Philately, not just a hobby but also an investment

P.R. Krishnan, who is into export business, considers some of his most profitable investments to be those made outside that business. For, his best returns have come from philately.

Mr. Krishnan, a senior philatelist in the city, says, gold purchased for Rs. 100 in 1949 will be worth around Rs. 79,000 now. However, stamps bought for the same amount in the same period will now be valued in excess of Rs. 3.25 lakh, more than four times that of the gold’s value. “Today, stamp collection is the best investment avenue for youngsters,” he adds.

Mr. Krishnan is the secretary of Philatelist Club of Coimbatore, playing its role with India Posts in organising a three-day philatelic expo “Kovaipex” that began here on Thursday.

Manju P. Pillai, Post Master General of Western region, says the expo is a quadrennial event that is being given a fresh impetus this time around. All the schools in the district have been invited to send their students for the expo. It features 144 frames holding thousands of stamps collected by many young and senior philatelists in the city.

Rare stamps such as the ‘Scinde Dawk’, the first Indian stamp released in 1852, ‘Sandalwood Scented Stamp of India’ released in 2006 and ‘Kurinji stamp’ released later in the same year to celebrate the legendary blossoms of Western Ghats also find a place of prominence.

U. Srinithish, Class VIII student of PSG Public School, says, “I have a personal collection of around 500 stamps that is something of a generational inheritance. They were passed down from my grandmother to my father and now, to me. Its value struck me only after visiting this expo.”

Competitions are also being held for the best collection. Students from various schools in the city visited the exhibition, which is being held at the Techno Park II and III on TNAU premises on Marudamalai Road. Entry is free for the expo, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It concludes this Saturday.