What is Philately Stamp Collecting by John Reed

Philately, or the study of stamps, is a huge field of study that has captured the attention of many Americans over the years. This fascination with stamps and the history that surrounds them has led to a hobby related to philately, which is collecting stamps.

Usually, stamp collection begins with the acquisition of a first couple of stamps and the choice of a particular classification of stamps where the collector will concentrate his or her efforts on. The continued acquisition of the stamps for the collection is done either through personal letters, the postal office, trading with fellow collectors, or collectible stamp dealers, rare and high quality stamps under the chosen classification.

However, while it may seem that a philatelic hobby is far too difficult or obscure, it actually is not. The collection and study of stamps is not a completely novel idea; over 110 countries worldwide have a sort of society for philatelists (or stamp collectors and enthusiasts).

In the United States of America, philatelists banded together in the year 1886 under the umbrella of the American Philatelic Society (APS). For more than a century now, the APS provides its members not only an avenue to meet fellow enthusiasts, but also various services and informational programs to assist in the pursuit and enhancement of the collecting experience. Over this huge span of time, the APS has been kept alive by donations, sale of its various publications, receipt of payment for its services, and receipt of its members' dues. The community of APS is not a small one that may be overlooked. In the country, there are more than 44, 000 philatelists formally part of the APS. There are many others who are new to the trade, or are yet to find their way to APS. This huge number is proven by the fact that various states hold annual philatelic conventions for enthusiasts in the area to meet and convene. Another philatelic association in the United States known equally for its expertise is the Philatelic Foundation.

Various classifications and concentrations of collection are available. Some of them include postage stamps from other countries (particularly those of age), postage stationery (including air letter sheets, government-issued post cards) that preceded the printing of the first stamp in the form we know today, revenue stamps, or first day cover stamps.

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Things One Should Know About Stamp Collecting by Mei Ling

Some Things One Should Know About Stamp Collecting

Hi there, it has been more than a week since my last post. Well, today, we will be talking about some general issues regarding handling and taking care of your stamp collecting.

Firstly, stamp is a small piece of paper that is glued to the envelope whenever a document or a letter is sent and used both locally and internationally as a fee for the service rendered.

Besides being used to send mails, people have found a way to handle stamps. Instead of mailing it, some have turned it into a hobby now known as stamp collecting.

Some people mistakenly think that an individual who is known as philately is the proper name for someone who collects stamps. This notion is wrong since this title is for those who study stamps.

Stamp collecting can come in various as listed below:

*You can cut out the stamps that come from letters the person has received. *You can get from friends and family abroad. *You can go to the post office and buy in bulk. *You can ask friends and family members to also give those coming from the letters. *You can buy from those who also sell these in bulk. A good place to find these is in the classified ads of the newspaper that can offer the collector a good bargain. *You can search the internet, which is a good source to obtain these small objects. There are websites that do the same thing making it easy for those to expand the existing stamp collection. These are, however, just the regular stamps. *If you who want to specialize in old stamps or want to collect those from other countries, it will be a good idea to join philatelic exhibitions and bid at auctions. By looking at it closely, you might be able to find some good deals which will be a good addition to the collection.

Using money to acquire stamps is one way to deal with other collectors. This can also be done by trading what you have with something of interest that the other collector possesses.

Acquiring stamps is just one of the things that stamp collectors do. The other is taking care of it so that if you want to part with them in the future, some money can be made.

The proper way to take care of a stamp is putting it in an album. Only one side per page should be used to avoid destroying or harming the others in the collection. If you do not have more space, putting a plastic sheet over the stamps will allow you to put some stamps on the other side.

Stamps should be handled with care. Since the hands may be dirty or oily, it is a good idea to use tongs when handling it to avoid causing any damage. A tong looks like tweezers but it is not the same thing. The edges of this object are the thinner making it easier to hold a stamp.

The proper way to remove stamps from envelopes is cutting a small portion of the surrounding area and putting it in water. After some time, you should use tongs to extract it from the paper underneath, hold it in the air to dry before inserting it in the album.

There are many things that could damage the stamps. Do the following to ensure that your stamps stay in good condition.

Keep away from sunlight. The hot rays of the sun may change the colors and the glue at the back may stick to the album making it hard to remove. This makes it important to always store your stamps in room temperature. When working, do not bring food or drinks near the area since it could dirty the stamps. Do not smoke while handling your stamps in the room since the smell could be transferred to the collection. Stamp collecting is a nice and leisurely hobby that anyone can engage in. This activity is known as one of the most popular in the world. If you are serious about your stamp collection, you should devote some time and effort in looking out for old and new ones and take proper care of them. They can be very valuable if you chose the right ones.

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Stamp Collecting by Foo Mei Ling

Stamp Collecting as a Fun Activity

Many consider stamp collecting as a fun activity not only for older people but also for kids. It provides a person the pleasure of collecting different types of stamps that he may find in ordinary binders or through his received mail. Some people consider it an exciting hobby. As a beginner, you may be fond of compiling different kind of stamps from your album until you realize that you could specialize in collecting these stamps.

It is indeed a fun hobby because any person may enjoy and learn different kinds of information from collecting stamps. A stamp features everything that may come into anyones mind from places, persons, sports, historical events, cars, and many more. You may find it rewarding in the future for having enough compilations and albums where you may display and exhibit your collection.

You may also realize that you can profit from these items. There are special stamps that may feature an important event or a person. The price value of these special stamps can be expensive depending on their rarity and the limited versions of the releases. They can be similar to other commodities where a collector may find a dealer that can provide the possible price value of a particular stamp.

A better option to profit more from your collection is to find stamp collectors that may show interest in some stamps that you could also be possibly collecting. You may *advertise your collection in newspapers and magazines that conduct special advertisements for rare and special stamps. * make use of the Internet in joining auction sales for your stamps. * be ensured of an updated value of the stamp by comparing the offered value from current advertisements from the Internet.

The price value can vary depending on the production and supply of the item. The increasing number of collectors that specialize from those rare stamps and limited edition stamps may motivate you to be more competitive in finding these items. There is also an increase on the price value because of this high demand.

Nevertheless, they are more than just earning and profiting. Most stamp collectors consider it as a fun hobby. You may never compare the pleasure and excitement you feel every time you find those stamps that interest you. There could be many reasons why people collect stamps. One good reason is that it is fun and can give satisfaction of accomplishing something.

It is also helps a person to be informed on different things. Most of these items feature insights about the landmarks and history of a country. This is one reason why stamp collecting is very popular and famous among other collections. A person can never get over the enthusiasm of learning and discovering new things. If you would like to pursue this hobby of being a stamp collector, here are some few things to keep in mind.

1. You should know what things that interest you. You may start finding for collections that can have special meanings or importance to you. You may choose from simple stamps that you have received from mail and postcards from binders.

2. You can join clubs and gatherings to interact with people. You might be able to meet people that are collecting items as well. You may ask the person that may have some collections related to these stamps. In this case, trading some of your stamps in replace of that particular stamp is a good option.

3. You need to make sure that you know how to maximize your time in places where you travel. You may find places that you can possibly find stamps with the theme that you collect.

4. You may access some sites in the Internet that can provide information on where and how to look for rare and special stamps.

5. You may continue this hobby for as long as you are having fun. There are many topics and themes to choose from. A collector will not be limited on a certain topic.

Aa a stamp collector, you should always remember to take importance of the things that make you fulfilled and pleased. You should take proper care to these kinds of items. Stamps are very sensitive. They are only pieces of paper but they have significant value and importance.

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