For Sequim’s Judy Newblom, her love of lighthouses shined a light on a new hobby — stamps.

While she’s lived in Sequim for seven years, Newblom said she joined the Strait Stamp Society to pursue stamp and postcard collecting in January.

“I’ve always had an interest in stamps,” she said. “It’s so much more fun when you can do something with your stamps and postcard albums.”

Newblom and dozens of others exhibit and participate in the club’s 25th annual Strait Stamp Show from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Masonic Lodge, 700 S. Fifth Ave.

As tradition, entry is free with free stamps for children, or a penny per stamp for adults. There are door prizes, vendors and more.

Newblom, who created the exhibit “Five unique lighthouses that should be on your bucket list” for the show, said she discovered “another world” through stamps.

“It’s exciting. Now, I’m looking at my collection differently and I’m enjoying putting stories together,” she said.

Newblom, a retired art teacher/administrator, said you can teach a lot through stamps.

“People don’t realize all the history and all the heroes of our time,” she said. “The problem with stamp collecting is that it’s so interesting you can have dozens of topics (to investigate with) a little here and a little there.”

Recently, Newblom said she began researching women astronauts for a possible exhibit at the show.

“But I thought Amelia Earhart was too interesting so it became ‘Women in Flight,’” she said.

Postcards are a big part of her collection, too.

Show chairman Cathie Osborne of Sequim said deltiology, the study and collecting of postcards, fits right in with the club and philately, the study of stamps.

“At bigger stamp shows, they’re becoming more likely to welcome postcards (along with stamps) these days,” she said. “A postcard can add to the story something you can’t find on the stamp.”

Rotary tradition

Another tradition to offer an anniversary cancel and cachet continues this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Sequim’s Salmon Bake.

Henry Jones, a stamp club member and foundation chairman with the Rotary, said the club will offer the envelopes along with some commemorative Rotary stamps from 1955 that celebrated the Rotary’s 50th anniversary at the time.

Jones, a retired insurance agent, said the Salmon Bake on Aug. 12 at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club supports charities such as the club, and the stamp at the time cost 8 cents, 5 cents above face value, to support the Rotary Foundation.

Jones said the US Postal Service didn’t offer another charity stamp for several decades for breast cancer research.

He plans to raffle off personal “My Post Office” collections at the Salmon Bake he’s created with around $200 in collector value and enough stamps to mail 50 envelopes in each box, including the Rotary stamp.

The cost for a cachet is $1, and $2 for the post office cancel, stamp and envelope. A price is to be determined for envelopes with the Rotary stamp, too.

A U.S. Postal Service representative will be at the show issuing cancellations.

For more information on the club and/or show, visit www.straitstamp.org.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Henry Jones creates a “My Post Office” assortment of collector’s stamps totaling about $50 in mailable stamps. He plans to auction off the collections at the Rotary Club of Sequim’s Salmon Bake on Aug. 12 at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

This year, the Strait Stamp Society celebrates 50 years of the Rotary Club of Sequim’s Salmon Bake (set for Aug. 12 at the Boys & Girls Club). Visitors to the Strait Stamp Show on Aug. 11 at the Sequim Masonic Lodge can purchase an envelope, cancel and a 1955 Rotary stamp. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Cathie Osborne of Sequim won a silver ribbon and special award from the American Topical Association for the best single-frame Award at the Summer Exhibition of the Evergreen Stamp Show in Kent for her bellflowers stamp exhibit. Photo by Dick McCammon