madbaker
Member 
Posts: 803 
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Oct 29, 2023 17:40:55 GMT
I spent last night and this morning reading "Thematic and topical stamp collecting : a practical and comprehensive handbook for thematic, topical, and subject collectors" by A.J. Branston, via the Internet Archive.
It's all there in the title. Both the theme of the book and the writing style, like how he says the same thing in the title and the subtitle. 
Published in 1980, pre-Internet, when "American" and Great Britain collectors (or at least, the author) could spend days and days defining the difference between "topical", "thematic" and "subject", try to find a single word to encompass all three, admit defeat and then proceed to use "topical/thematic", "theme/subject" and the like through the whole book. The book itself is 180 pages and repeats itself again and again and once you think you're finally onto something new, he summarizes what he's already said and introduces what he's going to say next.
BUT! All that repetition wormed a few useful ideas into my thick noggin.
- One was that, if one is to get both fun and satisfaction from building a collection, it pays to plan, plan and plan some more. From picking a topic/theme/subject (argh, now I'm doing it!) to planning the framework of the collection, he covers this process in excruciating depth. Plus, lays out four extremely interesting collection plans in the Appendix.
- Another was how building a subject/thematic/topical collection and writing it up well involves two components - material and information. And you need both in order to write up a page or a chapter. So have a system to store material and information 'in process' until you combine it, mount/write and add it to your collection.
- While he also talks about exhibiting, all this planning work is about the overall collection. That's what really stood out for me. He's treating a multi volume collection as 'the thing'.
His default approach is, you have your plan, now systematically build your collection. It's a far cry from my approach of staring at a box of bulging stockbooks in my closet and wondering what I'm going to do with all this stuff!
So, I'm super curious. All you thematic / topical collectors out there, do you have a plan for your collection? Do you have a table of contents that encompasses the breadth of your subject, that flows along the line of the story you want to tell? And are you now building out your collection according to that framework?
I've mentioned in other threads that I'm working on a 'World Tour' collection and, as I tend to do, set sail across the Pacific right away, full of energy and hope. My journey hit some snags early as I arrived in New Zealand and stalled out in Australia. I'm starting to think that a better plan up front might help me out.
I'd love to hear your stories on how you approach collections that aren't bound by the catalogue. 💖
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Oct 29, 2023 19:09:43 GMT
madbakerThanks for your insight/questions/definitions etc I only have 2 Topical areas I did collect but not adding more 1) Cats of the World in stamps - given a collection bought by my late dad me by friend and neighbour 2) WWII - stamps, mostly MNH-VF.... my late dad bought this collection (1,360 genuine postage stamps) in 1974 and has 6 part. All stamps are in my inventory. Do not expect to open another one as I collect by Country, and try to eliminate as many as I can - I look forward to classic stamps, at this stage so easy....easy as $$$$$ !! Thanks - René
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rod222
Member
Posts: 11,051
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Oct 29, 2023 23:54:29 GMT
Thematics, basically is really simple,
collect what you think is appropriate, then arrange in the story you wish to tell.
One that comes to mind, with your "trip" around the world, was one I saw
that was "The Life of Jesus Christ"
It showed a a map of the middle east, and highlighted known places Christ visited
with a stamp that highlighted that place / town / village etc.
How the best, for your world tour ?
In your mind, map out the route, you intend to take, and with each country,
what places would be on your bucket list to visit?
Australia, perhaps Uluru, Opera House, France ? The Louve, Eiffel Tower etc & etc
As each stamp qualifies for your trip, scan an image, and name the image the catalogue number
That way, the collection can be in flux, until your final decisions.
I have been involved in hundreds of Thematics, but never completed one on paper ever,
they remain only as images.
Electricity Insulators on stamps
Umbrellas on stamps etc and etc
Cuisine on Postmarks    Insulators on stamps (1 page of 6 ) catalogue number left off the scan 
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rod222
Member
Posts: 11,051
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Oct 30, 2023 0:05:30 GMT
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 803
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Oct 30, 2023 0:44:34 GMT
Cuisine on Postmarks
Oh wow. That may be the coolest thing you've ever posted, Rod. And you've posted some amazing items! (I'm now off to hunt for a Saltcoats, Saskatchewan postmark. It's close, at least. ) |
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,985
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Oct 31, 2023 10:39:31 GMT
madbaker , although I was only able to access to the acknowledgements and preface sections to the text you shared in the original posting, I have to agree with rod222 , philately or stamp collecting is actually quite simple ;-) I would like to suggest that are collectors are topical or thematic orientated based on the dictionary definition, both are related to "subject". So whether one collects by country, specific issue or even by select image type, we are all topical collectors. But I digress, for the tradition topical collection as currently understand. it is a matter of selecting the topic and adding the material. For my own collection of penguin images, my childhood naqual, it is one for which I feel I have the most freedom to explore from a philatelic perspective. I add what I like, research what I have and create pages / albums based on specific species as shown earlier here. I admit, there is no grand scheme or great plan, but it does give me something to look when other philatelic interests wane. For your own endeavours, are you a tourist or a traveller? If a tourist, follow some pre-defined Thomas Cook holiday brochure for a select region, country or town adding material that reflect the journey along the way. If a traveller, start with a image of the world and map out a route for the journey or perhaps a place you have already been and would like to re-visit and go from there. Organise the material in hand and begin to fill in the blanks pages and spaces as the journey unfolds (you can always re-visit a place). In either case, given the arm-chair travelling, it does not need to be linear, but can jump about as mind, interests and weather permits, Lastly, I would suggest you treat the collection as a journal of your travels and note additional things like the days spent, weather, etc. of the places visited.
