A collection represents what can sometimes be years of time and effort focused on a single topic. Collections come in all shapes and sizes, from coins to cars.

Redmond is host to a unique sort of collecting — stamps — through the Central Oregon Postal Collective.

“It’s a calming experience sorting through the stamps, trying to find the differences and just learning about them,” said club member Robert Hood, who has stamps from three generations worth of collecting inherited from his father and grandfather.

The club has been operating for about three years and is affiliated with the American Philatelic Society, an international nonprofit organization for stamp collectors. About 15 stamp collectors make up the Central Oregon Postal Collective, which meets once a month at Redmond Karate. Meetings usually last about two hours.

“It’s a hobby, plain and simple,” Hood said. He also pointed out that collecting is easy and cheap; you can start just by keeping used mail with a stamp that interests you.

Some of their stamps date to the early 1800s, including some of the first stamps used in the United States. Each collector has a specific area of focus, whether it’s stamps only from Switzerland or stamps only with horses on them. Personal interest decides what members focus on, including one member who is in grade school and collects stamps with artwork on them.

Anything used through post counts for the Central Oregon Postal Collective, and as Hood put it, the only thing you need to collect stamps is an interest.

“We enjoy trying to figure out why a stamp was made, from a historical perspective,” Hood said.

As any collection goes, the more valuable the object, the more desirable, but stamps offer a different avenue of value. Most stamps are connected with some sort of historical event or figure and aid in telling a story.

Nearly every event or person of note has a stamp, such as Ben Franklin and Apollo 13. The story behind the stamp is what interests the collectors at the Central Oregon Postal Collective. Hood said the topical nature of stamps makes it easy to find something you like.

“It feels just as good to finish a page in your collection as it does to find a high-value stamp,” Hood said.

At each meeting, one member will share a presentation with the group about their area of focus and any interesting stamps they might have recently found. They welcome anyone interested in their meetings to join.

“The only requirement to be a member is to talk about stamps,” Hood said.

Membership is free and open to the public. For more information, email the club at c_o_p_c@live.com or find them on facebook.

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com