Collecting Stamps Philately?
Stamp Collecting as a Hobby or Passion
Start or Add to Your Stamp Collection
Join the American Philatelic Society
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Are you into philately?
You’ve seen those commercials about coin collectors and the passion they have for finding unusual and collectible coins? The same could be said of avid stamp collectors as well as those interested in the closely related study of stamps, called Philately.
Finding that unusual and unique stamp can be exciting, and for some it can also be lucrative if the stamp has historical significance. Stamps that are no longer in circulation are also prized and can be quite valuable.
Ways to start collecting stamps include joining a stamp collectors club, visiting stamp collector exhibits and fairs or collecting through your favorite stamp collectibles dealer.
A good place to start to learn about stamp collecting is the postal service’s own website. They have a section on stamp collecting where you can find groups to join and also find out about upcoming releases from the post office, as well as research prior releases.
Stamp Collection Companies are companies that offer unusual, unique and valuable stamps of all different types. If you have a specific type of stamp you collect, such as stamps featuring animals or political figures, a good stamp collection company may have categories you can subscribe to online so you can be notified when your favorite category is updated with new collectible stamps.
What kind of stamps do people collect? Well, the variety is endless. From stamps featuring disney characters to boyscout stamps to ultra-rare and expensive stamps such as 1894 - PERRY (BLACK which values at a staggering $3,250.00.
Taking care of your stamps is vital because damaged stamps (unless they are old and postal service stamped anyway) can affect the value of new stamps that are collectible in nature.
Some of the tools of the trade for stamp collecting include the right type of tongs for handling stamps, a good magnifying glass for examining detail and a good-quality stamp collection album. It’s better to get your album from a stamp collection company than just going with one from the dollar store, because you want to protect your stamps carefully and a stamp collection company will generally provide a better-quality album than the local department store.
Joining online stamp collecting groups is a fun way to learn more about stamps and also opens the opportunity for stamp trading rather than having to buy every stamp you want to collect.
You can also learn how to determine the value of your collection by viewing similar stamp collections on forums, in groups or in the inventory of those companies who sell entire collections.