FIREFLY

Many are saying and quoting that Maximum Cards are cheap since the newly created MCs are modern stuffs. Many are claiming that maximum cards are worth  the face value of a postcard + a stamp . These are statements mostly given by the Non-maximum card collectors. They have neglected the hidden costs  one has to incur to acquire a postcard and the effort in the making of the maximum card, hence, I can tell all that a self-made maximum card can never be Cheap. I will like all to appreciate and respect the effort as put in by a maximaphilist in each and every maximum card. Can I just pose a question to all,  If self made maximum cards are cheap, can one easily acquire one MC in the open market ? and where ? Are there any willing sellers around ? I will like to sum up here with some hidden costs in the making of a maximum card :

a. The price paid for a postcard ( Many a times these postcards are NOT acquired from the immediate market. Higher prices may be paid for rare postcards. At times incurred with postage , travelling charges etc.)

b. The cost in travelling to get the postcard cancelled at the place of concordant. 

c. The casualties in cancelling postmark on maximum cards. A bad postmark is often Non-reversible, postage stamp and postcard are nullified.

d. The Non-return of MCs sent for cancellation at a distant post offices or Overseas post offices.

Well, in the realisation of the Malaysia Fireflies Maximum cards, I made my trip to Kuala Selangor to have them properly cancelled with a postmark of concordant. The trip from my hometown at Seremban to Kuala Selangor took me 1.5 hours covering a distance of more than 150 kms. Can someone compute for me , What is the average hidden cost attributed to a firefly maximum card I made ? I never like to do such a computation, as the figure always works out to be shocking ! I am just reflecting a scenario of a cost appraisal of a maximum card.  If you think Maximum card is cheap, I will never spare you One, as you are NOT appreciating the effort put in by any maximaphilist who has created the maximum card. 

I have used the high denomination RM5 stamp detached from the Malaysia Firefly Miniature Sheet to realise the Maximum Cards. Many were curious to know why I did NOT use the lower denomination stamps instead. There were 4 other fireflies stamps with lower denominations of 30sen and 50sen, it is definitely cheaper to use them on maximum cards. I had insisted to adopt the RM5 stamp for the  reason that the ONLY species of fireflies found at Kuala Selangor is the Pteroptye tener which is depicted on the RM5 stamp, and the postcards I had in hand are of the same species of firefly. Try to go for perfection as far as realisation of a maximum card is concerned - it is so called a maximum card, hence, we have to go for the maximum concordance in all angles.

I will always try my very best to look for the place of concordance to have my cancellation of the postmark on maximum cards - it is a great challenge in Maximaphily. Of course there are several postmarks can be considered for the realisation of maximum cards for each new stamp issue, however, there is always a BEST postmark available. It is the greatest satisfaction to have the BEST concordant postmark on a maximum card. I will like to quote the Malaysia firefly stamp issue as an example, as Kuala Selangor is welknown as a paradise of the fireflies, hence, there is no doubt that the BEST postmark to tie the firefly stamp to the postcard is " Kuala Selangor ". Without hesitation, I  made my trip to  Kuala Selangor post office to have my mission done.

Have you been to Kuala Selangor ? I have NOT been there, BUT it was the urge to create a few maximum cards for the recently issued "Fireflies" stamp that brought me to the town of Kuala Selangor. Kuala Selangor is noted as the home of fireflies, hence, I had decided to make a trip to the local post office to have my maximum cards cancelled @ the particular post office. In the past, Maximaphily had made me to travel to several remote post offices in towns which I had never thought of paying a visit at all.  Since, I was at Kuala Selangor, I made a trip to the nearby Pasir Penambang fishing village to enjoy  a good meal of crab porridge. I further proceeded to Tanjong Karang and Sekinchan to enjoy a pleasant sunset view at the vast paddy fields. Overall, it was a fruitful trip - I have made my maximum cards, I have enjoyed a delicious meal, I have been to a vast paddy field. The next time , you can plan a sightseeing trip with the creation of maximum cards. - killing several birds with one stone, why NOT ?  Happy traveling & sightseeing, at the same time  enjoy creating your MCs.

Kuala Selangor is known to be the home of the fireflies in Malaysia as there are thousands and millions of firefly colonies harbouring on the berembang mangrove trees along the river sanctuary which lights up the surroundings with these little insects' blinking tails. Tourists will be able to witness this spectacular sight of the Nature wonders by taking a leisure boat ride along the river sanctuary. Before you take a trip to the wonderland of the fireflies of Malayisa, I will like to share with you a Maximum Card of the Blinking Fireflies.

Somehow, in life one needs to have a hobby to keep time occupied, and I really find Maximaphily  a fascinating hobby to keep me busy. It is not a monotonous hobby, it keeps my heart beats with every new issue of postage stamps, in a way, it keeps me young . It keeps me busy for the whole year round - hunting for postcards, researching on subjects related to the stamp issue, locating the post office which I am going to visit to have the maximum card done, well, the process repeats for every new stamp issue. Really, by viewing these Maximum Cards I have done, I feel rewarding and satisfying. Maximaphily, "You" light up my life!