New member from Texas, USA

Hi,

I live in Texas (USA) and work as a Senior Release Architect (designing and updating application functionality for field reps).

I am 64 years old and have been collecting stamps off and on since my early teens.  Some times I have been earnest in my collections and other times years will go by without touching them.  Life gets in the way sometimes.

I have 10 wooded acres in the country with a few animals so spend a lot of time outside, when not working (I am lucky enough to work from home).  Other interests that consume my time are brewing beer, anything Ford Mustang related (I have a 1966 coupe that I am restoring), genealogy, fixing things around the place and making things I need.

My primary focus for collecting are USA stamps, USA Washington - Franklin stamps, USA Revenue Stamps (especially beer stamps), USA State Revenue stamps (especially beer stamps).  I also have some first day covers and Cinderellas (especially Stamp Expo stamps) in my collections.  I do have some foreign stamps, no real focus here at this point but do have more of Japan, British Commonwealth and The Netherlands than other countries.

I found this forum while searching for documentation on State Revenue Stamps, particularly any standardized numbering system.  I read enough threads that had me wanting to join.

During the times when I have been more focused on collecting, I enjoyed going to stamp shows.  Have attended some in Texas and Louisiana (lived there for 18 years), primarily shows in the Houston area.  I managed to get all 4 of my children started in collecting when the were young, mostly by dragging them with me to stamp shows.  None of them are currently actively collecting but my oldest is going to get her oldest child involved with her collection.  I have acquired a lot of my stamps while attending stamp shows but I also like to go through off paper collections, looking for that one rare stamp (yet to find it).

Thank you for letting me join this forum!