Stampex Interview: Mark McShane (Lundy Collectors Club)

Another of my Stampex interviews was with Mark McShane. Mark is the manager of the Lundy Collectors Club - which is not all about stamps but certainly knows a lot about them! Xanthe: Could you tell me about the Lundy Collectors Club and what it does? Mark: The Lundy Collectors Club is a group of people who collect anything related to Lundy Island - it could be stamps but also coins, postcards, books, souvenirs and even porcelain. We're really just a meeting place for like-minded collectors to get together, to share their findings and what they're interested in. Xanthe: For those who don't know, where exactly is Lundy Island and why does it issue its own stamps? Mark: Lundy is twelve miles off the Devon coast in the Bristol Channel, so it's quite remote. Back in 1912, Royal Mail closed their only Post Office on Lundy. Eventually a new owner, Mr Harman, purchased the island in 1927 and set up his own postal service using his own currency - Puffinage! This started in November 1929.

Xanthe: What makes Lundy stamps special or different from regular British stamps? Mark: I think it's because they come from a very special, unique, small postal service. Collectors like them. Lundy stamps are issued to very strict rules about quality, subject matter and how many issues are created. So I think collectors appreciate this, and the location and selective nature definitely appeals. Lundy issues a new set of stamps every two years, so contrast that with Royal Mail. Xanthe: Do collectors ever visit the island just because of the stamps?

Lundy's 2025 issue

Mark: Absolutely! Our club organises visits. In March, twenty people visited and that coincided with the launch of the 2025 new release, which was based on seabirds. Next year we will spend a day there, walking and stamp talking, and then on Sunday we will have our club meeting and auction.

Xanthe: How important do you think Lundy is in the story of British Cinderella stamps? Mark: That's a fascinating question. I think for anyone who collects Cinderellas, Lundy Island is really important to them. But of course other people didn't always have such a high opinion of Cinderellas. However, I think people have come to appreciate Lundy more because of its strict policy and the quality of the production. More people collect Cinderellas now; I think it's become more acceptable and not something that is frowned upon.

Xanthe: Do you have a favourite issue? Mark: Yes, and it's probably one that most people dislike the most - the 1955 Millenary issue. The more I purchased of them, the more varieties I found, especially on covers. There are different cancels in different colours. The 1972 Trinity House stamps were nice as well.

Xanthe: What kind of activities does the club do? Mark: At the moment not a great deal, but we're working on that! We have new people taking the club forward. We want to meet more people interested in what we're doing, talk to more people so they know about us and advertise ourselves. The visits we organise are important. We're asking the membership what they want us to do. We're a work in progress but we're happy to act on feedback from members. Xanthe: Do you see younger collectors getting interested in Lundy stamps? Mark: We have two junior members at the moment. It's an area we've been talking about. Many young people visit every year, and a lot of them like postboxing, sending postcards, etc. Some will buy stamps to take home with them as souvenirs. So we think there is an opportunity for us to focus on increasing our junior membership. Xanthe: How do you think online collecting and social media affect interest in Lundy stamps? Mark: I've been doing social media for other societies for a while. Sometimes it feels like you're talking to yourself but you have to keep at it because eventually it takes off. The Lundy Collectors Club is on social media and more people are following us... joining other community groups also helps to get you noticed. I think social media and having an online presence is really important - I've been posting about our visit to Stampex this week and it's important to do that. For further information on the Lundy Collectors Club, take a look at their website or follow them on social media.

Xanthe's note: Mark gave me and my sister Heidi some stamp packs, full of Lundy stamps, covers and postcards. Thank you so much! Editor's note: Xanthe has previously written about Lundy Island in a post about her visit in 2024.