Wednesday 6 January 2010

The Art of Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting takes place all over the world. Indeed, there are likely few, if any, hobbies that are as widespread. Stamp collectors come from all backgrounds, which is again reflected in the diversity of the collections, as each individual will find a particular type of stamp that interests them. Stamp collecting can also be a relatively inexpensive hobby, making it accessible for individuals on any budget.

The first stamp and the start of stamp collecting

To find the first postage stamp you have to go back to England in the mid-nineteenth century. The famous "Penny Black" stamp, featuring an image of Queen Victoria, was released in 1840. As soon as the 1860s, children were drawn to growing range of postage stamps in production, and stamp collecting was born. As those children grew into adults, they continued collecting stamps, thereby making it common hobby for adults. By the inter-war years, stamp collecting had taken a firm position as one of the most popular hobbies in the United States. The hobby has continued to be popular for both children and adults alike well into the 21st century.

Types of stamp collections

One of the great things about stamp collecting is that there is such a wide array of postage stamps and similar items available, which means that there can be countless different types of stamp collections. Whatever your personal interest, be it animals, Americana, cartoon characters, sports, or even Elvis, you will find stamps from all over the world just waiting to be collected. Stamp collecting is not just limited to postage stamps, either. Oddly enough, Federal Duck Stamps are one of the most popular and well-known collectible stamp series. Other stamp types that are popular include souvenir sheets, postal stationary.

Beginning a Stamp Collection

To start collecting stamps on a casual basis, start looking at your mail as it comes in and keep the ones you find interesting or beautiful. After a while, you should get an idea about what kind of collection you want. Once you have a basic idea of where you want your collection to go at first (and keeping in mind that it is always easy to expand or change the focus of your collection) it is time to invest in some proper tools. Of course, if you are on a tight budget, stamp collecting can be done on the cheap. But for best results you should get some clear plastic sleeves and a notebook to store your stamps in a manner that protects their condition and keeps them safe from the elements. You should also think about investing in other specialized tools, including specially designed stamp tongs. These tongs prevent skin oils from coming into contact with the stamp, which will further promote sustainability in the stamp.

How do you get stamps?

Your first and best resource for stamps will be your friends and family. Let them know you are a collector, and have them send the stamps they receive over to you, they will likely be happy to save the stamps from their incoming mail for you to look over and select from. There are also products where companies send out a selection of stamps for the collector to look over. Generally, these programs allow the collector to keep the stamps for up to a month without charge. After a month's time, he or she can choose to purchase the stamps that are of interest, and return those that do not fit into their collection. Just remember to return the stamps you do not want on time!

Putting a value on your stamps

Although they are collectables, most stamps are actually valued at face value or less. That means that most stamps are worth a negligible amount of money. This is fine for most casual collectors however because they are simply collect for personal enjoyment, not financial investment. This is not to say of course that stamp collecting can never be lucrative. Stamps that range in value up to $50 are not uncommon.

Finding out more about stamp collecting

Stamp collecting is an extremely popular and old hobby all over the world. For this reason, there is no shortage of hobby groups that any prospective or experienced stamp collector can join. The main organization in the United States is the American Philatelic Society. The American Philatelic Society is one of the oldest and most well known organizations. All of these stamp collecting groups often sponsor trade shows, conventions, and other events, which promote networking, trading, and transactions involving stamp collections. And of course, as with so many things, there are also a host of online resources available. Online beginner's guides are a great place to start for those new to stamp collecting, while price guides, social networks, and other resources are available for more seasoned collectors.

Steve Dolan has been collecting for many years. Find out what to collect at Collecting and Collections Collect Coins - then click Coin Collecting and for stamps Stamps and Stamp Collecting

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Monday 4 January 2010

Stamp Collecting Basics

Stamp collecting is the most popular hobby in the world. Philately is a broader term for the study of stamps, and it is frequently - but wrongly - equated to stamp collecting.

Through stamp collecting, people find information about history, currency, science, politics, arts, architecture and customs of different nations and countries of the world. All stamp collectors have fun with their stamps because no collection is ever complete, and there is always a challenge.

First, decide whether you would like to collect unused (mint) or used (canceled) stamps. If starting a mint stamp collection, purchase unused stamps from the post office. And if you see interesting stamps coming in the mail - collect them.

Many collectors prefer used stamps because they are less expensive or they may cost you nothing.

