Posts Tagged ‘collecting stamps’

Stamp collecting can be fun. It may sometimes be profitable. And you can start with an album plus a packet of stamps from all over the world for less than a tenner.

If you want hours of amusement sorting and sticking, dealer Stanley Gibbons sells packs of 2,500 assorted stamps for £17.50. That’s less than 1p per stamp.

You could also go to the top of the market – but prepare to remortgage to the hilt.

Last September, a block of 20 Great Britain “two shilling browns” from 1880 fetched £240,800 at auction in London. They had been owned by the late Sir Gawaine Baillie whose collection was the most important in the UK, other than the Queen’s.

But if your spending power is less than Sir Gawaine’s, it can be all too easy to discover you have wasted your money on an album-full of virtually worthless pieces of gummed paper. Most stamps have a zero resale value.

So if you want to move up from a child’s hobby to a more mature interest, here are some essential tips.

Read before you spend

Stamp collecting can be a lonely hobby. And while there are many local clubs for stamp collectors dotted all over the country, you may not feel comfortable joining them as a total beginner (although most clubs are really welcoming).

So take some time to read through the various stamp magazines. Gibbons Stamp Monthly costs £2.90. Stamp Magazine is the same price, while Stamp & Coin Mart is £2.50 – all are sold at most newsagents. These will give you some stamp “buzz” and gossip. And they feature informative adverts from dealers and auctioneers.

Don’t believe the catalogue value

Stamp catalogues are like the Argos catalogue – a list of prices for people interested in buying. All the stamps in the £17.50 packets are valued from 10p upwards in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue – but that does not mean you will get £250 or more for your 2,500 stamps. It’s just the price you could pay if you bought them one by one.

If a collection is saleable, you should expect to get around 30% to 40% less than catalogue prices once you take auction or other costs into consideration.

Avoid poor quality

Property investors know the rule is “location, location, location.” In stamps, it’s “condition, condition, condition.”

Dealers usually quote six grades – but not always the same six. Some go from superb to poor: others from mounted mint to poor quality used. The difference between top and bottom is huge.

A pale blue 1854 Great Britain 2d stamp will cost £950 in top condition – but just £5 for the lowest grade.

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules so comparability is tough.

Shun “commemoratives” and countries you’ve never heard of

Dealers sometimes sell special stamps from remote corners of the globe, often commemorating events such as the Olympics or the World Cup. These are generally worthless. The most amazing example was the 1981 Charles and Diana wedding issue from North Korea. Value, zero. For UK collectors, Great Britain stamps rule.

There are costs involved

You will need to insure your collection. Most home insurers will cover a collection up to £1,000 to £2,500. But once you are serious, you may need to go to a “high net worth insurer” with experience in covering valuable collectibles and works of art, such as Hiscox.

If you trade stamps from your home or exhibit regularly, try a specialist broker such as H.W. Wood (020-7398-9000).

Remember the Inland Revenue

As stamps produce no income, you do not have to report your collection on a self-assessment tax return. But selling a collection could produce a capital gains tax charge.

And if you were to put stamps into a Sipp under the new rules in April 2006, you won’t be able to show them off to your friends without paying income tax. It’s called a P11D assessment – it’s similar to the tax charge on perks such as a company car or company medical plan.

The way around this is to keep the collection in a bank vault and never look at it. Expect to pay for this facility.

There are many ways to mount stamps in an album. From the very beginning collectors have resorted to stamp hinges as a practical and inexpensive way to keep their stamps stored in their albums. Hinges, especially our modern ones, are easy to apply and peelable. What then makes collectors turn to stamp mounts instead? Well, hinges invariably leave a mark on the gum side of a stamp, so if you want to preserve the condition of your never hinged mint stamps obviously hinges are not the best idea.

