We want stamp collecting to reward you with many years of pleasure and relaxation. It all began in 1840 when Great Britain issued the Penny Black, the world’s very first postage stamp. Since that time millions upon millions of hobbyists have experienced the joys of stamp collecting.Collecting stamps has been not just popular pastime but also your take as a profession. Collecting stamps has never been easier and collecting isn’t just for the gray-haired gentleman who spends his days poring over his stamps.
When collecting stamps, it’s important to have at least some definition of what you’re hoping to achieve. Some people collect only historical stamps. That is, they’re only looking for the old, rare stamps that are highly sought and prized by collectors. This is a noble goal, but probably not much fun for those without the finances to make those rare purchases. If you’re simply looking for a great hobby, start searching for unusual stamps or collect stamps postmarked in other states and/or countries.
Stamp Collection does not necessarily need a lot of financial resources. If you are really keen on starting stamp collection as a hobby, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money then simply begin with collecting used stamps. You will really need to do a lot of hard work to collect stamps inexpensively but the efforts would be worth it.
The most basic place you can start stamp collection is your own mailbox. Chances are high that you might end up fetching similar stamps at the beginning but this surely is a head start. Some of the letters don’t have a stamp at all instead they have an imprint on them indicating that the postage has been paid for. The best way to ensure getting better stamps through your mailbox is to convey to your friends or relatives to select stamps other than the common ones when they send you a mail. Once your acquaintances know that you are a keen stamp collector they would be more than happy to help you own a good stamp collection. Also when you are sending mails regarding offers that need to be processed through mail use stamps that you want to add to your collection, as these mails will be coming back to you at the end of the process.
Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!
Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!
Similarly you know someone who is working in an office. Start with your own parents. Office mail can also be scanned to get some of the best stamps since mails throng in from different possible locations in a work place. Ask your parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors too if they could remove some time to check the mail envelopes in their offices and pass on the ones with stamps to you. You could also ask them to check if they have any old mails that have stamps on them. The older the better, as they are more unique. Instead of tearing stamps from old envelopes you could soak the stamp along with the envelope in water. This will make it easy to remove the stamp as the adhesive will be lost and the stamp will separate from the envelope. We can now dry these stamps. This will help to minimize the possible damage caused by tearing.
Take help from other stamp collectors. They might also swap some of their duplicate stamps with you and you might end up having a chunk of good stamps at a much cheaper cost. The best place for stamp collection is a stamp club. Join your local stamp club. Here you can meet up with other stamp collectors, seek advice from them and even exchange stamps with them. At times these clubs present stamps as prizes or make stamps available at a lower price for their club members. For those of you who are not finding any stamp club in your vicinity, the advice would be to create one yourself. Form a group of 3-4 people who are stamp enthusiasts to start your very own stamp club. Come together every weekend to exchange ideas, information on the latest stamps available and also swap stamps if you want.
Another source for stamp collection would be a pen pal. Letters coming from your pen pal would have their country stamps. Even if they are common stamps of that country, for you they are as unique as any other stamp. You would have both - a great pal and another means to getting different stamps!
Stamps may also be purchased through the mail. Many newspapers and magazines carry advertisements offering free or inexpensive stamps. Care must be taken to read and follow the company's sales approval conditions, paying for those you keep and returning the others promptly.
These tips should surely be of great help for a budding stamp collector. The aim is not more towards having each and every stamp that exists in your collection, but to learn about different countries and their cultures while at the same time you manage to have a pretty good time doing it. Care should be taken to store the stamps you collect diligently as you want to keepsake them with you for a good number of years ahead. You must take care of the stamps unless you can't enjoy your stamp collection hobby more fruitfully. Enjoy your stamp collection, however small it may be, with a lot of care. You never know if it turns out to be most valuable in a couple of years. CataloguesStamp catalogues are the primary tool used by serious collectors to organize their collections, and for the identification and valuation of stamps. Most stamp shops have stamp catalogues available for purchase.
The most basic place you can start stamp collection is your own mailbox. Chances are high that you might end up fetching similar stamps at the beginning but this surely is a head start. Some of the letters don’t have a stamp at all instead they have an imprint on them indicating that the postage has been paid for. The best way to ensure getting better stamps through your mailbox is to convey to your friends or relatives to select stamps other than the common ones when they send you a mail. Once your acquaintances know that you are a keen stamp collector they would be more than happy to help you own a good stamp collection. Also when you are sending mails regarding offers that need to be processed through mail use stamps that you want to add to your collection, as these mails will be coming back to you at the end of the process.
Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!
Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!
Similarly you know someone who is working in an office. Start with your own parents. Office mail can also be scanned to get some of the best stamps since mails throng in from different possible locations in a work place. Ask your parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors too if they could remove some time to check the mail envelopes in their offices and pass on the ones with stamps to you. You could also ask them to check if they have any old mails that have stamps on them. The older the better, as they are more unique. Instead of tearing stamps from old envelopes you could soak the stamp along with the envelope in water. This will make it easy to remove the stamp as the adhesive will be lost and the stamp will separate from the envelope. We can now dry these stamps. This will help to minimize the possible damage caused by tearing.
