Saturday, January 29, 2011

Gandhi Assassinated - January 30, 1948 - Today In History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.
Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, is assassinated on this day in New Delhi by a Hindu fanatic.
Born in Porbandar, Gujarat October 2, 1869, and died in Delhi on January 30, 1948. He was a political and an important spiritual leader of India's independence movement in this country. He was commonly known and called in India and the world as Mahatma Gandhi (from Sanskrit, Mahatma: Great Soul) - "Mahatma" is a title all his life he refused to associate himself.
He was a pioneer and theorist of satyagraha, resistance to oppression by using the mass civil disobedience, all based on ahimsa (total non-violent), who helped lead the India to independence. Gandhi has inspired many liberation movements and civil rights around the world and many other personalities such as Albert Schweitzer, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi. His major criticisms against modern Western, forms of authority and oppression (including the state), also earned him a reputation as a critic of development whose ideas have influenced many political thinkers. Gandhi was known as the Father of the Nation in India, his birthday is a national holiday. This date was declared International Day of Non-Violent by the UN General Assembly.
Lawyer who studied law in England, Gandhi developed a method of nonviolent civil disobedience in South Africa, by organizing the Indian community's struggle for civil rights. Upon his return to India, Gandhi encouraged the farmers and poor workers to protest against taxes as too high and the widespread discrimination and put on the national struggle against colonial laws created by the British. Became the leader of Indian National Congress, Gandhi led a nationwide campaign to help the poor, for the liberation of Indian women, for brotherhood between communities of different religions or ethnicities, for an end to untouchability and discrimination caste, and economic self-sufficiency of the nation, but especially for Swaraj - the independence of India from foreign domination.
Gandhi led the Salt March, the famous opposition to the tax on salt. It was he who also launched the Quit India movement appealed to August 8, 1942. He was imprisoned several times in South Africa and India for his activities, he spent a total of six years of his life in prison.
Follower of Indian philosophy, Gandhi lived simply, organizing an ashram that was self-sufficient. He made his own clothes - the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, with cotton yarn with a charkha (spinning wheel) - and was a vegetarian. He practiced rigorous fasts for long periods, for self-purification as well as a means of protest.
In an effort to end India's religious strife, he resorted to fasts and visits to the troubled areas. He was on one such vigil in New Delhi when Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist who objected to Gandhi's tolerance for the Muslims, fatally shot him.
Collectibles on Colnect that Commemmorate This Day in History:
These are a few of the phonecards issued by different countries to commemorate Gandhi's life:
STAMPS: Several countries released stamps to commemorate and celebrate Gandhi's great achievement:

Friday, January 28, 2011

150,150 Stamps on the World's Best Online Stamp Catalog

As January 2011 closes, the world's best online stamp catalog on Colnect has passed another important milestone by listing 150,150 UNIQUE stamps. Formerly, in November, we announced 135,531 stamps displayed on our catalog. In just about two months, ~15,000 stamps were added.



Remember that only on Colnect, you can easily manage your personal stamp collection and easily trade with other collectors. With the availability of 58 languages in Colnect, you can simply and easily communicate and swap without a hassle. Take your pick among the beautiful stamps from different country origins.

We would like to acknowledge everyone's volunteer work. Your contributions really count a lot. Special thanks goes to our stamp coordinator Klaus Jochimsen [Lola22] who orchestrates the whole operation. Do you have friends who love collecting stamps? Spread the good news and let them know about the big collections in our stamp catalog that await them.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Bank Card catalog is growing quickly - 2,468+ cards

In August we announced that the Bank Card catalog had reached 1,001 cards. We are now delighted to report that the Bank Card catalog has more than doubled since then and it has now already surpassed 2,468 cards and it continues to grow!

The hobby of Bank Card collecting includes the collection of the following bank affiliated cards: ATM cards, Credit cards and Debit cards.  These cards are all of a similar size, made out of plastic, and they are embedded with either a magnetic strip or a chip within the card. In addition to bearing the name and logo of the Bank Provider, they are adorned with a variety of striking images, which makes these cards sought after by collectors.  These images range form abstract art to themes of landmarks, landscapes, people, sports, flora and fauna as well as other promotional related subjects.



