We can find that specialists study their stamps to an extent far greater than the general collector, for, in his limited field, his energies are not scattered to the extent that those of a devoted general collector are. We all admit and perhaps this is one of our pet arguments as to the benefits of Philately, that the study of our stamps, and the knowledge gained thereby, is one of the most important advantages conferred by the Goddess Philately on her prostrate admirers and worshippers. This granted, to make a proper and advantageous study of our stamps, it is, of course, reasonable to state that it is not wise to have a field too extensive, else it is a case of “knowing everything, yet knowing nothing well”.
Specialism may be practiced to a greater or less extent. Some collectors seem to have the idea that to be a specialist you must throw up the greater part of your collection and confine yourself to a single country. This idea seems to be sheer foolishness. We are all specialists of a kind. We all have some favorite country that we prefer to all others, even though we collect everything from everywhere. Thus a general collector is in a small degree a specialist, having some country he devotes more attention to than to others.
Again oddities are collected by many, as an outside specialty; albinos, miss-cuts, miss-strikes, double impressions, and in fact anything of a like this nature seems to be carefully hoarded up.
Another very useful specialty is that of counterfeits, which are of great value for comparing with the genuine stamps, and the Philatelist who masters the points of difference between the genuine and the forged stamps has acquired an important portion of his Philatelic education.
So much for a few interesting side specialties, for either specialists or general collectors.
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