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Part 1 The very beginning

Postzegels verzamelen is een uitstervende hobby. Om een klein beetje aan het collectieve geheugen over deze hobby bij te dragen, ga ik mijn herinneringen daarover stukje bij beetje op deze pagina vastleggen. Mijn herinnering gaat terug naar einde vijftiger jaren, waarin bijna iedere familie wel iemand had die postzegels verzamelde. Bij mij was dat mijn vader. Mijn oudere neef verzamelde ook en met vijf jaar voorsprong had hij een veel grotere verzameling. Onze gemeenschappelijke grootmoeder vond het erg leuk dat ik postzegels verzamelde en zij deed heel veel om dat leuk voor mij te maken. Zij kocht voor mij mijn eerste postzegelalbum, een boek met losse bladen van ruitjespapier, waar je postzegels kon inplakken met plakkers. Zelf heb ik geen postzegelplakkers meer, maar op internet zijn ze nog wel te vinden. Mijn eerste inplakboek is verdwenen. De postzegels heb ik er nog wel uit gehaald.

Mijn grootmoeder gaf mij ook mijn eerste postzegel les mee:

“Reken er niet op, dat je ooit rijk zult worden van postzegels verzamelen”

Met die gedachte in het achterhoofd ben ik vanaf die dag vooral op zoek gegaan naar alles wat het verzamelen van postzegels leuk maakte. Daarover meer in een volgende aflevering……

Vanaf 14 april worden hier de wijzigingen in het ledenbestand van QSE vermeld te beginnen met de verhuizingen. Wens deze ruilvrienden veel geluk in hun nieuwe woning

Verhuisd per 1-2-2021

Mauro Trevisiol (#28)

Verhuisd per 1-4-2021

Jean-Pierre Djanian (#12)

Verhuisd per 1-4-2021

Bertrand Bruandet (#98)

Verhuisd per 1-6-2021

Charles Shulman (#88)

Nadere inlichtingen, zoals het nieuwe adres bij verhuizing kunt u krijgen door een email te sturen naar Pierre Polderman.

Wij herdenken

Rosemarie Bourlier overleden april 2021

Rosemarie (PFEC 533/QSE 33) was meer dan 30 jaar lid van onze ruilgemeenschap. In de beginjaren heeft ze veel en actief bijgedragen aan het ruilververkeer. In de tijd dat PFEC jaarlijks bijeenkwam was ze één van de vaste gasten. Toen dat moelijker werd vanwege haar gezondheid bleef ze bijdragen aan een vaste activiteit op die vergadering, de tombola. Door de plichten van het verzorgen van haar ouders die een zeer hoge leeftijd bereikten was het voor haar niet meer mogelijk om deel te nemen aan het ruilverkeer. Haar plannen om dat weer te gaan doen zijn helaas niet uitgekomen. Zij ruste in vrede.

Wilt u een bericht delen met de 30 leden die deze webpagina volgen, laat het weten, liefst via een email naar Pierre en niet via de website. Andere berichten over QSE vindt u op de circuits.

Winnaar van Envelop van kwartaal 1 van 2021

Since mid-March many countries have ordered curbs on the movements of their citizens, due to the coronavirus. Especially senior citizens – and most of us stamp collectors are in this category – seem to be vulnerable to this disease.

So far, we are lucky that the social distancing does not include the withholding of letters. Of course, it is a wise precaution to wash hands regularly after handling newly received letters and stamps. After all, the virus is an invisible enemy.

During the first few months of 2020, I have seen a decent number of interested collectors who have applied. I am sorry to report that most of them are not fit for our community. For a start they do not answer letters or emails. The vast majority of new members I have not seen back causing loss of stamps by reliable members. Since February, I have severely limited the number of listings of new members until I get report that they make proper exchanges.

That is why I call on good members to inform me as soon as possible, preferably via email about the quality of the exchanges of a new member as soon as you receive their exchange offer. This way I can increase the number of listings for good new members and stop listing those who are making inadequate exchanges. I will send al list of membership number of new members with the next email about cover of 2020 Q1. Postal members will be informed via the checklist.

The other idea that I am playing with is to have a group of members who are prepared to be on the first circuits of a new member or will be prepared to have one or two on their lists.

Please, make an effort to keep this collectors community a quality stamp exchanger and let me know what you can do to get maximum pleasure out of our exchanges.

Regards, Pierre

On 1-1-2019, QSE, the exchange organisation of active stamp collectors, started with the aim of helping fellow members with their collections by sending useful stamps of good quality. The numbers at the start were 150. Initially we lost a few members for several reasons. The best reason to stop was old age; the worst, the refusal to spend the minimum contribution of 1,50 euro per 3 years.

During this first year the number of members grew up to approx. 175 by the end of the year, thanks to a number of active recommenders of QSE. The highest membership number given out was 184. In total 370 sets of exchange circulars were sent from QSE HQ, just over 1 per day.

During the year it became clear that the forms that were used had a risk of getting lost. Members forgot to heed the advice to make security copies in case a form was lost in the post or ended up with a member who was deceased or pretended to be. Because of the actions of good members who quickly reported unreliable collectors the damages were limited. Also for members with email there were security copies in the QSE database. For members without email, another backup system was developed.

Another small improvement was the update of the bonus system in November 2019. Members who return good feedback receive bonus points and so do members who make the effort to show their appreciation by voting for great covers made by their fellow members.

The quality of feedback improved over the year. At the end of December, two quality awards could be given. Herman Rösch of Germany scored the most quality points among 140 members who received on average 2 exchange opportunities per month. Bertrand Bruandet of France received a 100% excellent valuation on his returns. Congratulations, gentlemen!!

