Used Stamps

Nearly every week for some years, 97-year-old Sister Marion Thorne, (Walton UK) has asked me if I have any used stamps, as she trims and prepares them for sale to stamp dealers and the proceeds go to missionary work. It is hard work for very little return, but is a worthwhile job she joyfully does, in spite of physical limitations. Her parents took her to Sunday School when she was three weeks old and she was baptised at the age of 15.

Photo: Sis Marion Thorne surveying a mountain of stamps from CAT.

Over the years we felt at times we had lost mail owing to it having been stolen for the stamps, so now we use a franking system instead of ordinary postage stamps. Many in the mission areas find it difficult to afford postage stamps, which can cost the equivalent of half a day’s wages, so we supply them with printed international reply envelopes, for which we have a licence, enabling us to pay the postage this end. This is more expensive for us (especially as rates have recently been substantially increased) but it does save them money and enables them to keep in contact with the world-wide fellowship. Just one plea for those abroad: do not fill the envelopes we supply, with used stamps as the extra postage we have to pay on these is much more than the value of the used stamps. MH