Take help from other stamp collectors. They might also swap some of their duplicate stamps with you and you might end up having a chunk of good stamps at a much cheaper cost. The best place for stamp collection is a stamp club. Join your local stamp club. Here you can meet up with other stamp collectors, seek advice from them and even exchange stamps with them. At times these clubs present stamps as prizes or make stamps available at a lower price for their club members. For those of you who are not finding any stamp club in your vicinity, the advice would be to create one yourself. Form a group of 3-4 people who are stamp enthusiasts to start your very own stamp club. Come together every weekend to exchange ideas, information on the latest stamps available and also swap stamps if you want.
Another source for stamp collection would be a pen pal. Letters coming from your pen pal would have their country stamps. Even if they are common stamps of that country, for you they are as unique as any other stamp. You would have both - a great pal and another means to getting different stamps!
Stamps may also be purchased through the mail. Many newspapers and magazines carry advertisements offering free or inexpensive stamps. Care must be taken to read and follow the company's sales approval conditions, paying for those you keep and returning the others promptly.
These tips should surely be of great help for a budding stamp collector. The aim is not more towards having each and every stamp that exists in your collection, but to learn about different countries and their cultures while at the same time you manage to have a pretty good time doing it. Care should be taken to store the stamps you collect diligently as you want to keepsake them with you for a good number of years ahead. You must take care of the stamps unless you can't enjoy your stamp collection hobby more fruitfully. Enjoy your stamp collection, however small it may be, with a lot of care. You never know if it turns out to be most valuable in a couple of years. CataloguesStamp catalogues are the primary tool used by serious collectors to organize their collections, and for the identification and valuation of stamps. Most stamp shops have stamp catalogues available for purchase.
There are hundreds of different catalogues, most specialized to particular countries or periods. Several major catalogues have worldwide coverage:
Stanley Gibbons (Britain)
Stanley Gibbons (Britain)
Scott catalog (USA)
Michel (German)
Yvert (French)
History
The first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued by Britain in 1840. It pictured a young Queen Victoria, was produced without perforations (imperforate), and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the "Penny Black" are quite scarce, used examples are common, and may be purchased for $25 to $150, depending upon condition.
Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit.
Queen Victoria's profile was a staple on 19th century stamps of the British Empire; here on a half-penny of the Falkland Islands, 1891.During the late 1800s many of those collectors, now adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and published research works on their production, plate flaws, etc.
Some stamps such as the triangular issues of the Cape of Good Hope became legendary. (See Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope).
It was not until the 1920s that publicity about valuable stamps encouraged a large increase in the number of stamp collectors. This rapid increase in postage stamp values was largely due to very few of the older stamps being saved in good condition. Especially difficult to find were pairs, triples, and large blocks of older stamps.
Because many U.S. stamp issues of the 1920s rose rapidly in value, during the 1930s many American collectors stockpiled mint U.S. stamps with the hopes of selling them for a sizeable profit in a few years' time. This never materialized. Even today, more than 60 years later, one can find many 1930s U.S. issues in mint condition for close to face value, and many stamp dealers and collectors still use stamps issued as far back as the 1930s for postage when mailing letters.
Most U.S. postage stamps issued since the 1930s are easy to obtain and have minimal value. Some high face value stamps, such as the $2.60 United States Graf Zeppelin issued in 1930, are worth substantial amounts of money. Other stamps issued since 1930 that are usually worth something are souvenir sheets from popular countries, hard to find plate number coils, and errors in printing.
Future of stamp collecting
Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit.
Queen Victoria's profile was a staple on 19th century stamps of the British Empire; here on a half-penny of the Falkland Islands, 1891.During the late 1800s many of those collectors, now adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and published research works on their production, plate flaws, etc.
Some stamps such as the triangular issues of the Cape of Good Hope became legendary. (See Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope).
It was not until the 1920s that publicity about valuable stamps encouraged a large increase in the number of stamp collectors. This rapid increase in postage stamp values was largely due to very few of the older stamps being saved in good condition. Especially difficult to find were pairs, triples, and large blocks of older stamps.
Because many U.S. stamp issues of the 1920s rose rapidly in value, during the 1930s many American collectors stockpiled mint U.S. stamps with the hopes of selling them for a sizeable profit in a few years' time. This never materialized. Even today, more than 60 years later, one can find many 1930s U.S. issues in mint condition for close to face value, and many stamp dealers and collectors still use stamps issued as far back as the 1930s for postage when mailing letters.
Most U.S. postage stamps issued since the 1930s are easy to obtain and have minimal value. Some high face value stamps, such as the $2.60 United States Graf Zeppelin issued in 1930, are worth substantial amounts of money. Other stamps issued since 1930 that are usually worth something are souvenir sheets from popular countries, hard to find plate number coils, and errors in printing.
Future of stamp collecting
It has become commonplace to declare that the future of stamp collecting is bleak, due to the increasing popularity of e-mail, other electronic forms of communication, and custom-made stamps. However, both the telegraph and telephone were revolutionary alternatives to physical mail when introduced in the 19th century, yet did not spell the end of stamps on mail. Also, collectors tend to be just as interested in old stamps as new ones, and they would not stop collecting just because no new stamps were being introduced; on the contrary, in forums such as the letters page of Linn's Stamp News, many collectors complain that there are too many new types of stamps to keep up with each year, and that the flood seems to be increasing rather than decreasing.
Stamp collecting equipment
- Hinge Mounting Stamps
- Using Stamp Mounts
- Perforation Gauge
- Detecting Watermarks
- Stamp Mount Scale
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