We are grateful to Hendy Florez, our bank cards database coordinator, who is responsible for the continued success of this category.  We also acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed in any way by sharing items from their collection and adding them to our database.

Colnect has the largest online catalog of Bank Cards and with your help and support this can grow even bigger and better.  In this modern era almost each and every one of us is in possession of one type of Bank Card or another.  So, next time your Bank Card expires, think twice before you discard it.  At least make an effort to contribute details and images of it to our catalog or consider starting a collection of your own.

Start connecting with other bank card collectors from all over the world now and show off the cards that you already have in your wallet.
You can “bank on it” that you will have a lot of fun. . .
Happy collecting :)

Monday, January 17, 2011

Beer Coasters / Beer Mats - Colnect's Collectors New Addition

Colnect is expanding and reaching out to more collectors and we are pleased to announce that we have now added a new category of collectibles to our portfolio: Beer Coasters / Beer Mats

A coaster or beer mat is an absorptive mat on which to rest a glass of beer or other beverage upon.
Coasters are made from high density paperboard (cardboard) or several layers of tissue paper.  Beer mats are identified by their water absorbency and printability and standard coasters are usually square or round, but other shapes do exist.

In 1880, the first beer mats, made of thick paper pulp, were introduced by a German printing company as use to cover an open brew to ward off insects.  They have now become one of the best ways you can protect your furniture and bar counter from stains caused by liquid that accumulates on the bottom of a glass.

Beer mats are usually adorned with customized images - advertising a brand of beer, although they can also be used for promotional purposes to advertise anything from a drinking establishment, sports franchise, businesses or other special events.



Coasters are collected in a variety of ways. You can collect them according to theme, brewery, state, region, country, or simply collect everything.

The practice of collecting coasters or beer mats is known as tegestology and coaster or beer mat collectors are known as tegestologists.

Mirel Sinanaj [albcoins] has taken on the responsibility as coordinator of our new Beer Coasters / Beer Mats category.

So next time you are at the pub make sure to keep the beer coaster as a souvenir to add to your new collection or to use it to exchange for another collectible item.

Let’s make a special toast to Colnect's newly baptized Beer Coasters / Beer Mats category: “Cheers . . .!!!”

Happy collecting :)

Friday, January 14, 2011

18,888 Collectors Collect and Connect with Colnect

The New Year has welcomed us with the exciting news that the Colnect community is continuing to grow rapidly.  Just over a month and a half ago we announced that we have 17,171 collectors on Colnect.  The holidays and festive season ensured a surge in new collectors visiting Colnect and today we are proud to announce that we now have 18,888 Collectors who are Collecting and Connecting on COLNECT.  That is a remarkable addition of 1,717 new collectors in just over a month!



18,888 COLLECTORS COLLECT AND CONNECT WITH COLNECT!
By reaching this milestone it is evident that more and more people are being hit by the “collector bug” and they are all joining in on the fun at Colnect.  We welcome our new additions to the Colnect family and we wish you all an enjoyable journey collecting and connecting with our global community on Colnect.

With a continuously growing membership base it is guaranteed that there are a larger number of collectibles available for trade and just as our numbers of collectors is increasing, so are our catalogs of collectibles growing in size.  No doubt that there’s something for everyone!

It is with our deepest gratitude that we acknowledge each and every one of you who has supported and contributed to our community in any way and who continues to ensure that we are able to offer the best service available to everyone.

If you have not yet joined in on the fun and become a member, don’t delay any further – joining Colnect is free.  Click here to sign-up today!

We also challenge and urge all our collectors to invite and recruit more collector friends to join Colnect. It’s all about sharing the experience and expanding the Colnect community.

May your collection grow during 2011 and may you meet many new collector friends while having fun on Colnect. . .

Happy collecting :)

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