CHENNAI: It’s been a little over six months since the novel coronavirus waged a war on the lives and livelihoods across the globe. Although its impact has been severe, people have, over time, found ways to keep their spirits high and engaged; ventured into reacquainting themselves with long lost interests and hobbies. Owing to the time many had in hand during the lockdown, hobbies like philately seem to have found more takers, creating a profound effect on the stamp market.
Tapping on this spike, city-based philatelist Ramesh Ethiraj recently launched Worldwide Mint, an online platform, for enthusiasts to browse and buy philatelic products from the comfort of their homes. “Though I started a basic version of the e-commerce platform a few years ago, regular stalls, exhibitions and physical shows were when we used to meet dealers, collectors and attendees to share our love for stamps. With the pandemic scare, all that came to a halt.
But, in the last few months, I noticed that several people took a liking to this hobby. Since most were stuck at home, learning about stamps, their history and other nuances garnered attention and awareness. So in an attempt to fuel this interest and make use of time effectively, I relaunched the website last month,” shares Ramesh, a former IT-employee, who left his cushy job to take up his family business in philately. “My grandfather started collecting stamps as a hobby at a young age. My father, who grew up observing him took it up a notch and turned a hobby into a trade.
He’s been in the industry for over four decades now. After a few years of working in a conventional set-up, I too decided to take up the trade. It was my calling,” shares the philatelist, who is also a stamp agent for over six countries. Known for his innovative ideas and his eye for unique stamps, two years ago, Ramesh was also in the news for designing a stamp bearing the image of Mahatma Gandhi for North Korea. The stamp was designed and released by the Korea Postal Corporation to commemorate the centenary of the Khadi movement (1918). Unlike the usual rectangle paper stamps, Ramesh’s stamp was designed on cloth. “I had an idea to create a one-stop destination for all the philately needs.
So the portal was carefully curated keeping the diverse group of collectors and their interests in mind,” he shares. Worldwide Mint currently features around 5,000 products ranging from India single stamps (Mint never-hinged), post and pre-independence stamps, postal stationery, booklet and panes, foreign stamps, postal history, joint issues to sheetlets. “Our online collection is perhaps the only place where one can find stamps issued from 1947 to 2020,” he shares.
The Ashoka Lion (1947), Beethoven MNH (1970), Quit India Movement (1967), Thiruvalluvar MNH (1960), Srinivasa Ramanujan MNH (1962), 250th session of Rajya Sabha MHN (2019), 100 years of Indian cinema stamps (2013), Dr BR Ambedkar MNH (1966), East India postcard Queen Victoria (Mint) and King George V - Censor Cover - from Ramnad District to Singapore are some of the products available on the online portal. “These stamps are not just collectibles, but are also educative in nature. One can understand and preserve history and heritage through these accessories too. On average, the age group of most collectors is above 30. We need to encourage such hobbies in the younger generation too. It has to be introduced to children at the school level,” he explains.
For details, visit www. worldwide-mint.com