Out of order by request

I have long since given up on recording what number exchange I am up to. This is my 45th post, but not all 45 refer to exchanges. On the other hand, I've omitted several lots that I've won on online auctions (Trade Me and recently eBay) which you could regard as 'exchanges' of a sort. But anyway, when a fellow collector told me she was impatient to see me do a post about her latest letter I had no hesitation about writing about it out of order.

(See 'A' is from Austria) for the first letter filled with stamps that I ever received from a fellow collector. I believe that Edna is originally from Singapore, but she lives in Austria, a fairly dangerous place to live at least in a postal sense, as mail sometimes goes missing - gets diverted to Australia - unless 'Europe' is included on the address. 

That, we suspect, was what happened to my return mail. However, my friend and I persisted in our exchanging, and have now got a regular pattern of letters criss-crossing the skies (when they aren't filled with volcanic ash!). In return for my sending a cover with the set of NZ ancient reptiles Edna promised to send something special . . .

In the mail there wasn't one envelope, but two! Edna collects covers (FDC's too if they are addressed to her) and she kindly sent me a very nice couple. The stamps used for postage remind me of the ones on Behram's letter. They too have a marine theme, a topic that is much on my mind after listening to two TED Talks about the state of the world's oceans.

And what was enclosed? Two packets: 300 European stamps and 50 transport. I think that I owe at least a cover and some used stamps for that. I'll send a cover from Japan when I'm there later this year.

First Letter (of the Alphabet is A . . . for Austria!)

After answering over 50 emails from people wishing to exchange stamps, and then corresponding further to establish details regarding country, number, period, definitives or commemoratives, the first letter to arrive was from Austria.

Edna Chin has hurried to get the letter posted on the birthday of Max Weiler, which makes this a first day cover. I tried to reciprocate and enclose some priority stickers (Airmail or F

ast Post) and to include postage stamps on the cover from the giant animals set. However, I mistakenly used a very recent (2010) $2.30 stamp of a dinosaur - possibly NZ's largest-ever-issued stamp. 

 

 Edna protected the stamps inside a windowed 'private and confidential' envelope and enclosed a summery postcard to guard against folding. The stamps have a classic feel to them and comprise several part sets. The 1s castle stamp (2nd from the right in the top row) has the world record for being printed on four separate occasions using four different processes.

All in all, an auspicious day!

Postscript: Although I posted back within a couple of days, my stamps still haven't reached Edna. But some airmail stickers that I won on an online auction and asked to be forwarded to her have. Edna asks that her name and address are mentioned in this post - could lead to a few other exchanges for her . . .

Edna Chin

Nordmanng 27/3/34

1210 Wien

Austria

Europe

Several weeks later . . . my envelope to Edna did not arrive. We suspect that I might have overlooked writing 'Europe' on the envelope, and that it was sent to Australia. Edna asked if I could send her a cover with the Ancient Reptiles set used as postage, and that she would send me something for that. I did so, including a few more stamps as it seemed a shame to send an empty envelope, making sure to write the full address.

When I tried to have it registered at the post office, I was told that I'd have to buy a special plastic registration bag in which to put the envelope. I didn't want to do that, as th

en the stamps would then not get cancelled. I asked the woman at the counter to make sure that the letter went to Austria, not Australia, and she became quite defensive/aggressive! She told me that NZ Post could not guarantee that mail arrived at its destination, as it could go missing at so many points along the way. When I told Edna about it she asked whether it would put me off stamps collecting. 

Anyway, the mail did get through (this time).

Update: A couple of months later, I find the original letter back in my letterbox - returned to sender. The label tells me that the letter is insufficiently addressed. It is not, as you can see above.