Stamp Collecting Guide

So, you want to start your own stamp collection, don’t you? You may have heard at how satisfying and fulfilling a stamp collection has proven to be for countless people around the globe. The great thing about stamps is that you not only get the satisfaction of browsing through the cultures and the history of the origins of these stamps, but you also stand to gain financially as the value of these stamps increase along with age.

Aside from being just postal implements, stamps have attained the status of being important memorabilia. Stamps typically increase in value when they are rare or are of age. Some people collect stamps as an investment, hoping that the increased value these stamps accrue with age will pay off dividends when sold in the future. Others collect stamps purely for fun.

Whichever collector category you belong to, you will always need a good, steady supply of stamps to fill your albums. But where do you get these stamps? And how do you procure them?

There are two ways to get stamps – the free way or the paid way. The free way is fun, since you get to work like a detective sorting, soaking, mounting and processing these stamps on your own. If you wish to collect stamps the quick way, the paid method works pretty well – especially when you seek bulk amounts of stamps. Paying for stamps is also a great way to acquire rare stamps. However, paying for stamps is not advisable to beginners unless they go for bulk stamps to beef up their collection.

Free
Yes, the oldest and cheapest means of getting stamps is the mail that gets to your mailbox. And while the amount of mail you are receiving may be affected by the advent of the internet and email, mailboxes are still a great way to get stamps. However, you will have to take great care in handling such stamps as you have to learn how to properly soak and mount these stamps for you collection.

Let your friends and neighbors in on your hobby and they’ll only be too eager to share in your efforts. You may have to instruct them to give you the envelope as it is so that you can properly process the stamps out. Or you may have them cut out the stamp from the envelope – while, of course, leaving a lot of leeway around the stamp.

You may also want to trade duplicate stamps with other stamp collecting enthusiasts. By trading like this both of you get to acquire unique stamps. It’s also a great way to browse and admire each other’s collection while learning more of the hobby itself.

Paid
As time goes on, modern ways of collecting and buying stamps have evolved. In the past you had to go to specialty shops or other collectors to purchase stamps – not to mention dropping by your local post office to snag unique ones. Today, the internet helps stamp collectors communicate with each other. You might want to browse the internet for sites that help stamp collectors band together.

There are also over 1,200 stamp stores in the United States, so it really shouldn’t be too hard to find one around your locality.

Some will sell bulk orders of assorted stamps. This is a great way to beef up your collection, especially if you are starting out.

Knowledge is Power
This phrase cannot be stressed enough. It is really possible that you come across a really valuable stamp and discard it as useless all because you do not know enough about your hobby. Try to know as much as you can about stamps, rarities, current values and useful trivia that will help you gauge the value of stamps in your collection. It is really possible that some glitch or error in a stamp has made it valuable. Without information about such stamps you would probably just let it sit around not knowing that it has great value.

Try subscribing to stamp collecting magazines and sign up for organizations or clubs that cater to collectors just like you. There’s no better way to know more about your hobby than to engage in study and discussion with fellow stamp collectors.