Hello, I’m Matt LeClair and I collect postage stamps…

There, I said it. It’s out, and you know, it does feel better talking about things…

This has honestly been a difficult thing to go public with. There’s a real stigma against stamp collectors, philatelists, and even though I’ve had a stamp collection since I was five, only my wife and immediate family know about it.

Last year, star tennis player and fashionista Maria Sharapova let slip that she collected stamps. Later, when reporters asked again about it, she replied, “Oh, God, stop. Everyone’s calling me a dork now!”

In fact, her agent had banned her from talking about it for fear that it might effect her sponsorships.

“We’re getting emails from, like, stamp collecting magazines asking if I can do an interview. I mean, it’s just a hobby,” she said. “I’m actually good at telling stories but that is one I should have never talked about. Oh, my goodness. Let’s get off this subject, because I’m going to be an absolute geek tomorrow.”

How sad! Google Maria Sharapova and you’ll see she’s allowed to be two things: tennis star and sexy blonde. The instant she reveals that she’s something more than that she gets shut down. I don’t think “dork” when I hear Maria is a philatelist. I realize she’s not just a stereotype. There’s more to her than playing tennis and looking pretty. She’s interested in the world, its people and its history. She’s a real person, someone you could have over for dinner and it’d be an enjoyable experience, as long as her agent didn’t come.

So yeah, I’ve been in the closet about my philately. The Sharapova incident reinforces the idea that it’s something you should keep quiet because if people know, they’ll think less of you. You’ll lose your social status and your sponsorships. You’ll never have sex with a live human again. People will make fun of you.

You know what? Screw it! I love collecting stamps! Collecting stamps helps me to be a happier, healthier, better informed person. I don’t want to keep this a secret because I’m sure there are others out there who are a) closet philatelists, or, b) would really enjoy collecting stamps if they gave it a chance.

So, from here on, this blog is going to be all about stamps. I’ll be talking about why I collect, and how you can get started, and maybe someday you can say it with me: