TREASURE HUNT

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in my grandparents’ home. It was a wonderful place to be.

After dinner, when the day and the dishes were done, my grandparents each had their own way to unwind and relax.

My grandmother usually settled into her corner of the sofa, picked up the evening paper and read it from cover to cover. My grandfather read the paper and then disappeared to putter at one of his hobbies.

One of his favorite ways to spend time was with his stamp collection.

He would sit at the desk in the corner of their bedroom for hours adding stamps to his albums. Sometimes I would join him, leaning against his back, looking over his shoulder, and he would tell me about the people, places and things each stamp represented.

My grandfather started his collection when he was a boy in the 1920s, and it was a lifelong passion. He had pen pals all over the world. In fact, one day after his death, a letter from one of his stamp friends in Africa arrived.

The two had become friends when they exchanged stamps several years before and writing him with the news of my grandfather’s death was a sad task.

I still have some of the first day-covers, letters with a stamp and postmark on the first day the stamp was sold, that were given to my by my grandfather.

Over the years I’ve seen stamp albums at estate sales and at flea markets, and I’ve wondered about the person who put them together.

Stamp collecting is both fun and educational. It is a hobby that can be shared by children and adults alike. It doesn’t cost a lot of money or take up a lot of space.

It can actually make you smarter.

Stamp collecting is a combination of history lessons, art instruction and a social commentary and it’s fun.

This weekend, the 66th Pacific International Philatelic Exposition will be at the Spokane Convention Center. If you’ve never taken a close look at the history of stamps and the art of collecting them, here’s your opportunity.

The show runs Friday through Sunday and there will be exhibits, a space for young collectors and information for anyone who wants to know more.

Admission is free.