Start Stamp Collecting

There are people who collect stamps, and then there are people who collect stamps. This hobby is soon to become an investment form. Like coins, rare stamps are becoming more and more popular; those who have it earn a real good amount for them from other enthused people.

Unlike a normal stamp collector, who generally tries to “fill the spaces” in his album, and obtain as many different stamps of the country that he collects as he can afford, the philatelic investor endeavors to find those stamps within his chosen collecting area which will increase in value the most over time. He will always be looking for only a few different issues of a particular country, and will buy multiple copies of those issues.

While it is true that, worldwide, most collectors prefer unused stamps, many will also collect used, and some collect used stamps exclusively. Generally, unused stamps of an issue are worth more than the used stamps, and often, considerably more.

Like all collectibles, the value of a rare stamp is determined by its desirability by other collectors, investors, dealers, or museums. At its most basic level, the factors which determine a particular stamp’s supply or rarity are the number of stamps printed and the number of stamps later used and or destroyed once the stamp is no longer in circulation.

Many times when starting a new stamp collection, it is hard to decide what stamps to collect. Should I collect mint stamps, mint never hinged stamps, used stamps? It truly is up to you and you alone. There are many topics you can collect (such as Disney, Trains, Flowers, Horses) or you may collect single countries (England, France, Russia, Poland, Germany, Zambia, Italy etc.) or areas (such as French Colonies, British Colonies, German Colonies etc.).As you can see the list is endless. However, what it boils down to is this a hobby or an investment.

If this is a hobby, make it fun. Decide what you want to collect, not what other people think you should collect. Don’t be afraid to go looking for stamps, go to the post offices, specialty stores, search online for people selling stamps and go to the library and look for stamp catalogues. You can also subscribe to magazines and newsletters on stamp collecting, and from there you will be able to see ads for different stamps being sold, or where to look for them. You can even find out if there will be any Stamp Trading Shows in your area or an area close by. Those are always a good source for finding new stamps or even for gathering the information you will need to start investing in your newfound hobby. You can also talk to other Stamp Collectors and get information from them, or perhaps even trade with them. One thing you should know as well is that you do not need to spend a whole lot of money doing this if you do not want to. A lot of stamps can be found for free, by getting them as gifts or like mentioned before, finding them on the mail that comes in daily at home. You spend as much as you want to; this is not a hobby that requires a huge amount of money be spent on it, in order for you to enjoy doing it.

Hobbies are the most wonderful pastime to have, harboring personal interest and enjoyment. Every person has a passion for something that he or she engages in leisure time. This activity of passion gets termed as hobbies. Hobbies help us to relax through the pursuit of some commitment that brings about personal accomplishment. Unwinding in contentment is the ultimate aim. Stamp collecting allows for this to happen on a daily basis if the person wanted it.

Stamp collecting is collection of postage stamps. It is world’s most popular and oldest hobby. You can usually find people who are so engrossed with their collection that it sometimes will take them to all corners of the world in order to find “that stamp”, a stamp of such uniqueness, to find one would be the happiest moment of that person’s life. The first postage stamp was issued in Britain in 1840 featuring the photo of the Queen.

This stamp was without perforations and required scissors in order to be removed from the sheet. Stamp collecting started in 1860’s with teenagers who started to collect stamps. Towards the onset of 20th century, many of those young teen collectors were adults and they began systematic study of the stamps. This passion has been around for a very long time!
It was not until the 1920s that publicity about valuable stamps encouraged a large increase in the number of stamp collectors. Franklin Delano Roosevelt –or more popularly known as “F.D.R.”— was a leader, in many respects. Being the thirty-second president of the United States of America, It’s no surprise that a man who ran the country with such passion and dedication would pursue his personal hobbies with the same spirit. Ever since he was eight years old, F.D.R. had a passion for stamp collecting that traveled with him his entire life, giving him renowned status in the world of philately. Roosevelt’s parents were involved in the business of shipping and trading with countries all over the world. Naturally, this exposed him as a young boy, to countless varieties of stamps. This is, essentially, what sparked his interest in collecting, which included any and every type of stamp he came across. He was known for constantly bothering his relatives to send him all sorts of stamps, from all over the world.

In 1921, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio, after visiting a Boy Scout camp. One of the major things that got him through his trying time of hardship, pain, and suffering was his intent focus on his stamp collection.

Having a passion, any passion, for something you enjoy can help one out in even the toughest of times. Some say it gives them the ability to think through problems and discover answers, while others say that their passion for Stamp Collecting has brought many other joys into their lives. How passionate you are about your stamp collection will determine how far your collection will go, or how far it will even take you. It can be quite fun having a secret passion for something, and knowing that the people you know will never fully understand or feel that same kind of passion that you do.