Stamp collecting, also known as philately by the pros, is an informative and educational past time. Stamp collectors remove, and save postage stamps from letters, especially those from far away lands. The prized collectibles are old stamps that represent a window in the history of time, like the nineteenth century stamps that started it all off.
Stamp enthusiasts are found worldwide, and many Royal families are avid collectors. Stamping scrabooks and glassine sleeves filled with stamps are fascinating to look through. Many of the stamps collected are extremely valuable as well.
Starting a collection is not hard, the materials needed for starting your stamp collection include a stamp album and special mounting tapes called hinges. Specialist tools you may require are a pair of tongs or tweezers for carefully lifting delicate old stamps and a magnifying glass for intricate inspections.
The beginner philatelist can start with the postage stamps that come attached to the everyday mail. The best way to remove a stamp is by waving the envelope gently over steam for a minute or so, the envelope will turn damp, allowing you to lift the stamp from the water with the tongs.Gently place the damp stamp on absorbent paper. When dry, place a heavy book on top of the stamp to flatten it. Place the dried and flattened stamp in the album by using one of the hinges, or store it in one of the tiny glassine envelopes unique to stamp collecting.
As a hobby, stamp collecting requires precision and neatness, the value of your collection depends greatly upon the way the stamps are stored and archived. Some collectors specialize in collecting currently available commemoratives, this can work in your favor, as a complete set grows in value. Commemoratives are those, one of a kind, special stamps that are released by the post office for a limited time. They can celebrate special people or events.
Most nations print commemorative stamps to mark events in history, like first flights. US stamps have featured people, wild life, artists, antiques, and many other themes. There is a contest, held annually in which American school children compete to draw the best picture of a wild duck. The winner has their duck design put into the history books by becoming a postage stamp design.
A great way for any person to build a collection of foreign stamps is to find pen pals, or email pals, in foreign countries. There are always willing participants that are eager to swap stamps with you. You may also be able to get free starter introductory collections of foreign stamps from companies in order to get stamp collecting customers on their mailing lists. These collections are usually themed, and may have a follow up suite at a discounted price.
Stamp collecting has always been an educational past time. Were you looking for a new hobby or past time, stamp collecting might be for you, so have fun and gaze into the history of postage stamps.