Some collectors save stamps by "topic": for instance, if you are interested in ships, you may want to collect stamps of ships and boats. Car fans often collect stamps with cars on them. You can disregard the countries and only collect stamps that have pictures that you like. Some people like to collect stamps of one or several countries, but which are all of the same subject. Popular topical themes are birds, cats, butterflies, flowers, sports, space, art, chess, famous people and other.

Specialized collecting means that you can collect all the varieties of a single stamp or collect stamps used for a special purpose.

Country collecting is usually done chronologically by date of issue, sub-divided into reigns or political periods.

Some collectors specialize in collecting only the first stamps, one for each country that has ever issued a postage stamp, or collecting first-day covers.

Some areas of collecting cost less than ten cents a stamp, while others can cost thousands of dollars.

A lot of people collect "Cinderellas" - stamps that are not official stamps issued by a country's postal administration. Cinderella collectors include in their collections local postage issues, telegraph stamps, tax stamps, forgeries and counterfeits.

The "hobbies" section of your local library may have basic books about stamp collecting, and the reference department may have a set of stamp-collecting catalogs. To find the value of a specific stamp, visit some good stamp-collecting web sites.

If looking for more information on stamps and stamp collecting, the local post office is the best place to start.

Albreht Moy owns Old World Maps website.

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How to Start a Stamp Collection

Stamps are a necessary facet for the delivery of physical items in our modern postal service. However it was not always so. Prior to the introduction of the 'Penny Black' in 1840s Britain, recipients had to pay for the delivery of any post. The cost was determined according to the number of pages sent and the distance transversed.

Pre-paid adhesive Stamps were in fact the brainchild of Rowland Hill in his 1837 proposal to reform the British Postal System. Little did he realize then that his invention would become one of the most popular hobbies in the modem world.

The attraction of stamp collection is multi faceted. From a hobby perspective it illuminates people's understanding of diverse cultures, events and dialects. There is the pleasure obtained from collecting beautiful miniature pieces of art and the thrill of collecting rare and valuable pieces.

5 Key steps in beginning your stamp collection include;

Step One: New or Used Stamps
The fist decision a stamp collector must make is whether to focus on used stamps, unused / mint stamps or a collection of both. Initially it is advisable to commence collecting used stamps. These are readily available, inexpensive and will give you a feel for the hobby.

Commence by removing stamps from your received mail. Please note it is often more valuable to collect the entire envelope due to a unique postmark date. Ask your friends, family and any over seas relatives to send you their stamps. This will provide the impetus for a diverse collection at low cost.

Step Two: Select a Theme
It would not be feasible to intend on accumulating a complete worldwide collection of stamps. Such a collection would be very expensive to acquire and require storage for thousands of volumes. For this purpose collectors focus on small definitive niches encapsulating time periods, particular countries, topicals or types of stamps.

These niches vary from pictorials and commemorative stamps to topicals such as; Olympics, space, famous people, animals, birds, sports and a whole lot more besides.

Your choice will most often be dictated by your interests. Concentrate your collection on that which you would be excited to own.

Step Three: Purchase Stamp Collecting Equipment & a Stamp Collection Catalog
When starting out it is essential to buy a good catalog / album. Stamp catalogs and reference guides are full of useful data on stamp collection history and on individual stamps themselves. These guides provide useful data including essential stamp particulars and book value. It is advisable to get a catalog with the Scott numbering system. It is not necessary to buy the latest most expensive catalog or albums, those which are 4/5 years old will suffice for the purpose intended.

Other necessary stamp collecting equipment includes; stamp thongs, magnifying glass, archival stock book, and if you are very serious stamp collecting software.

These items enable a serious stamp collector to better examine their collection and preserve the stamps for years to come.

Step Four: Find a Reputable Dealer and Buy Stamps online

When you have become comfortable with the fundamentals of stamp collection and feel ready to purchase, visit your local stamp dealer (see newspaper classifieds) and purchase a stack of assorted used stamps. This will cover a diverse range of topics and provide hours of enjoyment in sorting and categorizing your collection.

Join online stamp auction sites such as eBay.com and bid at stamp auctions or philatelic exhibitions. Take your time, get educated, ask lots of questions and make informed buying decisions.

When purchasing stamps online you need to specify whether they are by 'approval' or 'want list'. Approval refers to a situation whereby a dealer sends the collector assorted stamps and they then decide which to retain. A 'Want List' refers to a situation whereby the dealer checks if requested stamps are in stock and quotes prices for specified stamps the collector wants to collect.