From QSE HQ, I wish all members a very happy exchange year 2020.

Pierre Polderman

PS. The intention was to create a new site for QSE. However, producing circuits for the good members of QSE has priority above the cosmetic maintenance of a website with less than 100 visitors per year.

On 31-12-2018, PFEC has ceased to operate actively.

On 1-1-2019, a new organisation of active stamp collectors started with the aim of helping fellow members with their collections by sending useful stamps of good quality. Members may report on quality of the returns. For feedback they receive one bonus point. Twelve bonus points make a free set of circuits.

PFEC members who have been actively taking part by sending stamps first during 2017 and 2018 are automatically enlisted for a period of two years.

Each time a member returns a completed set of circuits  membership is extended by 2 years to a maximum of 3 years ahead.

Circuit lists can be obtained by sending a contribution of the value of 3 euro. GB pounds, US, Canadian dollars and Australian dollars are also accepted. Contribution for circuits via email is 1,50 euro.

Members who do not have these currencies can make private arrangements with Pierre Polderman at QSE Office

Members who like to keep on receiving mail from other collectors, but do not wish to send circuits themselves can apply for an annual membership by sending a contribution of the equivalent of 5 euro.

QSE aims to be an open collectors community. Every set of circuits contains one blank space to be filled with a recommended collector, who is not acquainted with QSE, that you can choose to exchange with and recommend QSE.

Successful recommenders receive a free set of circuits.

Successful recommended collectors can take part period for 12 months by sending 50 good used stamps of their country to:

QSE Office (c/o Pierre Polderman)

Oudeveen 103

3905 WD Veenendaal

The Netherlands

Yesterday, PFEC members reached an interesting milestone in stamp exchange:

Together,  PFEC members used 40.000 exchange sheets for stamp exchange
since the restart of PFEC on May 1st, 2006

The 50000 will not be reached as PFEC will be closed on 31-12-2018, but the community will restart with a new name and a different selection of participants on 1-1-2019.

There will be different rules and different exchange sheets. The latter will be tested in August 2018. Based on the feedback of testing members, the new organisation will be fine-tuned, for a flying start in January 2019..

More later,

KInd regards, Pierre

Hello, I am back on WordPress!

In August 2017, I decided to end my PFEC activities by 31-12-2018.

There is a number of reasons that led to this decision.

These reasons are still valid. One is, that it takes about an hour to work out a request and produce new circuits for the requester. The average number of requests is between 40 and 60 per month.

Over the first days of January, I have been working on a format that may be less time consuming.

If that proves to be reality, I shall start tests in the second half of 2018. Feel free to let me know if you like to participate in these tests.

Best wishes,

Pierre

Dear Friends,

I am late… It was lack of energy that prevented me from posting the newsletter earlier. There are several more subjects that I like to bring to your attention, but I have limited myself to the ones below and do the rest via other media.

In the third quarter, the number of members declined. We a new Basic members and two new Premium members. Unfortunately a number of long term members stopped collecting due old age. We just had the sad news that Vaclav Polacek has passed away. May he rest in peace.

Jiri Fochler extended his lead as  the nr. 1 PFEC recommender.

We welcome

Chris Reed of Australia and  Mireille Paradis of Canada

as Premium members

Further compliments go to Fernando Zamora.

This was the worst quarter for new members ever. If we like to have a vital community with lots of active members, everyone has to carry part of the burden.  How hard can it be to add one A5 sheet to a letter to a good collector and writing a few lines about your participation in PFEC which cannot be all that hard. I have now an A6 form of the size of a circuits, which I shall add whenever I have time. You can usually slip that in easily in your correspondence with non-PFEC friends without exceeding the weight limit for 20 grams.

Price of Dutch stamps for postage

Post NL has again decided to raise the price of postage stamps The tariff for an ordinary letter will go up from 73 to 78 cents. International letters will go up to 1,33 even though the fuel prices have come down dramatically and airfreight is more booming than ever.  I have decided not to increase the PFEC tariffs for 2017, but I shall need to catch up in 2018.

Collecting Dutch stamps

I have had it with Post NL as regards issuing policy. The limit was on September 12, when 15 different stamps were strewn over us poor cash-cows-collectors. Next year I will not entertain sheets with 10 different stamps for inland use. For 2017, 1 will only collect mint stamps of long going series, like the Mooi Nederland, Nederland Grenzeloos, the Europe stamps, the Children stamps and the December stamps, plus the sheets with just one, maybe two stamps like the one issued on the Day of the stamp.

Dropping the PO Box

The PO Box will definitely be cancelled early 2017. Please send your mail directly to my home address, which is on (nearly, when I forgot) every written communication from PFEC. The PO Box will remain in use until the level of mail has dropped sufficiently to close it safely. Last week I got about 60% of the letters to the home address. Keep up the good work and read the back of the circuit. I alter that occasionally.

Cover of Quarter 3 of 2016

I have selected a top 15  on October 1st . I published it on the weblog and I got 3 reactions there. Fortunately there were 17 voters  in the end: not great for 100 addressed members, but  not bad enough to stop this activity altogether. However, the post itself had 17 views. Not worth all the effort. Considering that there are people who spend their days with the posting of pictures of  their pet beetle, (double e) one might expect that some quality work by serious colleague philatelists might get a better reading. So this is the last newsletter on this weblog. No point in writing things that nobody reads.

The joint winners of Q3 were Hiroshi Motooka and Kare Johansson with 9 votes each.

07 Japan by Hiroshi Motooka

11 Norway by Kare Johansson

The cover by Melvin Mazur was voted third with 5 votes .

That’s all for ever,

Take care,

Pierre