In 1994, I went to North Wales to see miniature steam trains – I was a railway enthusiast. At Riley's station, on the platform, I noticed the painted outline of a postbox – all that remained of the box that had stood there since the late 1800s. It appeared to have been vandalised, set alight and thrown away. I asked the station manager if I could see it, and he joked: "Give me £20 and you can have it." I replied: "I'll give you £20 if you can give me a receipt for it." That's how it all began. Now I have postboxes from around the world that I keep in my Post Museum on the Isle of Wight. With 260, it is one of the largest collections in the country. I have boxes from East Mayfield in Scotland, Truro in Cornwall, Cork in Ireland and even one from Hong Kong. I can't have a favourite – it's like having a favourite child – but I do have some amazing ones. One of the standouts looks like a giant can of Heinz baked beans. It came from the old Heinz factory in Park Royal, London: they had their own post office and postbox with the Heinz logo. My collection really took off after I wrote an article about my first purchase in a specialist magazine. After that, a few people came to see the postbox. One visitor asked if I was going to start collecting. He said: "I know a guy who wants to get rid of a few in his garden." I thought: Why not? https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/00cd813d864a883d247815c55838e7c5addd57c2/0_0_9368_6245/master/9368.jpg?width=1920&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none Another visitor said: "I know a stonemason in East London. He's had a postbox in his garage for years. I think he wants to get rid of it. Do you want it?" Again: Why not? Since then, I've driven thousands of miles to collect them. Before I retired, I travelled around the country as an electrician, sometimes stopping off to pick up postboxes. Sometimes I'd meet local postmen who'd help me find old ones. The Royal Mail keeps lots of things in storage yards before they destroy them. My reputation is such that when they're clearing out, they contact me. I joined a club called the Letter Box Study Group for people interested in not just postboxes but the history of the Royal Mail. I became the person you go to for details about postboxes. Send me a photo of a box and I'll tell you everything you want to know. I've met some fantastic people through the group. We're a mixed bunch: there are electricians, builders, self-employed business people, but when we get together, we all share a common interest. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5227e7518f31631ba803384dbbecc34585c329c6/0_0_9483_6322/master/9483.jpg?width=1920&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ffaef95c9a705565d8d5f609f731e55a9bff01dd/0_0_9348_6190/master/9348.jpg?width=1920&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none I've also lost some very dear collector friends over the years. Sometimes I get parts of their collections. A friend in Somerset left a few boxes when he died. Another, a former postman in Cowes, died suddenly and his wife gave me his postboxes. Without them, I'd be nowhere. I started my museum in 2006 because I needed somewhere to store my collection. Before that, I kept them in various sheds, hoping one day I could display them. Now anyone can make an appointment to visit. My wife and I have had people on random walks round, and 90-person parties. We lost our local postbox last Christmas – it was attached to a telegraph pole and the Royal Mail deemed it obsolete. Now we have to walk a mile to the nearest postbox, which is great for old folks like us. The Royal Mail is also rolling out 3,500 solar-powered postboxes across the country – some will replace the classic boxes we know. However, it seems we won't be sending letters in 10 years – I can't see modern boxes lasting more than 50 years. It's progress, but these things have been in our streets, keeping connections between families far and wide. I want to keep my collection for as long as possible, but if something happens to me or my wife, I reckon it'll be dispersed. You'd think someone would take it on, but I can't see it happening. So, while I'm still here, I'll enjoy showing people around. As Xaymaca Awoyungbo told Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@theguardian.com