Stamp Collecting

With 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

Knowing the meanings of certain stamp terms is an important part of stamp collecting because it means you have a thorough understanding of what you are doing. Here are some of the stamp terms that are well worth knowing:

Adhesive – This is, in actuality, exactly what a stamp is. A stamp is simply a piece of paper that pays for postage when it is applied to a piece of mail. A stamp is a piece of paper that has a pressure sensitive or gummed back.

Airmail Stamps – These are postage stamps that are used to pay postage rates for airmail. The United States stopped issuing airmail-specific stamps during the 1970s, which was when they began to send all mail via air.

As Is - This is a term that is often used in auctions, denoting that a stamp is being sold without any additional guarantees attached to it.

Authentication Mark – This is a tiny mark appearing on many rare and older postage stamps. What it is meant to do is to denote that the stamp has been examined by an expert, and that its authenticity has been approved.

Backstamp – This is a postmark that is applied to a cover’s reverse, indicating the transit or the receipt of mail.

Block - This is an un-separated, even numbered selection of stamps, such as a block of four stamps, six stamps, twelve stamps or so on.

Bogus - This is a fictitious label that appears like a stamp, but that is created specifically for being sold to collectors. Bogus stamps are not used for postage, but simply for displaying and collecting.

Cancel - This is a marking that indicates that a postage stamp has already been used.

Catalog - This is a comprehensive listing of revenue and postage stamps, including their illustrations and their current price valuations as well.

Catalog Value – This is the value of a particular stamp as given or indicated by a particular stamp catalog.

Centering – This is the position of the design of the stamp in relation to the margins that surround it. Centering is particularly important in the determination of a value on a stamp.

Classic Stamp – This is an early stamp issue that has the connotation of rarity.

Coil - These are stamps that are prepared in rolls from between 100 and 1000 stamps that are inserted into vending machines.

Commemorative – These are stamps that are issued for the purpose of honoring a person, a place or an event.

Condition - This is the stamp’s overall state, including the state of the gum, the centering of the stamp, the presence of damage on the stamp and so on.

Counterfeit - This describes a stamp or a cover or a cancellation that was created in order to deceive.

Crease – This is a fold indicating a weakening of the stamp’s paper.

Photo credits: karen horton

Originally posted 2009-11-11 03:57:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The art of collecting collectible postage stamps is a hobby that has become popular with several millions of Americans as well as people all throughout the world, including young and old alike. Many people that are just beginning with collectible postage stamps enjoy the thrill and the challenge that comes with finding stamps that come from a variety of different time periods. There are also sophisticated hobbyists collecting collectible postage stamps that are rare or particularly valuable because their primary focus is placed on increasing the financial value of the collection that they are putting together. In other words, collectible postage stamps are capable of appealing to a wide variety of different people including young and old, serious or beginner, and for a variety of different reasons as well.

It should definitely be noted that the collection of collectible postage stamps differs greatly from the formal study of collectible postage stamps, which is a concept known as philately. Therefore, not all postage stamp collectors are philatelists, and not every philatelist is a postage stamp collector.

The History of Collectible Postage Stamps

The first ever postage stamp was issued back in the year 1840 in Britain. The stamp, which is known as the Penny Black, pictured an image of Queen Victoria, and it was printed without any perforations, which meant that it needed to be cut out from a single sheet in order to be used by the owner of the stamp.

Postage stamp collecting finally became a hobby in around 1860, and then around the 1920s is when the hobby really began to pick up steam. Stamps that were issued during this period of time do not generally carry very much value because they are still quite widely available today.

Collecting Facts for Collectible Postage Stamps

There are errors that are made when stamps are printed, and this will result in stamp images that are upside down or off center for example, and these collectible postage stamps tend to be the ones that greatly increase the value of the stamp. There are many collectors out there that are specifically looking for collectible postage stamps that contain these types of printing errors since they are rare and likely to fetch a higher price.

Many people that collect collectible postage stamps tend to focus on one specific type of stamp, like those issued by a certain nation for example. Some of the most popular collectible postage stamps are European stamps and Asian stamps for example because they feature stunning artistic qualities. There are other types of collectible postage stamps as well including commemorative stamps, revenue stamps and pictorial collectible postage stamps for example.

Photo Credits: aldo c zavala

Originally posted 2009-10-14 03:18:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter