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Modern philatelists have lumped together the three broad categories of stamp reproductions that collectors of previous generations kept separate. This has been done largely because modern collectors are unfamiliar with the history of philatelic reproductions.  Philatelic reproductions come in three broad types.   The first major type of philatelic reproductions identified by stamp collectors are […]

Most stamp collectors who collected in the 1950s and 1960s maintained a collection of plate blocks and First day Covers along with their regular collection of US mint. There were two reason for this. First, a plate block was only four stamps and the face value of putting away a new plate block was 16c

One of the great changes in the stamp world has been the extinction of a species of philatelic professional called the Satchelateer. This type of dealer was common in the early part of the twentieth century and began to decline in numbers around 1980. Satchelateers (word is formed from “satchel” which is a large bag)

I don’t ordinarily write articles about stamp investment basically for two reason. First, I don’t think that stamps have been a particularly good investment over the last thirty years. Certainly, the stock, bond, and real estate markets have done better. Also, stamps need to be carefully stored and can lose their value, if not properly

Very few things in our world are the same as they were 85 years ago. Perhaps that’s one of the appeals of philately-collecting – patterns rarely change and the goals a collector sets out for himself can continue throughout his lifetime. Regularity and fulfilled expectations are human needs, and on this level our hobby is

Serious collectors have long been told that the great introductory book that they need to read is L N Williams “Fundamentals of Philately”. The book was first serialized in the 1950’s in the American Philatelic Society’s magazine The American Philatelist, and has been reprinted several times, most recently in 2008 as an 825 page tome.

Stamp Cartoons For nearly one hundred years, from 1890-1990, philately featured on the regular basis in the daily newspaper “comics” section. This publicity not only helped popularize the hobby, it also showed the popular conception of stamp collectors as avid and a bit nerdy. Below we’ve reprinted several cartoons from this byegone era.

What Can Be Done: The stamps of Oldenburg are some of the most interesting of the German States area. There are a total of 25 issued stamps and Oldenburg presents on its own all of the enjoyments and difficulties of any classic specialty. The stamps are scarce, but not rare, and they are attractive, and

Stamp Investment Tips: Best Eight Value Stamps   There are millions of stamps cataloging from 25c to millions of dollars. But of these millions of stamps, what stamps are the best value for the money? I’ve defined “best value for the money” to mean stamps that sell quickest out of dealers stocks, are desired by