seen as a wired hobby. I always have people asking me why I’m interested in such an ‘out-dated’ hobby. For me, I see postcard as one of the best ways to learn about other people’s cultures though travelers and locals. Postcards are marketing tools for promoting tourist destinations and a perfect cultural exchange program. That’s why I am a huge fan of Postcrossing. Postcrossing is a social media platform that allows people to send and receive postcards from random postcard lovers around the world.

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NIPOST CELEBRATING WORLD POST DAY

SENDING OF POSTCARD AND CANCELLATION

APPRECIATION TO THE LAGOS PHILATELIC CLUB

MY NACK STAMP DRESS

2019 WORLD POST DAY NIGERIA PICTURES

Enjoy more pictures of the commemorative day. All photo credit goes to Sir Inyene Photography.