Unexpected collection

This time I almost gave up hope of publishing something in line with the theme proposed by Mipiano for this month. Initially I had the idea of bringing a collection of letters whose envelopes have stamps, but I discovered that the stamps were repeated, leaving me without variety 🤣, so I gave up the bad idea...at some point I will bring the collection of letters 😉.

But as my friend Amanda (@nanixxx) says...you have to trust the Universe. A lot of things aligned for me to be here today. It is just in this month that the Havana International Book Fair is held every year and last Saturday, together with my husband and daughter we visited it.

In one of its stands was the company Correos de Cuba. Although their product offer was practically non-existent, there in the squalid showcase there were, to my pleasant surprise, STAMPS!!!...I almost shouted it in that small empty space. I looked at my daughter with sparkling eyes like someone who discovers a treasure:

her: what's wrong mommy?
me: the theme of the collectors' community!!!!!
her: aaaaaaaah
both: hahahahahahahaha

I ask the saleswoman if the packages she had on display were the same and what stamps they contained.

The saleswoman: I don't know
Me: How?
The saleswoman: I wasn't the one who made them up
Me: 😲🙄😶 Well...can I open them to check?
The saleswoman: If you open it you have to buy it whether they are the same or not
Me: 😳😟😡 Ok...give me two please....

And I left "happy" with my 2 packages, kind of ugly, rustic, but with a treasure inside...by the way, both were identical, luckily I only bought two. 🤣.

It turns out that looking for information I discovered that my little collection is a marvel.

I have the complete set of eight stamps issued by Correos de Cuba on the occasion of the International Philatelic Fair held in Beijing in 1999. They have printed a selection of Chinese contemporary art works and they are beautiful.

Also issued in the same year, I have the 4 values that were printed to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Cubana de Aviación company.

They are present in the selection that someone made (and it was not the saleswoman 🤭) , the series of 2 stamps corresponding to the joint issue that is made annually by all the member countries of the UPAEP (Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal) according to the theme proposed by this organization. Those of the year 1996 whose theme was, typical national costumes and the series, also of 2 issues, of the year 1999 under the theme, new millennium without weapons.

Also another set of 2 values issued on the occasion of the IX Iberoamerican Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Havana on November 15 and 16, 1999.

To my collection are added 2 stamps on Cuban orchids issued in a set of 6 values in 1995, it is a pity that 4 are missing.

The commemorative stamp of the 50th Anniversary of UNICEF, year 1995.

Only 1 of the 2 stamps issued in 1996, to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the first man's trip into space.

And finally 2 stamps that were issued jointly with China in the year 2000, showing the emblematic Varadero beach of our country and a bay of the island of Hainan.

It has been a pleasure to show you this unexpected collection. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

_{All rights reserved on the text and images, which are of my authorship unless otherwise indicated. I use DeepL for translation because my English is very bad 🤭.}