In the end, you create your own travel story, you will find the collection has gaps based on your 'travels' and then the fun begins as you attempt to find that illusive cover, town cancel or even postal card with the monument just seen.
Just some thoughts from one 'topic' collector to another...
Have fun and happy collecting!
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 803
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Oct 31, 2023 16:10:17 GMT
Thanks stanley64. I missed your penguin taxonomy post, although I enjoy the pages you've shown here very much. PS - for some of the books at archive.org (like the one I linked to) you need to sign up for a free account and then 'borrow' the book to read it. It unlocks the ebook for an hour. At the end of the hour you just say 'I am still reading' and then you can keep going. Others can simply be downloaded. |
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peter
Member
Posts: 330
What I collect: Australian Slogan Cancels
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Post by peter on Nov 1, 2023 0:32:21 GMT
The World Tour sounds fascinating, I would start by choosing a time period or mode of transportation to give the tour a much sharper focus. For example, Around the World in 80 Days, in which the collection follows Phileas Fogg's world journey using stamps that depict the sights he saw, the modes of transport he used, and incorporates period postal history items (from 1872) such as covers bearing the names of the steamers he travelled on, and/or which where mailed from his stopovers back to London (showcasing local, period stamps and rates). Add in some appropriate period ephemera, and it would be quite a fascinating collection in terms of its connection to the story and the historic interest. Personally, I have approached my collecting theme, "The Development of Organized Ornithology," by creating a series of key ideas that I want to address in telling the story. I also created the parameter that the story be entirely told using commercial covers to and from ornithologists, or directly linked to the development of organized ornithology. If you saw my Virtual Stampex 2023 talk, you would recognise the slide below that outlines these ideas. 
For example, for "Integration of ornithology with other fields", I have the following example from Dr. Casey Wood. Dr. Wood was a Canadian ophthalmologist and ornithologist who combined his passions in his highly regarded monograph The fundus oculi of birds, especially as viewed by the ophthalmoscope, a study in comparative anatomy and physiology (1917). When Casey Wood posted the cover pictured below to Charles Wallace Richmond, Curator of Birds at the US National Museum, the retired doctor was on a world tour with his wife Emma, their niece Marjorie Fyfe, and their parrot John III, to study birds in their natural habitat. In 1925, the Wood family were in Ceylon, from where this cover was sent. The more challenging the project, the more satisfying I personally find it in procuring items and building the story. I'm lucky to add 2 or 3 items a year! |
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 803
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Nov 1, 2023 2:32:24 GMT
Thanks for all of this peter. I'm taking a lot of my inspiration from Michael Palin's version of Around the World in 80 Days, which mesmerized me when it came out in the '90s. |
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,985
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Nov 11, 2023 10:53:11 GMT
I appreciate the follow-up madbaker and created my own account to view the text, among others from the site; what a great resource :-) Whilst not a fan of reading material on-line, 15-20 minutes is about all I can do in one sitting, I have found and bookmarked several chapters in Mr. A.J. Branston text including: - Non-Competitive Collection
- Collecting Methods
- Collection Building
Selling the Collection
There is a great deal of information there and from what I have read thus far, is recommended reading for any collector. I look forward to 'turning' the pages and as the author suggests, re-reading various sections.
Currently though and before any more reading, I am applying for my membership in the 'Society for the Protection of Pleasure and Enjoyment'...
Have fun and happy collecting!
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,551
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Nov 11, 2023 11:30:00 GMT
My " Counterblaste to Tobacco " started by accident when I helped a widow friend dispose of her husband's collections. There was a small stockbook of stamps showing the tobacco plant, tobacco manufacture, Cinderellas advertising tobacco and quite a lot of modern Health and anti-smoking stamps from the 1980s 1990s period . Probably upwards of 200 stamps in a loose stockbook waiting to be sorted and a story told .
When I got home I realised that as an ex smoker there was quite a story to tell, how what was once a socially acceptable sharing pastime had turned full circle from the early condemnatory treatise against tobacco of 1603 King James VI & I, to a state where the smoker is pariah.
On the way I start thinking for lateral connections *
So Plan 1. Tobacco plant flowers and cultivation
2 American plantations Presidents and slavery*, the Civil war*
3 the growing trans-Atlantic trade Bills of lading , invoices , ship letters, the consequent growth of UK ports Glasgow , Bristol and Liverpool
4 Revenue and taxes , Trade Licences Momnopolies Customs and smuggling
5 Advertising on traders covers
6 ways it is used, Snuff, Cigars, Pipes, Cigarettes, chewing
7 Sports promotions TV and Cinema glamour
8 Early health concerns and Temperance movements
9 Connection to chest health and cancers established
10 World Health takes up anti smoking
11 anti smoking and stopping smoking promoted, smokers are mocked for disgusting habit
12 Legislation against smoking in work and public buildings
Along the way I started accumulating all sorts of peripheral material and soon realised what I had was beyond the scope of a conventional thematic exhibit, invoices, Licences, postcards, 2 Acts of parliament, Cartoons , adverts etc
I have now entered the exhibit internationally in the "Open Class" where anything in your imagination can be used.
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