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Top GB collector Pichai Buranasombati

Pichai BuaranasombatiAlthough born in Thailand Pichai Buranasombati – known simply as ‘Pichai’ – spent many of his formative years in Great Britain and developed an early love for British stamps. In March 2001 his stunning collection of Great Britain early line engraved issues (1840-41) went under the hammer at auction in London, closing a chapter in his long love affair with early Great Britain issues.

Pichai recalled: ‘I started collecting at the age of 10 when I was attending prep school in England where everybody had to have a hobby, and it was predominantly philately. My father as a going away to boarding school present bought my first stamp for me – a Penny Black. Suddenly I found out that I was the only one in school who owned a Penny Black. Everybody took a look at it with awe and admiration. My second major acquisition was a Twopence Blue to commemorate my father’s first annual visit and I have never stopped collecting since’.

After nine years of studying in England Pichai went to New York University in the US to study for the bachelor, master and PhD in Philosophy in education and administration. Despite his almost lifelong love for stamps it has really been in the past 12 years – since he met his wife Yaovanee Nirandara – that Pichai’s philatelic star has really risen. He recalled: ‘We have formed many great collections such as Straits Settlements (winner of the Grand Prix National in Singapore ‘95), Burma: under Indian postal administration (winner of the Grand Prix National in Indepex ‘97), Classic Siam (winner of a Large Gold medal at Bangkok ‘93), Siam: middle period (winner of a Large Gold at Singapore ‘95) and many revenue collections’.

Piecing together
This philatelic, and romantic, partnership is very important to Pichai: ‘A great collection has to be planned. It is like putting the jigsaw into place and it is more fun when you have somebody to share your aspirations. If things do not go according to the plan then you must make alternatives that will achieve the same grandeur’.

Pichai’s array of awards began back in 1993 with his first ever exhibit. He recounted: ‘It was at F.I.A.P. (Federation of International Asian Philately) exhibition in Surabaya, Indonesia 1993 that I won with my classic Siam collection a Large Gold medal with a special prize’.

As for sources of inspiration for his philately Pichai explained that they came from his homeland and from Great Britain. ‘My strength comes from the Philatelists Association of Thailand whose members are very supportive of my philatelic endeavours. My source of inspiration is the Royal Philatelic Society of London whose members are true philatelic friends with great philatelic knowledge’.

In many ways Pichai has had the best of both philatelic worlds combining his origins with Asian collections with his British schooling helping to establish a fascination with the trailblazing Great Britain issues of the 1840s. He said: ‘Thai philatelic items always have a special place in my heart, and the first of issue of Siam is truly reflected the great design of the One Penny Black in that the name of the country had been deliberately left out. The item that I like the most is the original hand painted essay by Waterlow and Sons specifically for postage purpose’.

We asked him about his favourite items from the Great Britain early line-engraved issues. Pichai explained: ‘For Great Britain stamps I like the large mint block as well as the largest used block of the One Penny Black. For covers I am very fond of the VR usage. The mint block of 24 was the reconstruction of a block of 18 plus a strip of six’. Reconstructing the left sheet margin mint block of 24 proved a tricky exercise for Pichai: ‘The block of 18 (ex-Daisy collection) was acquired in a London auction house while the latter (strip of six) was spotted in New York – it is a small miracle that enabled them to be reunited’. As far as an overall number one British stamp Pichai said simply: ‘Nothing beats the One Penny Black!’

Prize controversy
Pichai’s collection was the cause of some controversy during Stamp Show 2000 in London when it was poised to win the Grand Prix by a country mile. An objection was raised about an 1840 2d Blue cover (bearing a strip of five and a single 2d blue dated February 1841 and addressed to New York, USA) which had evidently been repaired and sold to Pichai without telling him of the repair. Clearly this wasn’t a pleasant experience. We asked him did he ever think a philatelic item had been a bad investment. He replied: ‘I only buy the best items available. I don’t mind paying higher for quality items. However I feel that when I spend real money I should get genuine items in return. I hate dishonest people in general but I detest or despise them the most when they are involved in philately. These people take the fun out of our hobby and kill philately’.

When quizzed on what he would buy if there was any item he could afford or have Pichai became philosophical: ‘You cannot have everything in life and the key is to enjoy what you have and make the most of it. I really enjoyed my collection and was excited finding the items, in many ways all over the world’. Don't be surprised to see the name Pichai popping up again soon with a new collection, perhaps from a different part of the world.
News from Wonderful World of Stamps

 

All about stamps - Mark your moment

Tales by Mail - Book 1, by Karen Cartier

All about stamps - Tales by MailTales by Mail is for children of all ages, perhaps up through 60 or so. It brings together stories literally from around the world ... from Botswana to Denmark, from New Zealand to the Faroes, from Saar to Israel.
The stories are short, each with a message, and each illustrated by a stamp issued by the country of the story's origin. Each who reads this book no doubt will develop a different favorite story, which is to be expected. Formatted simply, each story is preceded by a full-color illustration of the commemorative stamp that no only is impressive in its own right but also serves through its design to set the stage for the story that follows.
For those who wonder of the relationship between a stamp design and what is "behind" the design, this book serves as an excellent example.

Teddy Bears Celebrate 100th Anniversary


All about stamps - Teddy BearsTeddy bears, enormously popular symbols of human caring and loving, are being honored by the U.S. Postal Service with the issuance of the Teddy Bears commemorative stamps. The 2002 issuance of the stamps coincides with the 100th anniversary of teddy bears.
The Teddy Bears pane of 20 self-adhesive stamps depicts four lovable, cuddly teddy bears. Photos of the bears appear in the header; details of the photos appear on the stamps. The four stamp designs are repeated five times each on the pane. All four teddy bears were manufactured in the United States and are now owned by private collectors. The Ideal bear dates to circa 1905, the Bruin bear from circa 1907 and the Gund bear from circa 1948. The unlabeled "stick" bear dates from the 1920s. Mass- produced stick bears were characterized by their short arms, thin legs and upright posture. The Ideal bear, the Bruin bear and the stick bear belong to Paul and Rosemary Volpp of Carson City, Nev. The Gund bear belongs to Helen Sieverling of Pasadena, Calif.
The idea of the teddy bear was born in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear during a hunting trip. Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman depicted the incident on the front page of the newspaper, and soon toymakers began to manufacture the "teddy" bears associated with the president's name. People in all walks of life love teddy bears, and enthusiasts—known in the teddy bear world as arctophiles—pay top dollar for the collectibles.
Today there are teddy bear magazines, clubs, collector shows and programs, both educational and medical, that feature these little stuffed companions. Teddy bears have had endless books, songs and poem written about them. Widely viewed as symbols of security and comfort, teddy bears are often used by police officers and hospital staff to calm the young and old alike in traumatic situations

Second Set Of Penguin Stamps

All about stamps - PenguinsBritish Antarctic Territory has issued its second set of penguin stamps on a miniature sheet and in a booklet from the Port Lockroy Post Office.
The 12 airmail postcard values feature photographs of Chinstrap, Emperor, Adelie, Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, including juveniles.
All the photographs were taken by members of the British Antarctic Survey.


 
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