Of Postage And Stamps

I have always loved stamp collecting in my younger years. Actually I still do now, but with the influx of modern advanced technology, it is getting harder and harder to find stamps since most people just send emails and use franked mails.

Come to think of it, I ought to sort out my stamp collection one day. I keep telling myself to do it, but procrastination always gets the better of me. Just like the visit to the Philatelic Museum. I keep saying I want to go, and it was today that I finally decided to make a trip there.

When my friend first proposed going to the Philatelic Museum, I was really excited. I have wanted to go for ages, but no one else I know collect stamps or would be interested in going to a museum, and a stamp museum at that, that I have not been able to find anyone to go with.

So when she said she wanted to go, I jumped at the opportunity to go with her. We decided to go to the Philatelic Museum today. It is a museum filled with old stamps, postcards and first day covers. There are even commemorative stamps from all over the world. Luckily we did go as there was an Iron Man exhibition going on at the same time so we were able to see some mint collection of comics on display too!

The entrance of the Philatelic Museum is marked by an old post box. How appropriate!

The entrance to the Philatelic Museum

Mini postboxes on display

When we stepped into the museum, it is the shop area where lots and lots of stamp collections of the same series are displayed. It was practically stamp heaven! I even found unique stamps like the Hans Christian Anderson Fairytale collection, as well as chocolate-scented stamps, Walt Disney collections and Simpsons Collection!

The various stamps on display from all over the world

Fairytale Collection

These stamps were the definitive series in the 1980s

These were the definitive series in the 1990s

Mickey Mouse stamps

As stated, chocolate-scented stamps

Simpson Collection

Garfield collection

Mini postbox at the counter

Apparently we could use this mini postbox to send letters too. Letters sent at the Philatelic Museum will be specially franked with the words "Philatelic Museum" on it. They just require a donation of fifty cents per letter.

After looking at all the display of stamps, we decided to get the entrance ticket. It is S$5.00 per adult. Even the ticket looks like a postcard!

The entrance ticket

We then stepped into the first room, where there are displays on the first stamps used in this country.

The postman scooter

We then went on to the Iron Man 2 exhibition, where there is the display of collectible art, figurines and comics.

Next, we went into a room filled with limited edition stamp collection, like the Harry Potter stamps.

We even went to play around with this display to "Be A Stamp" for S$1.00!

The museum is a small two-storey colonial style building. After we were done with the first floor, we went on to the second floor, where we stepped into a room full of old stamps from the Straits Settlement times.

Just for information, Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements in the 1800s, together with Malacca and Penang. These three "villages" were part of the British colony, hence the stamps issued would be rare collections with Queen Victoria's profile.

Sorting boxes for letters

Mailbags

An old-fashioned postman

An old postman's uniform

Same as police officers, postmen wore shorts in the past.

The old post office at Fullerton

The building lasted for more than a hundred years, before it was converted into where Fullerton Hotel now stands.

The new, modern post office at Paya Lebar

There is also a nostalgia room where remnants of the past were displayed.

Display of a shop in the 1960s selling magazines, cigarettes, stamps, candy and stationery

Display of an old-fashioned barber

An old-fashioned kitchen cabinet display

Anyone remember these clogs?

Display of melon seeds - my favourite are the black melon seeds!

Next to the nostalgia room is a room displaying Indonesian traditional things like wayang kulit, masks, gamelan, and of course stamps!

There is also a Victorian room, displaying the first kind of camera, photos taken from the first kind of camera, postcards and stamps.

Along the corridor, there were displays of mini postboxes from countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Britain, United States, China, Japan and Thailand to name a few.

Back downstairs, when we wanted to go to the washroom, I realise that there are even stamps in the washrooms!

This stamp was displayed on the wall when we stepped into the Ladies

These were all wall displays in the Ladies

This is the door of the toilet cubicle of the Ladies

The two stamps above are behind the cubicle door of the Ladies

I was curious about the Gents, so I got the dear to go into the men's room to take photos of the stamps on display.

This was on display when one stepped into the Men's Room

These were all displayed on the wall of the Men's room

This is the door of the cubicle in the Men's room

These are behind the cubicle doors of the Men's room

At a corner of the museum, there is also a display of the wedding collection stamps of Prince Charles and the then-Princess Elizabeth.

There is even a display of postcards of cinemas of yesteryears!

And my favourite - quill pen! I have always wanted a quill pen, I wanted to know what it feels like to write with a feather! Unfortunately, the quill pen set on display are too costly, hence I decided not to get any for now.

There is even a religious stamp collection!

All in all, it was a pretty good trip. Definitely this is one place I want to bring my children to, if it still exists by then! A pity not many people I know like to collect stamps or like to go museums, otherwise I can recommend them to go to this place!

My dear, for one, has no stamp collection. Each time he receives an envelope, he will take the letter out and throw away the envelope, with the stamp. What a pity! Luckily he does not mind exploring museum, so at least I can still get him to go with me if I ever want to go again in the future!