Step Five: Join a Stamp Collecting Club and Get involved in online forums
The very best way to learn about the great hobby of stamp collection is by taking part in interactive online forums and by joining local stamp collecting clubs. You will then benefit from the accumulated knowledge of seasoned stamp collectors. They will be able to answer your questions and ensure your hobby is enjoyable rather than frustrating due to any learning curve.

Feel free to join the Stamp Collecting Social Network on hobeze.com, its 100% FREE, fantastic fun and a great way to meet like minded people

Martin O' Flynn is Director of Hobeze.com - The Sports and Hobby Social Network that connects like minded people for over 680 sports & hobbies worldwide. Join today for FREE Click Here
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Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related items, such as covers (envelopes or parcels with stamps on them). Stamp Collecting Trivia Quizzes measures how well you do with 20 questions about stamps. Stamp collecting is painless when you do it as a hobby. It is known as Philately and is a very pleasing hobby because it immensely enhances the broad expertise of the collector. It can be an intricate hobby, and this cuts right through.

It is an unusual mix of the structured and the unstructured, and you can make it a unique hobby that will not be like everyone else's. It is a cherished hobby that people around the world have enjoyed for centuries.

It has become commonplace to assert that the prospect of stamp collecting is on its way out as a most popular hobby because of the increasing popularity of e-mail, other electronic forms of communication, and custom-made stamps.

Here are some of the more regularly used sources for stamp collecting information. The Internet has expanded the availability of stamp collecting information and has also made it easier for starting. Intermediate stamp collectors can obtain stamps, covers and other philatelic items.
Stamp clubs and philatelic societies can add a social aspect to the experience of stamp collecting, and provide a forum where novices may partner with more experienced collectors. Interesting news, articles, resources and links on stamps, collecting, and US Postal operations.
Look up prior and impending stamp releases and more. Find national and international groups devoted to stamp collecting. Find stamp Collecting Links and pages of stamp collecting links grouped online. There are many stamp collecting web sites.

It is a hobby that you can continue through your life.

Everyone who is interested in it can become a collector.

A philatelist’s choices are infinite which can be both a blessing and confusion, especially if you’re a new to the art of it. Advice and guidance, is contained in the book:The Complete Illustrated Guide to Stamp Collecting (Paperback) by Dr. Mackay (Author) Its content shows you how to: Start or broaden your collection, Determine, Catalog, organize, Handle, protect, store, display, Identify rare and valuable stamps, buy online and bid through auction houses.

The word 'philatelist' means a person who practices philately or stamp collecting. In fact it is the most popular hobby in the world. Whatever the reason, it is fun and it’s really easy to get started. It has been the hobby of people through all walks of life from royalty to common folks includes and hundreds of thousands of people. But it can be started in a very simple way. Stamps you find on your everyday mail can be placed on paper in a binder.

Your local library may have major books about it and may have a set of the Scott Catalogue.
Start slow and learn as much as you can. There are websites which can direct you on buying suitable lots to get you started. To learn more about it, enter “stamp collecting “into your search engines. You'll find a number of features that will make postage stamp collecting more convenient and enjoyable. You can form your own club, Look always on the internet for the best, secrets and methods. Collectors usually focus on one category because there are many stamps and philatelic items issued. Subscription to publications and periodicals are crucial. They are, also, great for directing you in stamp collecting. The Internet makes stamp collecting more enjoyable by permitting collectors to buy and trade stamps from the comfort of home.

While some future of stamp collecting as pessimistic because of the advances in technology such as e-mail, some collectors stay confident. Stamp collecting is one of the most popular pastimes in the United States. Stamp collecting is a hobby that anyone can get started on today.
Go to The Stamp Collecting top site: http://www.stamps.org. On this website and its links, the verbiage of stamp grading and condition is fairly standard across the world of philately, here and abroad, and in fact, you will find the language of stamp collecting terminology complete. If you revel in stamp collecting as a hobby, you will need to know tips and tricks to find stamp collecting supplies at reasonable rates. You can add to your stamp collecting supply with the help of a stamp dealer who can get you stamps of your choice.

Stamps and stamp collecting, in a larger sense is history of American politics, culture, values and technology. See through the prism of the nation's postage stamps and postal service. Buy stamp collecting software to catalog and value Your USA, UN, German, and Australian and Canadian stamp collection. Send this page to a friend with a personal memo.

Please leave your comments.

Roger Hardieway is a retired Engineer and Amateur Radio Operator

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