1. about this blog

Hello.

I am a Japanese stamp collector based in London.  My profession is a designer – I design furniture, household products, lighting, interior and exhibitions.
t.n.a. Design Studio

< Why I am captivated by stamps >

Postage stamps are born as a result of collaboratin of many people.  Although they are functional securiteis for documents delivery, they can make one smile if a stamp is made beautifully with  passion of designer, engraver and printer.  Stamps reflect atmosphere of the time, economy and politics of a country.  These are all alike to my profession of design – so, I am intriguted by the world behind these small stamps.

< How I started >

In my childhood I often saw my mother cutting envelopes to collect stamps.  There was always a red circle on her calendar, noted ‘new stamp release’.  When I left home for study, she had regularly sent me letters with her favorite stamps on, and she continued when I started to live in London.
British stamp design made me into this hobby myself and when foreign friends from college returned to their countries and started to send me cards, I discovered wider world of stamps.

Ten years ago I inherited my mother’s collection – mainly Japanese mint stamps from 1960’s to early 1990’s and two shoe-boxes full of used, non-removed stamps.  Shortly after I became a subscriber of Royal Mail stamps and started to pop in stamp shops in foreign cities.  Finally this year, in 2009, I started to sort out my mother’s collection.  When I looked at partly assembled files and bags of used stamps, I recognised that I am a Stamp Collector.

< collecting themes >

My collecting themes are listed in 2.collecting themes, as well as in Topics column in small letters.

By my profession, I am interested in design generally.  As a weekend cyclist, I cannot resist collecting bicycle and cycling stamps, as well as road safety and environmental issues.  I am not keen on animal, flower or bird ( too many stamps of those, aren’t there? ), but I collect owl, tree and cat when I like design.

< exchange Stamps >

I started this blog because I want to sort out stamps I have, to know a bit more about each of them.  Also I thought I may have chance to exchange stamps, if I make a list of what I can give away.  More about exchange is 3. exchange of stamps and available stamps are put in *exchange list.

Since I started this blog, my collection is expanding, at the same time I have better idea on what kind of stamps I am most attracted by and why.  I recognised that there is a huge world of stamps waiting for me and this idea makes me very excited.

I hope you enjoy this blog as well.

Tomoko Azumi