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Collecting stamps is not only fun, but also
increases your knowledge on history and
geography even without you realizing it. By
looking at a stamp you can understand the year
of its existence and the country in which it was
printed. Collecting stamps is also a good way of
making new friends and for parents it’s a great
way of their children getting together without
creating a ruckus. Collecting stamps can give
you immense pleasure and every stamp collected
creates an urge to collect more and it is this
thrill of not knowing which stamp might turn up,
which makes stamp collecting an interesting
hobby. Many children carry over this childhood
hobby well into the rest of their lives because
it is a hobby without any limitations or
boundaries.
Why
stamps?
Collecting stamps is a better hobby than many
other hobbies because first and foremost it
occupies very little space. The money required
to start this hobby is very less as compared to
collecting ‘dinky’ cars or toy planes. This
hobby is safer and less hair-raising than
collecting bugs or butterflies. All you need is
to purchase a stamp collection book and a pair
of special stamp holding tweezers to handle your
stamps. You can immediately start collecting
stamps by removing the stamps from your mail.
These can be steamed off the envelope so that
they come out without any damage. These stamps
can then be inserted in your stamp collection
book in the slots provided or you can use
hinges, which are basically small pieces of
folded paper with a weak gum on both sides. This
weak gum ensures that you do not damage the
stamp while removing it. Collecting stamps is a
hobby without any limits or borders as there are
thousands and thousands of stamps being
circulated throughout the world. So the chances
of you getting bored are negligible. Do not
throw away any duplicate stamps, which you might
have received. You can use them in exchange for
another stamp of your choice. The infinite range
of stamps covers famous personalities, cars,
planes, historical events, animals, birds, etc.
The list is endless and this is what could make
you into an avid stamp collector or philatelist.
Where
can stamps be procured?
Along with removing them from your mail, you can
also purchase stamps from various dealers and
associations. You can find out a lot about
stamps by buying catalogues from ‘The Scotts
Collection’, where all the stamps are classified
and numbered and this method has been adopted by
many dealers and stamp collectors to arrange
their stamp collection. You too can check out
the catalogues. These catalogues are also
available through the Internet on sites such as
www.amosadvantage.com,
and you can
check their collection before deciding. There
are many other sites and you can use google to
search for them. You can also check out your
neighborhood library for any books on stamp
collecting. You could also become a member of
the “American Philatelic Society” which is a
non-profit organization providing an umbrella
for all stamp lovers to converge in; or you can
go to their site
www.stamps.org and get all the details you
require to start your stamp collection. This
society keeps track of all the stamps and
informs members about new stamps entering the
market. You can collect stamps according to the
year or country. You can also have stamps
depicting different sports or birds or animals.
You can then insert them in your stamp
collection book accordingly. You can also
collect stamps at random but then you will have
to file them according to the country, in
ascending order and in each country you can file
them according to the year of issue or theme.
This will make it easy for you to locate the
stamps.
I
have started my collection. Now what?
Once you have your own collection of stamps and
if your friends too have started collecting
them, then you can sit together and check out
each other’s collections. You will be surprised
at the vast range of stamps, which have been
issued around the world. You will also learn
some things like “Noyta CCCP” means that the
stamp was issued in Russia. This is a fun way to
spend time with your friends and even make some
new ones. You can then start ‘bartering’ your
stamps with your friends. This means that you
can exchange your stamp for another one, which
you do not have. This will take care of any
duplicate stamps, which you might have collected
by mistake. Slowly, as you will begin realizing
the monetary value of your stamps, you will be
able to identify those stamps that have a high
value and those which are rare. You can exchange
these stamps by offering 2 or 3 less rare stamps
in return. You can also start subscribing to
various stamp collecting magazines, like the
Global Stamp News or the Scott Monthly Journal,
which will give you information about rare
stamps and also about people who want to trade,
or buy or sell stamps. Many people have, in this
way turned their hobby into a full-time
profession.
Proper storage of your stamps is also very
important. Your stamps should be in a good
condition. The perforations should be as perfect
as possible and hence when removing it from an
envelope, do not try to pull it off by using
force. Once you have applied enough steam, you
can easily pick it off the envelope with your
tweezers without any effort. Store them in your
stamp collection book by sticking them onto the
hinges provided or by slotting them in their
positions. It is also very important to learn to
identify fake stamps, which could otherwise
spoil your collection and your mood. Show any
suspicious stamps to a reputed dealer to get an
idea about its authenticity. The value of a
stamp is determined by its rarity, its condition
and the year of issue. By subscribing to
magazines, you will also come to know about any
stamp shows in your area. You can attend these
shows to check out the vast range of stamps on
display and sale. You can also meet like-minded
people in these shows thereby expanding your
range of knowledge in this field.
So, you too can start collecting stamps by
following the guidelines given above. Start
slowly and soon you will be able to build up
your collection and knowledge along the way. You
will be able to meet new people with similar
tastes and will be able to spend hours checking
out and discussing each other’s collections. As
your collection grows in size, you might slowly
be able to attach a monetary value to your
collection. You could realize that what once
started out as just a new hobby has turned into
something of great value, historically and
financially. Go ahead, start your stamp
collection now.
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the oldest and most respected hobbies. One
of the great attributes of stamp collecting
is its significance and portrayal of history
throughout the world. Many historic stamps
tell a story of their creator through the
design and image. Prices value wildly from a
couple dollars to tens of thousands of
dollars, to account for their rarity,
condition, and other important factors you
will learn about.
