One can collect stamps that have pictures of animals on them or pictures of ships, trains, birds, horses, Olympic themes etc.

Postage stamp collecting

Getting started as a stamp collector can be overwelming. Starting out you'll need to know what stamps to look for, how to preserve them, how to display them, and what makes a stamp rare or collectible.

You've heard the phrase, "the mail must go through." And even through rain, sleet and snow, the mail gets delivered. But not without postage. The little square or rectangular sticky piece of paper affixed to the right corner of an envelope makes all the difference. Whether it is sporting a flag, a flower or a piece of fruit, stamps must adorn our packages to get them from one place to another. But these stamps are not just practical--they are collectible.

Perhaps the easiest breakdown of stamp collecting is what's on the face value of the item - the picture. Some of the most popular types have included sports figures, cartoons, national landmarks, nature images and celebrities. The 1993 Elvis stamp was quite a success, especially since philatelics got the chance to vote for the Elvis image that fashioned the stamp. Other celebrity stamp successes include the Marilyn Monroe stamp of 1995 and the James Dean stamp of the same year. Even cartoon characters find popularity in the corner of an envelope. Bugs Bunny was a stamp collector success in 1997 and the Peanuts stamp issued in 2001 looks to have the same fate as a coveted collectible. Sports also have played a significant part in philatelic collections. The Summer Olympics stamps issued in 1992 as well as the Centennial Olympic Games stamps of 1996 were well received by collectors.

Another set of stamps that flourished in sales and collections is the Black Heritage series, which debuted, in the late 1970s. This stamp series has featured legendary figures in the African American community, such as Harriet Tubman, Duke Ellington and Otis Redding. These stamps are in an expanding collection, since the United States Post Office (USPS) issues new stamps in this series annually.

The Post Office also issues stamps to raise awareness of issues that face the American people. Stamps featuring topics such as breast cancer, adoption and diabetes has risen in popularity in recent years. The social awareness series of stamps debuted in the 1950s.

Aside from these commemorative stamps, there are many other stamps that are quite valuable, not because of their depictions of people or places, but because they are unique and often imperfect. For example, one of the most famous incidences of postage stamp errors occurred in 1901, when the Post Office issued commemorative stamps to coincide with the Pan-American Exposition, which was held in New York. Six bicolored stamps, highlighting transportation, were issued. But a printing error occurred and a limited amount of stamps, including the one cent, two cent and four cent stamps had inverted centers printed on them. These stamps became collectibles not because they honored the exposition, but because they were imperfect. A similar incidence occurred in 2000 when the Post Office issued a stamp honoring the Grand Canyon. The first prints got the site of the Grand Canyon wrong. They said it was Grand Canyon, Colorado instead of the accurate Grand Canyon, Arizona. Those stamps were destroyed, but were they to have been released, they surely would have been collectibles because of the error in their design. Anytime stamps are printed with errors or blemishes, their value increases, especially since the Post Office prides itself on making few errors.

So if you're an aspiring collector of stamps, here are some things to keep in mind. Most commemorative stamps are available through the USPS for about a year after their initial release. The value of commemorative stamps is generally more than what an average stamp of the same face value, since the commemorative stamps are for a limited time. Do not be discouraged from collecting the standard issue stamps, like those that display the American flag. Even cancelled stamps that have been used for mailings can still be valuable and worth stamp collecting.

In general, a stamp collection with pristine unused stamps is the ideal. The reality is that some stamps have been used in mailings, have creases, stains and maybe are torn. But a collection for the pure enjoyment of collecting will not be severely affected by these imperfections. However, if you're striving to have a stamp collection worthy of resale, then your collection should be as neat and unblemished as possible. If you're fortunate enough to buy first day issue stamps, you can preserve these stamps in plastic sleeves or even in the wax paper bag that the Post Office supplies. A full sheet of first day issues are wrapped in plastic. If you buy these stamps purely for collecting, then it is best to not open that sealed plastic. But if you have loose stamps, you'll want to keep them in their best condition by placing them in plastic sleeves or mounting them to an album.