In addition, many collectors know that sometimes it is necessary to wait several years before selling a stamp in order to make a significant profit. If you have to wait that long, obviously you need to keep your stamp in pristine condition, especially if it is a mint specimen. Or, perhaps you are looking to mount your collection attractively in an album without damaging your mint stamps. In all of these cases mounts are ideal.

Stamp mounts are sold in strips of varying sizes to fit the smallest stamps up to large souvenir sheets. They have a clear acetate front and come with either a black or clear background depending on what look you prefer. The back of each mount has a peel-off adhesive backing which keeps the mount attached to your album page. You can trim each mount to the width you need with a mount cutter. In essence, each mount becomes a little frame for your stamp which sticks to your album page, so no glue ever comes in contact with your investment.

There are two different ways of inserting your stamp into the mount. Firstly, top opening mounts, and perhaps the easiest to use, allow you to slide your stamp in from the top with a pair of stamp tongs. There are also center opening mounts. While a little more difficult to use since you have to lift both ends up in order to insert the stamp, this method practically guarantees your stamp will never fall out. So consider stamp mounts next time you need to store your collection in an attractive and effective way, they are definitely worth the money and time! Visit the API boutique to view a vast selection of high quality stamp mounts.

If you’re a beginner to the world of stamp collecting, it’s important to understand the right way to care for your stamps. By caring for your stamps the wrong way, you can damage or even destroy them, and no collector wants that to happen! Here are some tips to help you take care of your collectible stamps and keep them in perfect condition for years to come.

Keep your stamps in an album that’s specially made for them. The stamp album you choose should feature acid-free pages and a thick, durable cover. You can even find specially made pages that are already designed to hold particular stamps.

Don’t ever touch or handle your stamps. The warmth and natural oils from your fingers can damage collectible stamps. To pick up and move stamps, you’ll need a pair of stamp tongs. These implements look like tweezers and are made from plastic or stainless steel. Use caution when using tongs to make sure you don’t scratch or tear your stamp. To help prevent this from happening, choose tongs that aren’t very sharp on the ends.

Stamp mounts are small rectangular gummed papers that are designed to safely secure your stamps to your album pages. Always use mounts especially made for stamps and don’t try to affix them with anything like tape or glue. This is the surest way to ruin a stamp! Luckily, stamp mounts are very inexpensive and easy to find.

If you’re going to be sorting stamps before placing them into an album, place them inside of glassine envelopes. That way you can easily view them and they’ll be protected from damage. These envelopes are also an ideal way to mail stamps. You can buy glassine envelopes anywhere you find collectible stamps, cards, or coins.

To protect yourself against purchasing fraudulent stamps, get a watermark detector. Many authentic stamps contain watermarks that are impossible to see with the naked eye. A magnifying glass is also a good idea so that you can view even the smallest details.

Properly caring for your stamp collection is an important way to ensure your stamps retain their beauty and value for years to come! To find out more about how to care for your collectible stamps, read up on stamp collecting or talk to a stamp dealer in your local area.

If you’re a stamp collector, then you may be seeking a more high-tech way to find, identify and organize your stamps. How about using the power of computers? There are lots of great software programs out there dedicated to stamp collecting. Most of them are easy to set up and learn how to use. There are so many different programs out there, it can be hard to decide which program is right for you. Here are some great titles to get you started:

AlbumPro — This software allows you to create customized pages for your album. You can even add your own custom color graphics and headings to your album pages. Just be sure to use acid-free paper when printing them out!

HobbySoft — This amazing piece of software provides you with stamp values, standard and custom reports, want lists, and more! This software also works for currency collectors and coin collectors, so if you collect more than stamps, you’ll definitely want this powerful program!

Stamp Organizer Deluxe — This simple to use software allows you to list, organize and catalog your stamp collection. Even a computer novice can utilize this great program. This software is perfect for someone who needs a simple program to help them organize and catalog their various stamps without a lot of complicated extra features.

