How To Make Collecting And Using Stamps Fun In 5 Easy Steps

By Heidi Arrowood


Stamping can be fun, relaxing and fashionable. Since stamps come in your mail daily, they can be simply swapped with family members and friends, allowing you to collect them free of charge. Moreover, new stamps are issued on a regular basis and offer hours of fun. Below are 5 tips on how you can make collecting and using stamps fun.

1. Stamp Buying

Stamp collecting is very cheap. You only need a few bucks to start an impressive collection. You can also buy digital stamps online. Another way to collect stamps that are no longer being sold are thru stamp dealers. You can buy unique stamps and even expensive rare stamps that are very collectible.

2. Joining a Stamp Club

To learn even more about collecting stamps, join a stamp club. Stamp clubs are located in most big cities and even some in small towns. You will find a lot of unique information about stamps while attending regular meetings. These clubs also issue newsletters and magazines that have great information about stamp collecting and where to buy. Some clubs even hold stamp exhibitions and contest where club members get to display their unique collection. You can get new ideas on how to improve your own stamp collections by listing to judge's comments at these events and checking out all of the displayed collections.

3. What type of Stamps

There are two types of stamps: One Country Collection and Thematic Collection. One Country Collection involves collecting stamps just from one country while Thematic Collection involves collecting all stamps with same theme, such as painting, space, sport, animal or transport. It's better to start by collecting one type of stamps, either Thematic Collection or One country Collection. This is because collecting all types of stamps can soon become uncomfortable as the countries of the world each year issue around 5,000-8, 000 new stamps.

4. Albums of Stamps

There are many stamp albums you can purchase to carry out your stamp collecting as a professional. The most widely used stamp album is the stock sheet album. It has loose leaf folders that contain plastic pages with strips running from corner to corner. These strips have many pockets that allow you to put your stamp in them. The plastic they use is unique, shielding your stamps.

5. Stamp Preparing

You must always handle each stamp with care, as they can be worth much in value. Make sure not to cut the stamp when cutting parts off the envelop, as doing so can make a stamp worthless. Also, soak gummed stamps before attempting to remove them from an envelope. Once removed, dry them by placing them face up on a dry and clean blotting paper. If your trying to remove self-adhesive stamps, soak them in heated water mixed with soft soap for a few minutes. After this you can transfer the stamp to a basin of fresh water for about 10 minutes to remove any left over soap. Avoid handling the stamp with your hands to prevent getting sweat and oil on the stamp from your skin. Try to use tweezers instead. You can use a good magnifying glass to study your stamp more closely. Also, a perforation gauge can be used to measure jagged edges of your stamp.




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