The Bagzone COO's stamp collection runs into 10 books

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call Sandeep Goenka's family one of hobbyists. The Bagzone COO's grandfather loved horses while his father was interested in Sanskrit.

"As a family, we are very curious by nature. My grandfather was one of the best riders in his circle. My father pursued his love of Sanskrit literature by not just reading and collecting books, but also travelling to remote places to meet teachers," recalls Goenka.

When it came to his own pursuits, Goenka gravitated towards phi lately. His stamp collection runs into almost 10 books. Goenka's extensive collection features 782 stamps from regions spread across 69 countries. "I can't pinpoint to an exact age when I picked up the hobby, but it happened when I was very young," he says.

Goenka's interest, sometimes, leaves his friends and family amazed. While holidays for them mean sightseeing and shopping, Goenka goes hunting for local stamps. "My wife doesn't mind me organising my collection every fortnight. It even turns into a family activity. We call it the Stamp Family Brunch," he reveals.

Lately though, Goenka's passion has taken a backseat. "I do try to make time for my quirky fascination for stamps. I may have reduced the time I spend on it, but I am as dedicated and passionate about philately as ever," he says. And to procure his prized stamps, Goenka can go to any lengths.

"Recently, while attending my niece's wedding in Bhutan, I ended up spending more time trying to find the local stamps than I did with my family. I walked for miles to find stamps and finally had to get some help from the Queen of Bhutan to lay my hands on them," he says.

There is even a stamp with his face on it, which he counts among his favourites. "My daughter used them on the Father's Day cards she gave me." Now that's a daughter after her father's heart.