Ormskirk Stamps: Specialist in Rhodesia, Southern Africa & Central Africa

The Publisher and Editor - Otto Peetoom

I started collecting stamps as a child in 1951 and by the time I was in high school my main interest was in South and Central Africa.
I pursued the hobby into adulthood which meant I was hooked for life. In April 1979, after a fifteen year career in the marine industry, I changed my profession from being a Sea Captain to a full time stamp dealer. I opened a shop, in Ormskirk, Lancashire in England. Within six months I realized that collecting and dealing is essentially a conflict of interest, thus I made the decision to put my collection into stock. After all I could derive pleasure from the items I bought, many of which I could never have afforded as a collector.

In 1981 I produced my first Rhodesian price list and over the years expanded it and made it my speciality. Researching philately became a hobby and I had the ambition to write a specialized handbook. I realized that such a project demands an immense amount of time and it seemed inevitable that this was never going to materialize.

Thus in 1993 I decided to launch my own magazine in which to publish my research and chose to call it "The Rhodesian Philatelist". The British Library approved the title and allocated it an ISSN number.

I realized that numerous subjects lacked thorough research and that many published articles are merely based on the work of previous authors. Thus the same errors, omissions and suppositions are repeated time and again.

There are numerous individuals who constantly provide help and support, without them my articles would not be possible. They are acknowledged in each issue with my sincere thanks. Finally a special thank you to my wife Gillian, who assists with editing.