The Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS) aims to create greater interest and activity in the study of British Guiana and Guyana stamps and postal history.
It is a source of information for British Guiana and Guyana collectors, where they can connect via exhibitions and group meetings, and by using the Society’s social media internet sites being developed.
With these tools, GPS facilitates a collectors exchange or the buying and selling of stamps by its members. This includes all philatelic materials, envelopes, collections, books, to name just a few. The Society also offers philatelic advice from its experts and conduct appraisals of single stamps or collections of stamps from Guyana.
One of GPS’ most notable stamp collections is on cricket. Issued August 3, 1976, a collection of stamps featured the World Cricket Cup won by West Indies team in 1975 (SC #243-244) was released. Then there was a collection issued on January 8, 1968 celebrating the visit of the Marylebone Cricket Club to the West Indies (SC #36-38).
Objectives of GPS
The purpose of GPS is to provide up-to-date information on Guyana stamps; assist collectors to build bigger and better collections by providing greater opportunities to obtain philatelic material; and educate the youths of Guyana on stamp collecting.
In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ann Wood, founder of the Guyana Philatelic Society, related that the Society was started in 2012 as a non-profit organisation based in California, U.S.A.
“I started out by holding a small stamp show with displays of British Guiana stamps at the Sleepin’ Hotel in Brickdam. I was pleasantly surprised at the attendance and interest in stamp collecting. It seemed like everyone that came was a collector during a period of their life or knew someone that was a stamp collector. Needless to say during that show, I felt compelled to start a stamp club to renew the interest and provide support for collectors in Guyana, thus GPS started. In 2013, I contacted the former Postmaster General, Mr. Henry Dundas, about exhibiting at GPO in Georgetown, since the Philatelic Bureau is located there. He gladly welcomed us and we have been exhibiting at GPO regularly since then,” Ann recalled.
Ann is originally from Kitty, Georgetown, and has lived for more than 30 years in the United States.
As a child, she became fascinated by the stamps on the letters that her father, Dr. Sam Ramphal, a radio evangelist, received as a result of the radio programme, “Deliverance Time”. During that period, she started her collection and is still an avid collector of British Guiana and Guyana stamps.
Over the years, Ann acquired most of her Guyana stamps through the mail with the help of the Guyana Philatelic Bureau where she has held an account for more than 30 years. She also regularly attends stamp shows throughout the world and searches the internet to find stamps.
Ann is a member of the American Philatelic Society, The Royal Philatelic Society London, the British West Indies Study Circle, The British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group and other specialized stamp clubs. In addition, she is an expert with the American Philatelic Society for British Guiana and Guyana stamps.
The avid stamp collector travels from the US to Guyana twice a year to organize stamp exhibitions, workshops and school visits, and gives away free stamps at all events to promote the hobby.
In 2014, Ann, with the guidance of former Postmaster, Henry Dundas, visited and photographed all 70 of Guyana post offices, something that has rarely been done by anyone. She has also created postcards of the post offices.
Ann continues shares her knowledge, time and resources so that others can enjoy and learn from stamp collecting just like she does.
“We hope to use stamp collecting as an educational tool in schools across Guyana; to help collectors increase their knowledge of stamp collecting by providing access to philatelic books and catalogs for research; and to provide philatelic resources for collectors,” Ann noted.
In May 2016, the Society was at the World Stamp Show held in New York with over 100,000 collectors in attendance. GPS displayed the postcards with the post offices of Guyana and held a members meeting with many of its international members in attendance.
GPS has grown to more than 200 members in several countries and continues to grow rapidly. Its members are people from all walks life: those who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets. Above all, GPS stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who give advice on all aspects of collecting.
For more information, visit https://guyanastamps.com or Guyana Philatelic Society on Facebook.
