Stamp Collecting Guide

Meeting and trading with other stamp collectors can be a great way to find out more about the fascinating hobby of stamp collecting as well as adding to your collection. This can be very important if you have a world wide collection because you may be able to obtain stamps from other collectors from around the world that you might not have had access to otherwise. There are numerous ways you can meet and trade with stamp collectors from around the world without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. Read on for more tips and details.

The Internet has made it increasingly easy for enthusiasts of all hobbies to get together and chat as well as trade and stamp collecting is no different. There are numerous forums, chat rooms and communities present online where you can get together with fellow stamp collectors and either discuss stamp collecting news or even exchange, trade or sell stamps.

If you have not joined a stamp forum or community in the past you may want to think about whether you want to join a generic forum or community or whether you want to chat with stamp collectors who focus on the same subjects and themes as your own collections. For example, if you focus your collection only on stamps from Australia you might wish to chat and trade only with other stamps collectors with Australian collections.

You might also drill down your level of interest according to whether you are interested in mint or used stamps. There are numerous stamp collectors out there whose collections are based on one or the other while other collectors focus their collections on covers. Regardless of how you have based your collection, you can be sure there are plenty of other stamp collectors with the same interests with whom you can chat and trade.

Taking part in the discussions on stamp forums and communities can also help you to learn about fascinating philatelic news and even events which you might like to attend. For example, if you are an avid collector of mint stamps from the U.K. you might find out there is a stamp show featuring just such an exhibit near your hometown in two weeks.

Many times stamp collectors who get together online like to share and trade stamps. If you have a duplicate of a stamp or even a stamp that doesn’t interest you that much you may be able to trade it with someone from around the world that you met in a forum for stamp collectors.

You can also pick up quite a bit of good advice, particularly if you happen to be a beginner stamp collector. If you are considering a purchase and are not sure about whether you should proceed, a stamp collecting forum or community is an excellent place to look for advice. Most stamp collectors are quite happy to help beginners find out everything they need to know about this wonderful hobby.

While there are a number of stamp collecting forums and communities currently on the Internet, there are a few that are better known than others. These include:

www.stamptrader.com.za

www.standlygibbons.com

www.linns.com

www.mystampworld.com

http://groups.msn.com/stampcollectingcommunity

www.stampmarket.com

www.stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com

www.virtualstampclub.com

Keep in mind when you are trading with other stamp collectors you have met online that it can be a good idea to keep a journal regarding details of the trades you have made. This is a good idea not only to keep your own collection organized but also to develop a resource list as well. This way you will have a quick reference list the next time you’re looking for a specific stamp.