Grandpa Bill's Stamp Collection

This afternoon, three generations of Norman men sat in my house and opened a box that had been sealed for 25 years which contained Grandpa Bill's stamp collection. 

Grandpa Bill has had this collection since he was a small boy- even younger than Cole is now. The first part of the collection that we encountered upon opening the cardboard box was this smaller wooden box. 

This little box was such a special thing to see as it had his childhood nickname written on it, "Billy Joe" (sooo cute). This was the box he first used to organize his collection.

He had hundreds of stamps from all over the world, some postmarked and some brand new. He even had some from as early as the
pre-Civil War era!

 Cole brought out a magnifying glass to get a closer look.

Truly, they were fascinating to see.

I particularly liked seeing the addresses and notes written on letters sent directly to Grandpa. This one shows his address from 1948  when he lived in Douglas, Arizona.

This one has a note on it from his Mother, Moss. So special!

 I especially loved hearing all of the stories that went along with the stamps, straight from Grandpa's mouth.

There was so much to learn from that amazing collection- not only the history behind the stamps but the personal history of my husband's father.... where he lived, his childhood, his interests. . . We're all so glad that he held on to it for so many years.