Getting Started in Stamp Collecting

Postage stamps are used primarily for prepayment of postal charges. The value of the stamp is normally printed on its face. Once the stamp is used it is marked by postal services and cannot be used again to cover postal charges. However, when this stamp goes into the hands of a stamp collector its value can increase tremendously. For example, a one-cent British Guiana magenta stamp of 1856 was sold for $280,000 at an auction in 1970. The hobby of stamp collection has become a serious business for many people.

Stamp collectors usually concentrate on one stamp collection category because there are numerous stamps and philatelic items issued. The most popular stamp collections categories include postage stamps, souvenir sheets, first day covers (FDCs), Federal Duck stamp, First Day, and forged or counterfeit postage stamps. In addition, stamps can be categorized as definitive or commemorative stamps. Definitive stamps are easy to locate because they are common. Commemorative stamps are specialty stamps which celebrate events and occasions; they are only available for a limited time, but they can usually be found through various dealers.

To start collecting stamps as a hobby, you should ask friends and family to save any stamps, especially foreign or unusual ones, to be able to add to your collection. With the global community that the Internet provides, you can ask online friends, as well as fellow stamp collectors to swap or send stamps from overseas countries. Older relatives such as grandparents may also be a source of valuable resources when it comes to finding rare stamps. Antique and philatelic shops are other places to start to build a solid foundation for a terrific stamp collection. Subscribing to magazines and related publications provides a good roadmap for stamp collecting.

Beginner and experienced stamp collectors alike take special care when handling and preserving their stamp collections. Stamps pasted on envelopes should be removed carefully by soaking the envelope face down in warm water. When the stamp has separated from the envelope, remove the stamp with stamp tongs - special tweezer-like metal instruments used for handling stamps. Once the stamps have been gathered, dry them in a stamp drying book. Complete collections or individual stamp specimens should be kept in a clean album or stock sheets. Both of these make excellent display cases.

While the majority of U.S issued postage stamps are easily accessible and not worth much in value, there can be highly valuable stamps every collector seeks. Some of these include: the “Three Skilling Banco”, the 1865 British Guiana “Black on Magenta” and the “Hawaiian Missionaries.” Other various items of value include souvenir sheets from foreign countries, unique misprints and rare plate number coils. Popular, and more affordable, items among collectors include 19th Century Stamps, Asia Stamps, Confederate U.S. Stamps, United Nations Stamps, , and UK Stamps.

There are thousands of both local and national organizations where buyers and sellers get together to buy, sell, share, and swap stamps. There also are national collectors’ organisations, such as the American Philatelic Society (in the United States). The simplicity and convenience of the Internet makes stamp collecting as a hobby much more enjoyable by allowing collectors to buy and sell stamps from the comfort of your own house. Stamp catalogues such as Scott catalogue , Stanley Gibbons, Michel, and Yvert are indispensable publications for keen collectors around the world. These catalogues serve as handy guides for organising, classifying, and appraising individual items and even entire stamp collections. The American Stamp Dealer Association, Inc. (ASDA) is another great resource for both novice and expert collectors. ASDA hosts popular stamp shows which draw large crowds across the country.

Some individuals have a pessimistic view of the future of stamp collecting. However, with advances in technology such as e-mail, avid collectors can be optimistic. Stamp collectors will always be searching for rare valuable finds, even in the midst of all the new stamps being issued every year. The proof is in the fact stamp collecting as a hobby remains one of the most popular pastimes right around the world!

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