Stamp Collecting
Since the first stamp was created in England in 1840, people have been collecting stamps. The Penny Black as it was called had to be cut with scissors so that it could be attached to an envelope. It was only later that stamps had perforations which made stamps much easier to use. Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby with millions of collectors in the United States alone.
The first stamp hobbyists were mostly children and teenagers. Adults saw stamps as utilitarian and not something of importance. As the young stamp collectors grew up, they continued collecting stamps even into adulthood. Because they were intensely interested in stamps, they began to study stamps from all over the world. Their research encouraged others to begin collecting. Many collectors even began to see that stamp collecting might become a lucrative business. It wasn't until the 1920's that stamps did begin to have a real monetary worth. Because so many collectors had kept their older stamps in pristine condition, collectors began to vie for the rare ones.
One would think that the Penny Black would be worth a fortune since it was the first stamp. On the contrary, these stamps are worth less than $200. Sometimes, Penny Black stamps that are in poorer condition barely fetch prices over $20. If a stamp collector is lucky enough to run across an unused Penny Black, the stamp would be worth quite a lot of money. Most of the supply are used stamps.

Most stamp collectors take up the hobby because they enjoy stamps and not for monetary gain. Some people collect stamps for their beauty. Many countries produce more stamps than they can use so that they can sell them to collectors. They devise extraordinary stamps to lure collectors to their stamps. It's a great source of revenue.
Many people worry that stamp collecting will soon be a thing of the past because so many people refuse to use snail mail. They rely almost completely on e-mails rather than postage stamps. It is doubtful that stamps will ever go entirely out of business. There is just something about getting a real letter in the mail. Getting cards and letters are so much more personal.
Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby because unless you are a stamp investor, you don't have to spend much money. Every post office offers stamps especially for the collector. If you life to travel, you can buy postage stamps all over the world. They make great reminders of our vacations.
Stamp Collecting News:
The Stamp Collecting Round-Up: Connecticut Postmaster Starts ... According to Carrie, "At the top of her list is holding Wednesday Philatelic Days, where residents can learn the art of stamp collecting as well as monthly seminars about the importance of businesses using direct mail as opposed to ..... |
Singapore Stamp Collecting: 3 Reasons to Invest in Singapore Stamps With a small stamp collecting population, rising GDP and the small number of stamps being issued, mint stamps from Singapore will probably be very hard to find 50 or 60 years down the road. at 12:01 AM. Labels: Stamp Investment ..... |
Good Morning, Buffalo: A quick look at what's happening today - Buffalo News Good Morning, Buffalo: A quick look at what's happening todayBuffalo NewsStamp collecting -- "The Hobby of Kings" -- is this week's focus of Gusto at the Gallery at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, celebrating the four works from ..... |
Still lots of interest in snail-mail postage - Niagara Falls Review Still lots of interest in snail-mail postageNiagara Falls ReviewThe free event, which has been around for at least 50 years, also gave the public an opportunity to see what stamp collecting is all about. ...and more ».. |
Stamp thief 'druggie' jailed (The Sun) WOMAN jailed after stealing stamps worth thousands from her stepfather to buy heroin.. |
Saturday's Last Word on Friday (The Virginia Gazette) City election - “Thank you to all five city residents running for City Council. For a tiny city at a crossroads, it is crucial to elect representatives who grasp the concern residents have for upholding city goals, and not letting the goals, rules and policies be rewritten every time a developer or individual quietly enlists the help of the staff to reshape the current rules. Residents who have ..... |
Robert George jailed for stamp forgeries - Southern Daily Echo Robert George jailed for stamp forgeriesSouthern Daily Echo“This activity debases the currency of trust and confidence that the stamp-collecting community can place upon their transactions. ...and more ».. |
NoteVault Announces Release of Its iPhone Speech to Text Solution for Construction and Engineering Firms (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) SAN DIEGO----NoteVault, which provides voice-based mobile reporting solutions for the construction industry, today announced the availability of its new iPhone app in the Apple iTunes store... |
» Breaking the mold This article is filed under How to collect stamps - guide to stamp collecting basics, Recommended articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. ..... |
Stamp Club's annual show coming up - Toledo Blade Stamp Club's annual show coming upToledo BladeThe special hand-stamped cancellations sell for $3 apiece, and proceeds are used by the club to purchase books about stamp collecting that are then donated ..... |
» Golden era stamp collectors and philatelists Equally amazing is how much stamp collecting in general has and has not changed. For example how many New York or Brussels stamp dealers would use pin needles (or similar) to attach sales stamps for display? LOL. ..... |
Alameda calendar - Alameda Times-Star Alameda calendarAlameda Times-StarAlameda Stamp Club — Meets first Tuesdays monthly. Active collectors, those interested in learning about stamp collecting invited. ...and more ».. |
Robert Lee Shaw (Lexington Clipper-Herald) Robert Lee Shaw, 85, of Gibbon, formerly of Overton, died Sunday, March 7, 2010, at Gibbon Good Samaritan Society in Gibbon... |
Community briefs - March 10 (The Fort Morgan Times) Around the community.. |
Briefs - March 4 (Clarinda Herald-Journal) Senior Meal every third Sunday at Clarinda Regional Health Center.. |
» 5:13AM Subscribe newsletter. Stay tuned with latest entries on Stamp Collecting Blog. You can choose between a daily RSS feed or weekly email. Click here to subscribe the weekly newsletter. ..... |
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