Stamp Resources For Collectors
Collecting stamps is an exciting hobby whether you are a beginner or expert philatist. We have compiled our resources to help you learn more and excel at finding stamps for your collection.
Stamp Collecting For Beginners
Our stamp collection 101 guide is an excellent resource for anyone new to collecting stamps. Here we detail how to get started with collecting stamps and the different types of stamps you can choose for your first stamp collection.
Proper care is very important for any stamp collection. Making sure your stamps maintain their condition also helps ensure they retain their value if you ever decide to sell.
Philately is as much an art as a science. To fully enjoy all the aspects of this burgeoning hobby that’s a favorite among people around the world, you must have the basic materials for stamp collecting, preserving and, of course, showcasing. If you want to take your stamp collecting to a more serious level, you may also want to have a more advanced set of tools for stamp collecting at your disposal.
One important piece of information that every stamp collector should know is how to spot a fake stamp. This article details what you should look out for and ways to prevent accidentally adding a counterfeit stamp to your collection.
At Apfelbaum, Inc., one of the questions we are asked most frequently is “How much is my stamp collection worth?” Whether you have inherited some rare stamps from a relative or are simply curious about the value of your own stamp album or collection, a professional stamp collection appraisal is the best way to begin.
If you have received a letter with a beautiful stamp on it, you may want to add it to your stamp collection. Most collectors keep their stamps mounted in albums to protect the ink and the paper from any acidity found in ordinary writing (or envelope) paper.
If you look at most stamps from the later 1800s and throughout the 1900s, you will see the distinctive half-moon patterns around the edges of the stamps. This is the pattern caused by perforation. Perforation involves cutting tiny holes around each stamp, so each stamp can be easily separated.
For generations, stamp collectors have relied on albums and paper tracking systems to manage their collections. In fact, many serious collectors find that managing their collections is one of the most enjoyable parts of their passion. Many pleasant hours can be spent looking over past purchases. Today, of course, software is available to help you organize your stamps and keep track of your collection.
Types of Stamps
Though we often associate stamps purely with mail delivery, they continue to play a number of other, less prominent roles in our society. Revenue stamps have been used to collect taxes on alcohol and tobacco, as well as to pay for certain legal and documentation fees.
The use of stamps for distributing newspapers and other periodicals dates back to 1851, when Austrian postal authorities attempted to break private couriers’ stranglehold on delivery routes. These issues featured the profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god, and today are among the rarest collectors’ newspaper stamps.
There are many ways to approach beginning or organizing a stamp collection. While many collectors specialize in a particular country or time period, others choose a theme or topic and attempt to gather as many unique examples of it as possible.
Those who haven’t had a lot of exposure to the world of philately may find themselves surprised at the prices fetched by some of the top collectible stamps these days. In fact, the soaring prices old, rare or misprinted stamps are fetching at auction has amazed even long-time hobbyists.
The history of the postage stamp is a fascinating one which has provided rich fodder for literature and legend throughout the ages. Tied inextricably to stories of colonialism, empire and ambition, some of the rarest collector stamps from around the world are those that speak to a time and place that has been lost forever.
If you’re just beginning to collect stamps, starting close to home makes sense. What many people don’t realize, however, is that United States’ stamps are one of the more difficult countries to collect.
Permanently linked to the early 20th Century, the word “zeppelin” is uniquely evocative on its own. Given that part of the novelty behind philately is how it connects us with another time and place, is it any wonder that the 1930 Graf Zeppelin is one of the most famous U.S. stamps of all time?
While they aren’t the rarest or most expensive collector’s item, Penny Blacks hold the distinction of being the first adhesive stamp used by a public mail system. First issued in Britain on May 1, 1840, Penny Blacks feature a distinctive black face and a profile of Queen Victoria.
The history of modern philately begins in Britain in 1840 with the printing of the famous Penny Black — widely considered the world’s first postage stamp. While a good condition Penny Black is the jewel in the crown of many collections, anyone who truly wants to explore this fascinating period of stamp history will also want to find themselves a Two Penny Blue — the second official British stamp, issued not long after the Penny Black.
Hunting Permit stamps are an interesting variety of Revenue stamp valued by many collectors throughout the U.S. Unlike postage stamps, Hunting Permit stamps are not intended for mailing letters or packages — rather, they are a collectible stamp sold to raise money to protect American wetlands.
The history of postage stamps is a fascinating mirror to the greater narrative of human progress through the ages. Postage stamps reflect political and geographic shifts as well as technological innovation.
American philately is a particularly demanding hobby in part because the sheer wealth of available stamps makes it nearly impossible to accumulate a full collection. Many collectors choose to focus on a specific area, with Special Delivery stamps being a popular choice.
In the U.S. and several other countries, so-called “Duck Stamps” are Revenue stamps issued to hunters, allowing them to gain access to federal wetlands and other protected areas.
While they aren’t the rarest or most expensive collector’s item, Penny Blacks hold the distinction of being the first adhesive stamp used by a public mail system. First issued in Britain on May 1, 1840, Penny Blacks feature a distinctive black face and a profile of Queen Victoria.
While it’s true that collecting U.S. covers no longer has the widespread popularity it once did, many collectors see this as an opportunity to dive into a little-appreciated corner of philatelic history.
Collecting first day covers has been an active subsection of the greater philatelic hobby for more than 100 years. In a culture as obsessed with minute variations as ours, this is perhaps to be expected.
Anyone with an interest in stamps needs to understand surcharged stamps and overprinting, two issues which can affect the rarity and the value of stamps. If you are collecting stamps from around the world, especially, you may run into overprinted stamps quite often, since some countries overprint more than others.
Are you interested in a Bill Gates stamp or a Lady Gaga stamp to round out your collection? The USPS can help! In the past, the United States Postal Service only put images of celebrities and historical figures on stamps if the individuals had passed away.
The thirty-second president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), was an avid stamp collector. Parts of his stamp collection are still sought out by stamp collectors, and many collectors were inspired by the President when starting their hobby.
Any new collector quickly learns there seems to be an infinite number of stamps. Since the first postage stamp was issued in 1840, hundreds of nations around the world have issued their own stamps, and most nations issue multiple versions of stamps. Eventually, many people new to stamp collecting wonder whether it’s possible to collect a full collection of stamps from around the world.
With many collectors, stamp album page printing is a hot topic of debate. Some collectors like purchasing premade album pages to save time and effort. They like knowing that preprinted pages created specifically for stamp collectors are safe for stamps.
The vast majority of countries and colonies have issued postage stamps at some point since 1840, when Britain issued the first. The following list of countries with postage stamps issued includes the names of the countries as well as the date when their stamps were first issued, along with any previous period during which postage stamps were issued.
Learn How To Sell Your Stamp Collection
This comprehensive resource is your go-to guide to selling individual stamps as well as how to put an entire stamp collection on the market.