Collectible Stamps

100+ Different Worldwide Stamp Collection Lot 486 $2.03 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 46m

Disney Stamp Collection 200 Different Stamps $38.00 Time Remaining: 6d 21h 1m Buy It Now for only: $38.00

Switzerland Stamp Collection $18.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 1m

Germany Stamp Collection w Saar $26.00 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 4m

WORLD WIDE COLLECTION OF STAMPS OFF PAPER MOSTLY OLDER COM DEFIN $2.14 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 7m

British Empire w South Africa Newfoundland Etc Stamp Collection $44.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 7m

Albania Very Nice Collection of MNH StampsC 219 $2.75 Time Remaining: 26d 18h 36m Buy It Now for only: $2.75

Lithuania Latvia Stamp Collection $38.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 10m

WORLD WIDE COLLECTION OF STAMPS OFF PAPER MOSTLY OLDER COM DEFIN $2.20 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 10m

Romania Stamp Collection w Philharmonic Sheets $11.00 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 10m

WORLD WIDE COLLECTION OF STAMPS OFF PAPER MOSTLY OLDER COM DEFIN $2.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 14m

EXTREMELY VALUABLE US AND WORLD STAMP COLLECTION THOUSANDS STAMPS $3,900.00 Time Remaining: 4d 7h 2m Buy It Now for only: $3,900.00

Collection of United Kindgdom Stamps Set of 36 used $9.99 Time Remaining: 1h 15m

WORLD WIDE COLLECTION OF STAMPS OFF PAPER MOSTLY OLDER COM DEFIN $2.84 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 17m

WORLD WIDE COLLECTION OF STAMPS OFF PAPER MOSTLY OLDER COM DEFIN $2.59 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 22m

Vintage Stamp Collection US International w Harris Album old stamps $14.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 26m

Germany Third Reich Stamp Collection 200 Different $54.99 Time Remaining: 12d 14h 26m Buy It Now for only: $54.99

IRA PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 16 $3.99 Time Remaining: 1h 58m

IRAN PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 17 $3.99 Time Remaining: 1h 59m

IRAN PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 18 $3.99 Time Remaining: 2h 1m

IRAN PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 19 $3.99 Time Remaining: 2h 2m

STANLEY GIBBONS CW ALL WORLD STAMP COLLECTION FROM 1800S $947.62 Time Remaining: 28d 18h 4m Buy It Now for only: $947.62

IRAN PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 20 $3.99 Time Remaining: 2h 3m

IRAN PERSIA NICE COLLECTION OF MINT STAMPS LOT 21 $3.99 Time Remaining: 2h 4m

NobleSpirit COLOSSAL 60000 12 Vol A Z SCOTT ALBUM 1840 1970 STAMP COLLECTION $1,026.00 (22 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 10m

Worldwide Collection of Butterfly Stamps Used Unused Few duplicates all sizes $1.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2h 11m

Italy and Area Stamp Collection $59.99 Time Remaining: 24d 8h 44m Buy It Now for only: $59.99

Stamp Collection Liquidation Spain $0.99 Time Remaining: 2h 15m

Stamp Collection Liquidation Worldwide Selection $0.99 Time Remaining: 2h 15m

Stamp Collection Liquidation Worldwide Selection $0.99 Time Remaining: 2h 16m

Stamp Collection Liquidation Germany $0.99 Time Remaining: 2h 18m

Somalia Collection of MNH Stamps805 C $2.50 Time Remaining: 8d 14h 42m Buy It Now for only: $2.50

Stamp Collection Mexico Olympics Canada Vintage $10.00 Time Remaining: 2h 34m

HUGE COLLECTION OF OLDER WORLDWIDE STAMPS ON PAGES $6.27 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 35m

CKSTAMPS ADVANCE MINT UNITED NATIONS STAMPS US STAMPS COLLECTION IN 2 BINDERS $51.00 (27 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 41m

NobleSpirit IMPORTANT OLDTIME Transvaal STAMP COLLECTION $76.00 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 44m

Disney Stamp Collection 400 Different Mint $69.00 Time Remaining: 4d 19h 26m Buy It Now for only: $69.00

MALTA superb collection100 different colorful stamps $3.99 Time Remaining: 3h 22m

EUROPE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Fantastic collection of 5000 different stamps lotDP $79.99 Time Remaining: 3h 23m

Entire Stamp Collection My 1st Stamp Outfit + Majestic Stamp Album + US Album $39.99 Time Remaining: 3h 28m

100 Greatest Stamps Of The World Sterling Silver Minature Collection Franklin $123.50 (13 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 29m

Indo China Stamp Collection $49.99 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 5m Buy It Now for only: $49.99

Old Worldwide Foreign WW Stamp Lot Collection W456 $0.01 Time Remaining: 3h 44m

Old Worldwide Foreign WW Stamp Lot Collection W457 $0.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m

Old Worldwide Foreign WW Stamp Lot Collection W458 $0.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m

Collection of 100 Different Mint Never Hinged Stamps Free Shipping to US $2.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3h 46m

Beautiful 15 Volume World Wide Stamp Collection $399.00 Time Remaining: 4d 17h 55m Buy It Now for only: $399.00

