Last week I finally had the opportunity to make the acquisition of an item I’ve wanted for many years.  I honestly cannot say when I first thought that it would be great to have my very own post office.  Maybe it started when I was collecting stamps off of envelopes as a child.  All I can say is the thought has been in my mind for a number of years.  Well, actually it wasn’t necessarily a post office I particularly wanted; a bank teller’s cage would have been just as good.  Basically what I wanted was the structure through which purchases of things that we now considered collectibles were made.  You know the sort with the interesting wood work, with metal “cage” framework and lots of drawers.  As of last week, I found my self in possession of one of the same.  The fixtures I purchased from a guy here in Houston came from the inside of the now deceased post office building in Courtney, Texas.  I am doing my best to verify this to be the case.  So, if any of you happen to have a picture of the insides of the Courtney, Texas post office from the 1940’s or before, please let me know.   To answer your question: “Just to the left off of Highway 6 between Hempstead and Navasota in Grimes County.”  

 

    There is only one minor problem with this acquisition; the “post office” is in large bits and pieces in my garage.  The person who has owned it for the last few decades dismantled it and left it as is.  There are no instructions telling how to put it together.  The previous owner didn’t even remember which piece went where.   Nor are there pieces of hardware such as nails, screws, bolts, etc.  Basically my post office is a pile of nice oak wooden pieces piled in the garage.  Some would call this a “unique fixer-upper”.  My wife views it as a “unique thrower-outer.”  I have plans for it in the future.  Obviously before I can get to the future, I have to figure out how to put it together in the present.  I’m looking forward to the job. 

 

    You all probably already realized this but we numismatists, rag pickers, token collectors and other “exonumia” specialists, etc. are in the same frame of mind.  What makes collecting interesting to me, and I’m sure to many of you if not all of you, is the joy of not only finding a new piece but also exploring how the item “fits” into the overall scheme of things.  Every piece has a story to be told.  Each collectible has a specific functional history and raises thoughts and issues for exploration that will not only entertain but also enlighten.  I speak of questions such as; “where did it come from, what was its purpose, are there others like it, what is its historical framework, ‘whom’ from the past will the piece introduce me to, how was it used, what is it made out of,” etc. 

 

    I honestly would have been perfectly happy with my post office if it had in fact been all together.  On the other hand I’ll learn so much more about it by spending quality time putting it together and then exploring the other possibilities.

 

    Now for a practical application; every one of us has something in our collection that is of interest.  All have an item which has required some depth of exploration in order to answer the “who, what, where, when and why” questions.  Here is a thought; how about using some of the results of your study in order to give the others of us a taste of your excitement and knowledge.  As you know the Greater Houston Coin Club is an educational agency.  What better way is there to be “educated” than through sharing what has been found? 

 

    A great start would be to bring a show and tell to the next club meeting (three minute limit.)  There are also quality spaces available throughout the year for club programs.  One could do an exhibit at the GHCC show or another show in the area, this would tickle Barney more than you know, or the writing of an article for the Double Shift or some other specialty publication would be in order. [Write on!- Ed.] Every now and then the GHCC will set up an exhibit somewhere and need material and experts to be present.  There are many ways to share what you have come to know and appreciate.  I for one will be developing a handbook on the restoration and repair of obsolete Texas post office fixtures.

 

     

 See you on the 17^th of May at the next official gathering of the Greater Houston Coin Club, if not before

 

Regards and God Bless . . Richard