Beginning Stamp Collecting
In 1840 the youthful Victoria, Queen of England made it to the “front cover” of the worlds very first stamp, the now infamous “One Penny Black” no one could anticipate the hype that would develop around stamps. Indeed, by 1860 the earliest stamp clubs had appeared, with the name “Timbromania” or “stamp madness” was applied to this fascinating passion.
But history aside, it’s a fact that well over 150 years later, stamp collecting hasn’t lost any of its level of popularity. Also, with the increase in the web, getting hold of some less common stamps has made hobby attain new heights.
So where and how does one get going with collecting stamps?
Without sounding too patronizing, …er, …acquire some stamps . It’s kind of obvious, but not always clear. Certainly at the beginning of this journey, you should find out basics of how to handle the stamps, so don’t go running around looking for rare and hard to get issues, as it might set you back in both money and enthusiasm.
Even though many expert enthusiasts deal only in old and limited editions of stamps, they of course understand how to care for them . Many of us love collecting themes, this could be famous people, a specific decade or specific nations like, British, USA or Gibraltar stamps.
What type of stamps should you focus on for your first album?
The easiest is to choose a starter’s kit. Typically available from 50 – 100 postage stamps up to 2000 advanced packs.
In the kit you’ll find stamps (obvious I know), hinges, tweezers and magnifying glass. Most kits come with albums which can be either printed or plain.
Now allow me to go through these things:
Stamps – that’s the stuff you’re collecting
Hinges – are a small, thin paper that goes on the back of the stamp, to give more durability and avoid tearing.
Tweezers – you’re going to need these hold the stamps, as stamps need to be kept clean. So, do not eat food while fixing your collection.
Magnifier – Unless you are Superman, you’ll need this to discover all the fine details on each stamp. Actually a rather exciting pursuit.
Stamp Album – blank or printed
The printed album is a good starter’s choice, as it provides you with added space to write little notes about the stamp, such as country of issue, year etc. Some albums have the stamps you need to collect shown on each page for you to place your stamp once you have acquired it.
Blank albums do not have this, and have only rows for the stamps to be set. This allows you to arrange them as you like.
A few tips:
Before you get a swing on how to effectively put old stamps into an album, you can just pass by your local post office to get a couple sheets of cheap postal stamps to practice with. Or, take them off of old love letters from your parents (they won’t mind. I hope). But seriously, taking used stamps from the mail is just about the commonest way to start/practice.
Whatever the source of your stamps, be sure you don’t over do it. Focus on a small batch, until you get the hang of this.
It might be an idea to work with a “loose leaf” albums, so that you can re-order pages easily and add new ones whenever you want.
Keep your working area clean and mess free, and be patient. Collecting stamps is an enjoyable hobby, not a competition.
Happy Searching
Phil has been collecting stamps for more years than he cares to remember. His latest interest is in Gibraltar Stamps and you can take a look at some at www.GibraltarStamps.com
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