WORLDWIDE STAMP TWO ALBUM COLLECTION RARE MINT $199.95 Time Remaining: 3h 52m

100 Stamps Collection Lot $4.95 Time Remaining: 4h 14m

Giant Collection 1000 Different Large Colorful Topical Pictorial World Stamps $15.99 Time Remaining: 4h 17m

HUGE COLLECTION STAMPS BOX LOT FROM ESTATE SALE 215a $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 4h 38m

MASSIVE WORLD STAMP COLLECTION BOX LOT 1244 $1,499.99 Time Remaining: 3d 16h 48m Buy It Now for only: $1,499.99

John fitzgerald Kennedy In memory of his death Worldwide rare Collection Stamps $29.99 Time Remaining: 5h 47m

Worldwide error Collection Stamps misplaced in frame Extra rare 2 pages $29.99 Time Remaining: 5h 47m

LIGHTHOUSE on LOT of 25 STAMPSALL DIFFERENTCOLLECTION $0.99 Time Remaining: 5h 48m

100 CATS KITTEN LOT of COLLECTIBLE STAMPSLOVELY CATS $3.99 Time Remaining: 5h 49m

The London 1908 Olympic Games COLLECTION Commemorative LOT stamp WORLDWIDE Sheet $35.00 Time Remaining: 29d 6h 51m Buy It Now for only: $35.00

500 ALL Different of WORLD WIDE STAMPS COLLECTION LOT $4.99 Time Remaining: 5h 51m

HUGE COLLECTION STAMPS BOX LOT FROM ESTATE SALE 215 B $9.99 Time Remaining: 6h 3m

100 CATS KITTEN LOT of COLLECTIBLE STAMPSLOVELY CATS $3.99 Time Remaining: 6h 52m

The Pleasure of Collecting

History

The practice of collecting takes its root deep in history. Antique Egyptians were already collecting books in the great library of Alexandria. French King Louis XIV, the king sun enjoyed the French Royal Coin Collection so much that he visited it every day, remarking that he could always find something new to learn.
The Medici family, in Renaissance time, made the first effort to collect art.

Collecting As A Hobby

The hobby of collecting consists of acquiring specific object related to a particular interest of the collector. The hobbyist can also acquire those objects as an investment. Collections are often highly organized, very well cataloged, and attractively displayed when displayed to the public of for the interest of the owner. Since collecting depends on the interests of the individual collector, it may deal with almost any subject. The depth and extent of the collection may also vary. Some collectors choose to focus on a specific subtopic within their area of general interest. There are also individuals, who take up collection of coins as their hobby. In both the cases people try to hold on to the identities. Some collections are capable of being completed, at least to the extent of owning one sample of each possible item in the collection. Collectors who specifically try to assemble complete collections in this way are sometimes called "completists". Upon completing, they may stop collecting, expand the collection to include related items, or begin an entirely new collection.

Collecting Postage Stamps

Well in fact, you can collect almost everything! It's up to you to decide. But keep in mind that everything has its own price. If you want to collect Fabergé eggs or vases from the Ming dynasty (why not?) then you better have the wallet that comes with the hobby. Not everybody has the money to collect antiques. In the other hand, there are rather inexpensive things that you can collect with very little money. Additionally, you can also collect immaterial things like for instance, collect countries you have visited, or towns you have been.

Among material collections, stamps are probably one of the most rewarding activities. By collecting stamps, you collect not only printed pieces of paper, but you also collect a part of history. The symbolism of the stamp reveals itself through history, for what it represents and for what it was issued for, but it also represents a piece of local history involving the sender and the receiver of the letter it marked. If the stamp is glued to a letter with great historical value, then it should not be removed from it. Both together probably have a much greater value than the two separated.

By collecting stamps, you are not only collecting antiques but you might also want to collect new issues from your local postage administration. You can also decide to collect stamps from all over the world, within a certain category, like animals, vehicles, personalities, etc… The themes are as vast as it is possible to imagine.

When you decide collecting antique stamps, you will expect to come across the one stamp that very few have. A stamp can be unique by its design, by the low number of copies issued, making its number decrease with the passing of time, but also by the unique flaws some stamps might have got when they were printed. The lack of some elements (in the drawing, unperforated stamps) or the error of printing (wrong colors, wrong distances between elements) in a stamp might completely change its value. It was in 1840, in England, that the first postage stamp was issued. In France the first stamp appeared in 1849. At that time, having printing flaws was much more common than it is today.

Where to Get Stamps?

There was a time, it was much easier: the only way to write something to someone was by sending a letter, with a stamp on it. So you just had to send letters and hope for an answer just to begin your collection! So many people were collecting that it was easy to trade. Still it is estimated that 2 million people in France are collecting stamps. With the venue of internet, habits have changed and people prefer now to send email rather than sending letters by standard mail. There are less postal stamps issued and even though postal services are editing more and more stamps for collection purposes only, I believe it's not the same thing. What was before a genuine object that you could obtained with dedication and patience by exchanging with others or by asking friends to keep the envelops they received,  is now a commercial object accessible with the power of money. Internet has also changed the access to stamps from many other countries. If you check buying sites like for instance Ebay, you will find a vast range of stamps from all over the world.

About the Author

David Domingues is a stamp collector since childhood. He developped a software to catalog, display, and publish his collections. You can have download a free version of this software at http://www.softcollecting.com/.