As many of you know, I am an avid trader. Of course I also buy some (and even sell a little) but mostly I make trades and over time I've amassed quite a few padded envelopes from many of those transactions.

I typically put the empties into plastic bags and when they fill, I tie them closed and toss them into the garage. On occassion I'll recycle a padded enveloped, but for the most part they just seem to accumulate. And as my collection grows, so does the mass of padded envelopes!

Well, I came across the bags the other night and when I got to thinking about what they represented; beyond the obvious. And I realized that each one was a personal contact with quite a few collectors, the vast majority of which are also members. And when you really get to thinking about it, almost each one was likely matched to an outgoing shipment from me.

Wow, that is quite a bit of addressing, packing, taping and scribbling of hasty notes along the lines of "Thanks for the trade!" or "Enjoy!" and other similar statements of brevity. But none the less, each one was a personal contact with another collector!

It didn't matter if the other collector was tall, short, green, red, aged, youthfull, male, female, an old hand or a newbie, what was important was that we were mutually adding to our collections (and making the Post Office rich!) and spending a brief moment in contact.

In short, I love this hobby and I am happy to have had all this contact with others!

So, without any further ado, this is the contest.

Just guess how many envelopes I have dumped into the bathtub. The tub is filled only with padded envelopes, nothing is hidden under the surface.

All three pictures were taken from different angles, without moving any of the envelopes. This contest is open to members only, so be sure to include your number along with your name when you post your response in this thread.

This contest will run until this Thursday night at 10:00 pm PST.

And yes, there is a prize. This Palace Station quarter.

Good luck, and thanks for the trades!!!

Jim Follis