No, being a mycophilelatist is not an immoral activity. It’s a term describing one who collects mushroom topical stamps.

There are a small number of people in the stamp collecting world who specialize in mushroom topicals. Topicals are stamps that have specific pictures on them or are themed on a certain “topic” like trains, bugs, war, food, or yes–mushrooms. Topicals are called “thematics” in the UK.

It is unlikely that Ernest Rutherford would have thought so, but stamp collecting can be fun.  Last time I checked (about 5 minutes ago) you could pick up a bag of 100 assorted mushroom stamps on eBay for about $4 plus $2 S&H. Or you could be more choosy and peruse the 80+ listings for mushroom topicals currently offered up for auction or buy-it-now.

To help keep up with the world of mushroom topicals there are a number of catalogs and listings available, including one from Italian mycologist Dario Varisco. I recently got a chance to ask Dario a few questions about his stamp catalog and here is a transcript of that interview.

MR: When was the last time you updated the catalog?
DV: My catalog was  updated in 2007. I have had some problems updating my website but I hope to have that done in January 2010. Right now the catalog has 393 pages.

MR:  About how many subscribers do you have?
DV: I have 30 subscribers, from France, Italy, Romania, and Switzerland.

MR: Are you a stamp or mushroom collector yourself?
DV: I’m a collector myself of stamps and mushrooms. I’m not interested in  purchasing mushrooms, only to go to find them in the woods.

MR: What are the best ways to find and purchase mushroom topicals and how do you keep up with when mushrooms stamps are issued?
DV: It is very difficult to know when new stamps come out around the world and where to buy them. Normally there is a 12-16 month delay from when stamps are issued and the time when I can get them.

MR: What do you think comes first, an interest in stamps, or an interest in mushrooms?
DV: I started out as a mycologist and only later collected stamps. I started to collect stamps 15 years ago.

MR: Are people who collect mushroom stamps also usually interested in collecting and eating wild mushrooms?
DV: Yes. I think that many collectors of mushroom stamps are also interested in collecting and eating mushrooms.

Dario Varisco’s catalog MICOFILATELIA is in three parts and is available for 50 Euros by order directly through his website.

Take a look at the cover of the catalog (PDF)

More on Mushroom Topicals:

Scanned images of mushroom stamps

Stanley Gibbons Catalog–Collect Fungi on Stamps (2nd Edition)

Fungal Topicals from Avion

Fungi  from JustWendy Thematic Stamps