I’m tempted to tell some people who write to me to go fly a kite. I mean that in the nicest way.

Have you seen the movie, Mary Poppins? I never saw the movie until my three year old daughter, Haylee, took an interest in Disney movies. I now know many Disney characters and can even quote some lines from various Disney movies.

The main character in Mary Poppins, Mr. George Banks, is consumed with finances: to the point where his life is like clockwork. He’s missing the true meaning of life: his wife and children. Enter Mary Poppins who turns his whole world upside down. At the end of the movie, he finally discovers the meaning of life. He builds a kite for his two children. He takes them to the park to fly their kite – something that he would never have had time for at the start of the movie.

What does Mary Poppins have to do with stamps?

Countless collectors toil over the empty spaces in their albums. They can’t sleep at night. And then the questions begin. Can I do better on the price of this stamp so that they can fill a space? Do I have a decent looking second that won’t break their checking account? And so on.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times. Collect stamps for the pleasure of the hobby. If stamp collecting is stressful, then in my humble opinion, you’re not collecting stamps the right way.

Instead of looking at those holes in your album, look at the beautiful stamps that you do have. What is the history behind some of these issues? Who are the people depicted on these stamps? Stamps are a gateway to a world of knowledge. They are tiny snapshots of history. Stamps knock on the door and say, “See me? Now, go learn more about these people, places, and things because I’m not big enough to give you the whole story.”

Some customers don’t understand when I tell them that there are stamps that I sell that I don’t have in my own collection. Yes, I collect stamps (many dealers do not collect stamps, but I do). For example, I recently sold a few stamps that were in the $1000 to $2000 range. That is too rich for my stamp budget. Will I ever own stamps like that? I hope to someday. But for now, I’m quite happy with the stamps I do have.

Do you toil over every penny of catalog value? Do those blank spaces in your album keep you awake at night? Do stamps cause stress? Stop! Stamps are supposed to be a way to relax. Enjoy yourself. Stamps are supposed to relieve the stress of everyday life; not create added stress.

Back to Mary Poppins. Maybe you need to go fly a kite. George Banks learned the true meaning of life. A few collectors should take a lesson and learn the true meaning of stamp collecting.