I HAVE BEEN A COLLECTOR FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, STARTING FIRST WITH STRAITS SETTLEMENT STAMPS AND OLD SINGAPORE POSTCARDS C1920'S AT THE AGE OF 6 WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY FATHER AND LATER INHERITED ALL THAT HE HAD LEFT BEHIND. THEREFORE, I HAVE THESE POSTCARDS EARLIER THAN MOST - IF NOT ALL SINGAPORE POSTCARDS COLLECTORS. I HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF OLD SINGAPORE POSTCARDS FROM PRE 1900 TO 1970's.

BECAUSE MY LATE FATHER WAS ALSO A COLLECTOR SINCE THE 1920'S WHEN HE WAS COLLECTING POSTCARDS AND COVERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALSO OLD POSTCARDS OF SILENT MOVIE ERA. I STILL HAVE POSTCARDS SENT TO HIM FROM CUBA, SOUTH AMERICA, POLAND, HUNGARY, PRE-WAR GERMANY, USA, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, ETC..... LOOK OUT FOR THEM WHEN I START SELLING THEM THROUGH EBAY. HE HAD WORKED AS A BOOK-KEEPER FOR SHAW BROTHERS AT THE PRINTING OFFICE AT ROBINSON ROAD OPPOSITE LAU PA SAT FROM THE
EARLY 50's TIL HE HAD A STROKED IN 1960. AS SUCH WE HAD COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO WATCH MOVIES AT REX AND CAPITOL. THEATRES - ALSO AT ROXY THEATRE IN KATONG AT EVERY MOVIE CHANGE TIL IT WAS CLOSED. AND I HAD A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF THE "MOVIE NEWS" AND "THE FATIMA NEWS" FROM THE VERY FIRST ISSUE TIL THE LAST - ALL NEATLY LEATHERBOUND ON YEARLY BASIS BUT ON SHIFTING HOUSE, THEY WERE THROWN AWAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF SINGAPORE- WHERE AT MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOME IN GEYLANG LORONG 41 AND WHERE MY PARENTS STAYED, SOME ITEMS WERE LOOTED AND LOST FOREVER!!

I BEGAN THE WONDERFUL JOURNEY OF COLLECTING BUYING AND SELLING TO FEED THE HOBBY. I REMEMBERED WHEN I WAS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE 1950'S, I SOLD EACH COMMON STRAITS SETTLEMENTS STAMPS FOR 5 MALAYAN CENTS FOR POCKET MONEY - BIG MONEY THEN WHEN YOU PAY ONLY 5 CENTS FOR A BUS RIDE TO SCHOOL ON STC (SINGAPORE TRACTION COMPANY THAT HAD MONOPOLY ON LUCRATIVE CITY/SUB URBAN ROUTES WHEREAS THE CHINESE BUS COMPANIES RUN INTO RURAL DISTRICTS, AT THAT TIME). SO I COLLECTED BUS TICKETS ALSO, BUT ALONG THE WAY THEY WERE THROWAWAY BY MY MOTHER AS RUBBISH ALONG WITH MATCH BOXES, CIGARETTE BOXES AND MANY OTHER COLLECTIBLE ITEMS AS YOUNG BOYS WOULD COLLECT AT THAT TIME.

THE ONLY REGRET WAS THAT I HAVE DESTROYED OR CUT UP THE STAMPS FROM THOSE OLD CARDS AND COVERS.

THEN IN MID1 960's, UPON RESPONDING TO AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE STRAITS TIMES, I MET THE BUYER IN THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AT HILL STREET THEN, WHERE I SOLD SOME JAPANESE OCCUPATIONS STAMPS ENOUGH TO RAISE TO PAY FOR MY'A'LEVEL EXAMINATION FEES. MEANWHILE, FROM 19651 STARTED COLLECTING SINGAPORE
STAMPS/FDC'S/POSTAL HISTORY COVERS - ALSO CHRISTMAS ISLAND, COCOS ISLAND AND PITCAIRN ISLAND - STAMPS, FDC'S, PACKS. ETC.

IN 1966, I STARTED WORKING AT AGE 19 WITH A SALARY OF S$180.00 AS A LABORATORY TECHICIAN AT THE MEDICAL FACULTY, KING EDWARD VII COLLEGE AT SGH (SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL) OUTRAM ROAD, BUT I LEFT FOR CHRISTMAS ISLAND, INDIAN OCEAN TO WORK FOR THE BRITISH PHOSPHATE COMMISSION LABORATORY FROM 1968 TO 1969,

I CAME BACK TO SINGAPORE TO WORK FIRST AT COLD STORAGE, THEN AT CASTROL SINGAPORE - BOTH AT BUKIT TIMAH AND BOTH FACTORIES ARE NOW GONE AND IN IT'S PLACE, HIGH RISE CONDOMINIUMS.

   >>continue ....