City's top stamp man bids adieu as health concerns rise

Bob Edyvean will step down from the presidency of Wagga Stamp and Coin Club this week after almost a decade at the helm.

Now in his mid-70s, Mr Edyvean was diagnosed with parkinsons disease just before the pandemic.

But as it slowly worsens, he has decided it is the right time to call it quits.

Joining the club some 23 years ago, Mr Edyvean took on the top job in 2015.

Now as he steps down, he has reflected fondly on the warm "fellowship" he found at the club over many years.

"I've never been sorry I took on the presidency and I've enjoyed every minute of it," he said.

"It's deeply regrettable that I've had to get out of it.

"If not for my health problems I would have carried on."

Mr Edyvean first became interested in stamp collecting while working as a truck driver in the 1980s.

"[At the time] I was [selling] truck and car batteries... all over the Riverina," he said.

During his travels, he came to know the owners of Griffith motel, and was over at their place for a meal one night when they pulled out a collection of Papua New Guinea stamps and he was fascinated.

Over the coming years, he had "quite a few customers" saving their used envelopes.

Mr Edyvean also found it was a great way to save money when work took him far from home - spending the time working on compiling these stamps into books at the motel instead of spending his savings at the local clubs.

From these humble beginnings, he managed to build up a collection which enabled him to start selling stamps.

Although Mr Edyvean attended his first Wagga Stamp Club meeting in 1987, he moved away to Queensland until the turn of the century, when he became more involved with the club.

Reflecting on the highlights of his time as club president, Mr Edyvean said he's helped push the club to digitise.

Despite the decline of stamps, he also noted the club membership has been slowly rising.

"We've picked up some new members," he said.

But while he is stepping away from the presidency, Mr Edyvean hopes to remain active in the stamp club for some time yet.

Mr Edyvean also finds the hobby - which includes the use of microscopes to tell the minutest details apart, and the building up sets of stamps - a great way to keep the mind active.

He said it's a good safeguard against sitting around and vegetating into old age.

And while he's finding it harder to stay active due to health problems, he plans to keep it up while he can.

Wagga Stamp and Coin Club secretary Peter Simpfendorfer paid tribute to his outgoing superior.

"He's been a very valuable member of our club over [the years]," Mr Simpfendorfer said.

"He's participated in our market days and stamp and coin fairs on the club table, he's given displays at monthly meetings."

Mr Simpfendorfer said he was "sorry to see him step down as president."

"[Despite that]... I [do] understand why he's doing it," he said.

Mr Edyvean will formally step down on Wednesday when the club meets to vote in a new president.