History of Postage Stamp Collecting

postagestampsWith the creation of the postage stamp came the birth of the concept of postage stamp collecting. This occurred just shortly after the first postage stamps were introduced in the year 1840 by Great Britain. Plilately, the study of postage stamp collecting has been derived from phileo, the Greek word for “I love” and the word ateleia, which means “free of charges”.

As individuals first began to experience postage stamp collecting, these intriguing little pieces of paper were not perceived to be very valuable at all. The first time an advertisement was released to collectors, women were beginning to place ads looking for stamp collections so that they could paper their walls with the intriguing designs. With such a wide variety of different postage stamps being made available during the 1860s, children all over the world began postage stamp collecting right out of the mail that their parents received. These children then quickly grew to become adults, and during this growth they continued postage stamp collecting until it became a serious hobby for them.

The grandson of the Queen even began postage stamp collecting as he received help from servants that were responsible for handling the mail in Buckingham Palace. He was so fascinated by postage stamp collecting, in fact, that it became a passion for him in life. When he grew to become an adult, he has become one of the leading philatelists in the entire world, and he was also asked to join the Philatelic Society, which was in London. He became so passionate about this society that he eventually grew to become the president. He went on to become the King of England and even gave the society a new name, and so it became the Royal Philatelic Society in London. He assembled, through his years of postage stamp collecting, what would become one of the greatest collections of postage stamps in the entire world.

The hobby of postage stamp collecting became increasingly popular when commemorative stamps began to be released. The first stamps in the United States were issued in remembrance of the New World’s discovery by Christopher Columbus. Some of these commemorative stamps are still available today, and they happen to be extremely valuable as a result.

As postage stamp collecting became more popular, postage stamp values began to increase. With these increases in the value of stamps, the number of stamp collectors also grew. During the 1930s, for example, many collectors in America were stockpiling stamps that had been issued ten years prior in the 1920s, and these stamps quickly climbed in value. These particular stamps can even still be found in mint condition today.

Collectors are always seeking out souvenir sheets from countries all over the world as well as coins of stamps with hard to find plate numbers. Stamps that possess errors in printing also tend to be extremely popular as well. In beginning your own stamp collecting hobby, it is important to figure out what theme or what type of stamps you would like to collect, and then simply begin your collection however you like.

Photo Credits: Thomas Hawk

Originally posted 2009-12-16 03:25:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Benefits of Collecting Old Stamps

stampclownCollecting old stamps, especially vintage postage stamps can bring great value. Collecting old stamps can be fun and educational, it can be affordable, and it can bring about understanding of history, art, travel and many other areas of culture as well. Here is an explanation of why collecting old stamps can be beneficial to you.

1 – Stamps are enjoyable.
Collecting old stamps is something that is personal, and as a result it can be really enjoyable. You can collect any type of old stamps that you want and you can collect them in any way that you like. There is no right way or wrong way for you to collect stamps, and the only time that it matters what you collect is when you intend to sell your stamps. If you are collecting purely as a hobby, then what you collect and how you collect is completely up to you.

2 – Stamps are affordable. Collecting old stamps can be really affordable if you know where to buy your stamps and how to value the stamps that you buy. You can easily come across 100+ year old postage stamps for as little as $1.25. Even extremely old stamps can be affordable, especially if they are in postal condition which means that they have been used. Collectors looking to sell their stamps won’t be interested in these used stamps, but why can’t you purchase them if you are collecting purely for your own personal enjoyment?

3 – Stamps are Cultural. Every time you open up your stamp album, the stamps you have collected are you going to take you to different places historically, geographically and culturally as well. You can collect stamps from American history, World history, wars, different geographical locations around the world, art periods, renaissance periods and anything else that you like. If you have a particular passion in your life, there are more than likely going to be old stamps that correspond with it. Are you a music buff? Choose historic music stamps. Do you love animals? There are plenty of old stamps that feature state animals, endangered animals and so on. Stamps are very culturally diverse, and there are thousands upon thousands of different directions to take your stamp collection in.

4 – Stamps are Valuable. You can come across old stamps that are extremely valuable. Stamps can easily be worth thousands of dollars because of different things such as rarity or because of a tiny error in printing. If you care about the value of your collection, then rare old stamps are a good way for you to go.

5 – Stamps are important. Stamps, new and old, allow us to communicate through writing letters. The way that mail was sent was revolutionized by the first adhesive stamp in the world, which was invented in England.

Photo Credits: kevindooley

Originally posted 2009-08-12 05:41:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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