| Stamp collecting over the last century and a half | | | | their snail mail is so slow it can take a week or |
| has been a hobby for many thousands of people | | | | more. Canada has particularly slow mail and they |
| all around the world and has been a big money | | | | don't even deliver to your house there but rather |
| earner for a lucky few. | | | | to a group of mail boxes and you have to go for |
| Over time, stamps have gained in value due to | | | | sometimes quite a long walk to pick up your mail. |
| their rarity and in many cases, their beauty. The | | | | This is really not very pleasant when the |
| artwork that has gone into some of the designs | | | | temperature drops to minus 40 degrees Celsius. |
| on some countries stamps is nothing short of | | | | Apart from this great inconvenience, posted mail |
| genuine artwork. | | | | there is terribly slow and if you send anything |
| Stamps are also historical records of momentous | | | | overseas, be sure you allow at least 14 days for |
| events in a country's history. World events are | | | | it to arrive. |
| recorded for all time in the stamps produced by | | | | In Australia, mail is delivered to your letter box at |
| each country. Apart from a historical record, they | | | | your home address. This is a wonderful |
| are also a good barometer of a countries | | | | convenience and I hope it never changes. Parcel |
| economic conditions at the time of printing. When | | | | mail is either home delivered or you get a polite |
| stamps were first invented in Britain to pay for | | | | message in your mail box to let you know that a |
| postage, they cost around a halfpenny. Which | | | | parcel is waiting for you to pick it up at your local |
| back in those days was a lot of money. Postage | | | | post office. Australia Post has a lot to be proud of |
| stamps were not readily available to everyone | | | | because they do a remarkably good job. |
| because not everyone in those days could read | | | | Interstate mail is fast around Australia and from |
| or write and many only earned a few pound a | | | | East to West takes about 2 days. International |
| year. So a halfpenny, was not affordable for | | | | mail is also fast to some countries but the |
| everyone. | | | | delivery of it is dependent on the mail service of |
| Today few people use 'snail mail' as it is now | | | | the designated country. |
| called because most people are on the internet | | | | But if you are a stamp collector, you had best |
| and use email which is electronic mail. Once you | | | | hope for a lot of 'snail mail' from friends or go and |
| have an internet connection email is available to | | | | buy the newly minted packs direct from the Post |
| everyone to use and it is included as part of your | | | | Office because that may be the best way of |
| internet service providers package. Indeed, you | | | | adding to your stamp collection these days. |
| can't not have one because without one usually | | | | The beauty of postage stamps conveying |
| attached to your ISP, they simply won't connect | | | | important message today has given way to the |
| you. | | | | speediest email delivery method. It is called |
| Emails are incredibly fast and fly around the world | | | | progress but no one has ever said progress was |
| in nano seconds. Snail mail still takes days to get | | | | always beautiful. |
| from one place to another and in some countries, | | | | |