Leisure and Hobbies

Stamps, like any collectible, have a monetary value. That value is the result of supply and demand, just like anything else. But the demand for stamps is highly volatile, just like other works of art. Collecting with an eye to investment requires an aptitude for risk taking and a substantial amount of expertise.

Collectors have to sift through lots of information while tracking down and researching stamps. It can be helpful to have a handy list of organizations that in one way or another support that effort.

Many enthusiastic philatelist has reached a lull in collecting at some point. The affordable gems are coming less frequently and growing out of your price range. To keep the momentum going, you can start looking for the unusual. Perfins are one of those great oddities that can flesh out a collection.

Collecting stamps is a never ending source of interest. You can collect for a lifetime and still be on the hunt for that rare gem, that odd bit of history that is captured by a stamp.

Technology and art often combine in philately. The art aspect is obvious to the naked eye. But sometimes the technology is invisible, as in the case of fluorescent stamps.

Stamp collecting has grown in just over 150 years from a hobby for children to a worldwide phenomenon for collectors and investors. Today, thousands of collectors spend time and money to obtain everything from a mundane 1840 One Penny Black for a few dollars to the $2.2 million 1855 Tre Skilling Banco Yellow.

Even the amateur has to employ the same terminology as the professional. For him or her, here’s the lingo of the trade.

Most stamps collected have been used as postage. Unlike uncirculated coins, that’s part of what makes them valuable, since they then acquire a history and often interesting cancellation or other marks.

Very early in his or her collecting efforts every stamp collector will need the guidance of several sources of information. Fellow collectors are helpful and there are many forums where helpful tips and enthusiasm can be shared. Dealers can help in the education process, and most are knowledgeable and honest. But the indispensable source of information about stamps remains the catalog.

How best to secure a stamp to a display medium is an ongoing debate. Hinges were used traditionally and many stamps have their value affected - up or down - by the size and nature of the ‘hinge marks’ on them.

Determining the value of a stamp can be a complex affair. It’s made more so by the existence of forgeries.

Once you’ve learned to prepare your stamps by careful soaking or other methods, you’ll want to store them safely and stylishly.

Like any collectible, the philatelic world has its champions - the rarest, the highest price paid at auction. Some of these have long and interesting histories apart from the price paid.

Part of the joy of collecting stamps is examining them - to discover their origin and history, or simply to enjoy them as works of art. Part of that process involves looking for and identifying watermarks.

Each individual will have his or her preferred way of preparing, mounting and storing stamps. But despite personal choices there are common tools that most collectors will find useful, regardless of his or her own way of working.