If you are collecting stamps that have been mailed and thus have cancellation marks across the stamp, you'll want to keep those stamps looking as good as possible. Since these stamps have been used, their value can vary from slightly diminished to severely diminished. To preserve a cancelled stamp, you can try to restore its original look by cleaning the stamp. You'll have to soak the stamp in warm water for a period of time ranging from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of adhesive on the back of the stamp. Allow the stamp to soak in the water until the adhesive loosens and the stamp separates from the paper, presumably an envelope. Take that wet stamp and handle it carefully, preferably with philatelic tongs, and place the stamp on a flat, even surface that will allow the stamp to dry without sticking to the surface. The stamp will dry thoroughly within a few hours. If the stamp does not dry flat, you can place it between the pages of a book---the pressure of the book's pages should help the stamp smooth itself out.

Once you've got your stamps, you'll need a place to store them. Always store them in a cool, dry environment. Heat, dampness and too much light can ruin your collection by wearing down the fibers and colors of your stamps. Get an album that is acid-free so that the pages of the album also will not harm the fabric of the stamps. Those aforementioned clear plastic sleeves work well because they securely hold the stamps and make them visible for display. Continue to learn more about Stamp Collecting, please visit essortment.

Stamps on Approval

All of our stamps are sold on approval. What this means, is, when you make a purchase and do not approve of the collection, lot or what ever it may be, just return the item with in thirty days, from the day you received it. The item or items must not be picked over and returned in tact. We will refund the full purchase price for that item. The only cost to you, is return shipping.

We have many millions of stamps on hand. For example, we have large numbers of entire collections, mostly mounted in books or arranged in stock books, such as a collection of 4117 different stamps of Turkey and one of about 2000 different stamps of the Philippines and many other collections of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, Norway, Australia, Canada, South Africa etc. Some of these larger collections are not list on our Web Site and we may have only one. However, if you are interested, let us know and we will send you a list. Remember, you have nothing to lose. Look over the collection and if you do not approve, just return it in tact and we will refund your money or credit you credit card 100%.

If you would like us to send our list of special collections or have any question, please contact us through our "feedback page" Click here.

Postage Stamp Collection Information

The most economical way to start a stamp collection is to buy a ready made collection of stamps. And one should in fact, buy the largest possible collection, because sooner or later one would want to make a collection as large as possible or even to complete it. And if one buys the stamps individually from a retail stamp dealer and pays whatever the certain price is, the total sum will be very much larger than buying a stamp collection. All individual collections are made up in glassine envelopes, unless, otherwise described .

Of course, by buying the largest collection, one pays the most average price per stamp because in a large collection of 500 different stamps of one country, one gets better and much scarcer stamps than one gets in a collection of 100 different. A collection of 100 different is made of the most easily available stamps of that country but to make 500 different one has to search for much scarcer, more unusual and more expensive stamps.

The world being as it is today with so many countries issuing plenty of stamps each year, it is completely impossible to get a complete collection of the entire world. One has to specialize in a country or a few countries or for example a group of countries as Latin America, British Colonies, French Colonies, Scandinavia or whatever one prefers.

One can also choose a certain topic and disregard the countries and only collect stamps that have pictures that one likes. One can collect stamps that have pictures of animals on them or pictures of ships, trains, birds, horses, Olympic themes etc.

Stamp collecting certainly is an exiting hobby and people of all kinds have collected stamps like the British Royalty, King Farouk of Egypt, President Roosevelt and many other prominent people. Stamp collecting is also highly educational. One learns about foreign money, foreign countries, history, art etc. and stamps do not loose their value. In fact they have international value and can generally be brought in and out. It is a very fascinating hobby and a collection of stamps arranged neatly in an album can be a beautiful sight that the owner can be proud of.

Some people ask if these stamp collections contain mint stamps or used stamps. Mint means un-used. Well, they mostly consist of both, some are mint and some are used. A few collections have only mint and a few collections have only used. Continue to learn more about Stamp Collecting, please visit Gary Gompf - Sales.