The shift from traditional mail to email didn't hurt philatelists. On the contrary, thanks to the Web, the activity has become global, and they have access to many more stamps.
In 1911, in India, a biplane transported a sack of letters, becoming the first to carry mail by air. Later, in 1917, the Italians created stamps to seal letters, and from Turin to Milan, they made the first "airmail" flight. More than a hundred years have passed since those epic journeys, and today everything travels via the Internet at the speed of light. Email has streamlined everything. And what are stamp collectors in Argentina doing now? They enjoy the technology that brings them closer to unexpected places and stamps.
Jorge Alcañiz is the president of the Rosario Philatelic Association and is enthusiastic about sharing that he and his colleagues are thrilled with the new technologies at the service of stamps. "Thanks to the Internet, there was unprecedented growth. It multiplied the chances of meeting and boosted correspondence," the collector told ClarÃn. It's just that now, getting to a stamp on the other side of the world is much easier. You track it in your browser, and when you find it, you place an order. Then it will arrive in a package. Twenty years ago, they probably would never have even known about that stamp.
Alejandro Argüello has a shop in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires and says that "the internet opened stamp collecting to the world, made it universal. You can sell 24 hours a day, all year round." However, today they face a drawback: in Argentina, it's difficult to obtain stamps from abroad. "If you buy something from France, you have to pay extra with your credit card, and if you go to Customs, they charge you 50% of the shipping cost, and everything becomes more expensive. If you buy local stamps, you don't have any problems," says Argüello.
Of course, there are also those who collect stamps by hand. Well into the new millennium, the Ombú in Rivadavia Park has remained the meeting point for those who want to buy, sell, or exchange stamps since 1943, on Sundays between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. There are stalls that also offer catalogs and sorters, which are very useful. Those who collect or hoard stamps also go there. These are the amateurs who don't take into account several important factors such as the paper weight, the watermark, and the year. Collectors do. Argüello explains that there are now about 10,000 collectors in Argentina and that the number of "hoarders," that is, those who collect stamps almost as an amateur, has decreased.
Miguel Casielles is from the south, lives in Tierra del Fuego, and says that "in our country there are about 200 exhibitors." In our country, there are many collectors who have received medals at various exhibitions worldwide. Daiana Caiselles, 18, his daughter, is one of the most awarded young people at these types of national and international events (see "Without the Internet I Wouldn't Be Able to...").
The Argentine Post Office, for its part, did reduce the number of stamp issues. In 2006, there were 40, and this year, 25. The last one was about national actors and the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. However, three more issues remain to be released. Last year, 24 were issued, and in 2012, 27. But it has also updated its operations and, on November 19th, launched the E-Store Philately, through which all philatelic products can be purchased. This service prioritizes secure purchases through electronic payment and timely delivery. Since its launch, nearly 300 stamps have been sold, with an average value of $300. Modern times.
At the same time, Argentina is the South American country with the greatest philatelic activity in terms of national and international exhibitions. In recent years, local exhibitions have taken place in both Córdoba and Tierra del Fuego, organized by FIAF (Inter-American Philatelic Federation). The End of the World Expo will be held in March in RÃo Grande, with 14 participating countries, including Cuba and Spain.
What is the level of light blue and white at this type of exhibition? Very good, as it has exhibitors with Large Gold Medals, the most important in this type of exhibition. And both Argentina and Cuba are the American countries with the largest youth presence at exhibitions.
Philately has been considered as an "auxiliary science of history" because it is based on the general principles of other sciences, which in turn contribute to enrich it. It acquires knowledge of the sciences, of the arts, of languages and opens an immense road of social relations through all countries. This science broadens broad horizons of culture, discovers artistic temperaments and offers the interest of the new and the unknown, while performing a positive therapeutic wor.
