For nearly a century now, people have speculated about why anyone should collect stamps. Philosophers used to study the matter; now psychologists do. Surveys show that philatelists tend to be more intelligent than average, but the same can be said for bridge players. Philatelists tend to be curious and inquisitive, but that can be claimed for scuba divers as well. Psychological literature contains references to collecting impulses, but there is little that explains why a person should prefer one collectable to another. Stamp collectors, however, like to describe themselves as orderly, cultured people, who assemble tiny pieces of art for their pleasure and profit. Surely philately is the least imposing hobby in the world. It can be practiced any hour of the day or night, it causes no traffic jams, and it can be as cheap or expensive a hobby as the collector wants.
And Americans love stamps! The United States Postal Service estimates that 11 percent of the people in the United States collect stamps, making it by far the biggest collecting hobby and probably the most popular in the country.
A similar percentage of the British population collects stamps. On the continent, though, especially in Germany and Switzerland, the number of people who collect is much higher, and the Eastern Europeans are known to be particularly avid collectors.
Although no one knows why people catch “infectious philatelis,” catch it they do. One hundred years ago, one could easily imagine why the first collectors collected. Those were the days before easily reprinted photographs, before radio and television— stamps were the only window to the world that the nineteenth century had. Printed on those little pieces of paper were thousands of views and scenes of exotic men, women, and places. Just a touch of imagination, and a whole world would open up. Turning the album pages, one could spend the morning in Ceylon, lunch in Brazil, dine in Katmandu, and still be at work the next day. In an era when a 30-mile journey was a major undertaking, stamps were quite an educational tool.
But what about today? Despite the social interactions of stamp clubs, which are a great means for collectors to increase their philatelic knowledge, stamp collecting is still a creative way of being alone. A number of husbands and wives collect, but they rarely collect the same types of stamps or use the same album. Often you hear such statements as: “My husband collects United States, I collect Canada.” Collecting different areas allows the couple to achieve the individual satisfaction that maintaining a collection gives, while avoiding the competition that might develop if there were resources for but one stamp with two places to put it.
Another reason why stamp collecting has maintained its popularity even today is that it is an orderly hobby. A collection of hundreds of thousands of stamps will fit in albums that can be placed on a modest-sized bookshelf. Virtually all of the million or so stamps and varieties that have been issued have been copiously catalogued. Every stamp has its place. Even collectors who choose to make their own albums usually impose on themselves far more restrictions and orderliness than the album makers ever do. One could postulate that in this uncontrollable world we live in, a desire for order is strong. Stamps go a long way towards satisfying that. Every stamp has its place, and when you are done with your stamps today, you can pack them up and put them away for tomorrow.
Successful collectors, meaning those who enjoy stamps and who create significant collections, usually share two traits. First, they have a deep respect and love of history. It is remarkable today how few people have any knowledge of history at all. Few graduating high-school seniors can name more than ten American presidents, and many know very little about European, Asian, or African history. Stamps are a panorama through which a collector gains knowledge of historical and international affairs. And most collectors have learned well. Second, most collectors have a love of geography. For this reason, they respond to maps and charts. They have a highly developed visual sense, and tend to think more pictorially than do most people.