Whether we're nostalgic romantics or savvy collectors, the intrigue of stamp collecting is undeniable. In an age of paperless electronic communication, there's something exotic and timeless about stamps. Maybe it's the age-worn postmarks. Maybe it's the thought of someone writing an artfully crafted letter to a lover or friend. Or maybe it's just the mystery of who licked that old envelope and why. Whatever the allure, we can't help but be fascinated.
The hobby of stamp collecting, philately, allows us to familiarize ourselves with the past, explore international art styles and iconography, and learn about the politics, interests, and geography of foreign lands. Read on to learn more about the basics of stamp collecting, and to download and print a practical and entertaining stamp organizer.
It's a matter of taste
There are nearly as many reasons to start stamp collecting as there are stamps. You might be interested in their monetary value, or in their cultural or international origins. You could be collecting nature and wildlife stamps for their aesthetic beauty, or you might simply be a history buff. It could be all of the above. Whatever the reason, the best way to start is simply by finding as many types of stamps as possible. From there you can decide what you're drawn to and then narrow your interests.
There are no hard and fast rules. You might find that you prefer collecting mint (unused) stamps over used stamps, or vice versa. You may want to cast a wide net and collect a diverse array, or focus your efforts by selecting stamps by country or theme. You can be as selective or inclusive as you like.
Here are some interesting stamp-collecting themes;
- Anti-malaria stamps from Afghanistan
- Fungi stamps
- Defense stamps of India
- Elvis stamps from around the world (more than 46 countries have issued their own Elvis stamps!)
- Endangered species stamps
- Stamps canceled in your hometown
- Stamps from countries that no longer exist
The basics for building your collection
You don't have to be rich to be a philatelist. Some good places to find inexpensive collections include flea markets, rummage sales, resale stores, and maybe even your grandparents' attic. Enlist friends and family to save cancelled stamps, or check online at websites such as eBay to see if you can buy an existing collection. If you're lucky and persistent, it's not uncommon to stumble on a sizeable and varied collection at a reasonable price, even when you're just starting out.
If you have stamps that are still stuck on envelopes and packages, you're going to need to get them off. Here's how:
- Clip around the stamp with a pair of scissors, being careful not to cut the edges of the stamp.
- Soak the stamp facedown in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes.
- The stamp may come off the paper and sink to the bottom. If not, gently peel it away from the paper, being careful not to tear it.
- Rinse the remaining glue off the back of the stamp, and place it facedown on a paper towel to dry.
- If the stamp has wrinkled after drying, place it between the pages of a thick book to flatten it out.
For what it's worth
Although there's always a small chance that you'll strike it rich with a rare find, most of the stamps circulating today are worth about a dollar or less. Stamp values are determined partly by variations in color, perforation, and engraving, as well as the stamp's condition and how it was printed. To find the value of a specific stamp, visit a stamp-collecting web site, or look in the library for a stamp-collecting catalog.
Storing and using your stamps
Depending on the size of your collection, you have a lot of options for storage. Remember, keep the protection of valuable and rare stamps firmly in mind.
For smaller collections, a traditional stamp album with acid-free paper or envelopes may be your best bet. See below for a stylish stamp organizer.
If you want to show off your collection, be creative. You can frame stamps individually or create a colorful collage to hang on your wall. Better yet, place hundreds of stamps all over an old coffee table and then cover it with glass, a guaranteed conversation piece.
If keeping your stamps in pristine condition isn't a concern for you, you might want to try making your own greeting cards, picture frames, earrings, magnets, ornaments, or collages. Invent games, dream up fictional travel stories, and get others involved in collecting with you. The fun and excitement will be contagious.
How about exploring the forgotten stamps that lie in your desktop drawer or in dusty old boxes of letters? This classy stamp organizer is a great way to get started.
Stamp value
While stamps have intrinsic aesthetic value, their monetary value is not always assured. If you're approaching your collection as an investment, your best bet is to begin by focusing on the rarity and quality of the stamps that you collect. The next step would be signing up for newsletters and publications and then networking with dealers to learn more about the most recent trends in the stamp market. Like any other market, it's subject to a range of economic, social, and political forces and is therefore somewhat unpredictable. Ironically, it's often the specialty collections of lifetime philatelists, who had little or no profit motive in mind throughout their collecting careers, that prove to be some of the most valuable in the world. So you'll probably do best by collecting what you love.
Did you know?
- The Pacific island of Tonga once issued a stamp shaped like a banana.
- In 1879, an experimental mail service in Liege, Belgium, employed cat mail carriers. In all, 37 felines were used to carry bundles of letters to villages within a certain radius of the city center. The experiment was short-lived, however, as the cats proved to be thoroughly undisciplined and aloof.
- The first person other than royalty to appear on a British stamp was William Shakespeare in 1964.
- The earliest postal markings date back to about 3000 B.C. They were used by Egyptian court officials and read: "In the name of the living king, speed!"
- The Sweden 1855 Three Skilling Yellow is the most expensive stamp in the world. A dull orange hue, it has been hailed as the most valuable object of any type in the world proportionate to its weight, volume, and density. It was sold to a secret collector at an auction in 1996 for $2.26 million.
|
Printable version