Stamp Tracker – This stamp collecting software lets you store information about your stamps and keep them organized. You can list and track what you paid for each stamp, and keep track of its current value. A notes field allows you to write helpful notes about each stamp.

3D Stamp Software — You get a gorgeous visual catalog that is set based, and lets you see the entire set in the window at once. You can search for stamps using various criteria such as color, denomination or year. You’ll also get price and want lists, and the ability to resize and crop stamp images.

These represent just a few of the stamp collecting software choices out there! Using software to organize your stamp collection can save you lots of time and money. Don’t take our word for it — try it for yourself! Many software sites offer free demos where you can test the software out before buying. This can be the perfect way to decide if it’s right for you.

Philately, or stamp collecting, is a time-honored hobby enjoyed by collectors all over the world. This can be an enjoyable way to spend your free time, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are stamps out there for sale that range in price from fifteen cents to a million dollars! Some people collect stamps for fun, and some go into business. If you’re new to the world of stamp collecting, start slow and learn as much as you can!

There are various places where you can buy stamps for your collection. You can visit stamp dealers, contact the Stamp Clubs, or even try Ebay! Regardless of where you buy your stamps, it’s important to know the basics of stamp care.

You’ll need an album designed for storing collectible stamps. You can find special pages for your album that reflect the type of stamps you are collecting. You will also need stamp hinges, which are small gummed rectangles of paper that attach to the back of the stamp as well as to the album, which holds the stamp in place. Stamp tongs are another must, and are tweezer-like implements used for picking up and moving stamps.

You may also need supplies like a magnifying glass to see details on stamps, glassine envelopes to store and transport stamps, a watermark detector to look for hidden watermarks, a perforation gauge to measure individual stamp perforations, and a stamp catalog so that you can identify various stamps. These supplies can be purchased most anywhere that collectible stamps are sold and don’t cost very much.

The kind of stamps you decide to collect will depend on your personal preferences. Some people collect old stamps from their native country. Others collect commemorative stamps or decorative stamps. Still others like to collect stamps from around the world. Take a look at some stamp magazines and books to get an idea of the type of stamps you’d like to collect. Some people collect stamps that they think will gain in value, while others choose stamps based on their aesthetic value.

Stamp collecting can be a great hobby for people of all ages. The more you learn about stamps and stamp collecting, the more you’ll see how fun the quest for rare and interesting stamps can be!

Varieties in Stamps are many. Some of them become quite valuable. These varieties may range from color differences, shades of colors, perforation differences, to whether the stamp was printed on a flat-bed press or a rotary press. There are also plate differences, those caused by damage or wear on a plate causing a slight change to be made. The change was usually not deliberate, but was the result of two different engravers working on the same plate. If a nick was suffered on a plate, for example, an engraver, other than the one who originally did the plate, might have been assigned to repair it. The slight differences that showed up in the subsequent printing of that stamp made it a collectable variety, sometimes a highly priced rarity.

Some times a printing plate will crack, and several sheets of stamps run off and issued before the crack is noticed. These are immediately in great demand among variety collectors since the supply is limited. As soon as the crack is detected the plate is either with drawn or repaired.

Varieties also exist in the kind of paper used to print the stamps. Sometimes the paper was thick, sometimes thin. Some papers were soft and porous, others hard and non-porous. All these things contribute to the creation of varieties which are the delight of specializing collectors, and sometimes the bane of those general collectors who do not recognize the interest or additional value in the differences.

Such things as a missing perforation will reduce the value of an otherwise good stamp when you sell it. This is especially true of corner perforations. There may be a crease in the paper of the stamp, so small as to go unnoticed unless you examine it closely or use a glass. Be certain, if the stamp is of any great value, that the buyer will use a glass, and the crease will not pass unnoticed. If the perforations are very uneven, it will lower the price. If the colored design of the stamp is unevenly centered within the perforations that is another point against the ultimate selling value. A stamp, normally perforated, having one edge without perforations, is of less value than a perfect copy. These stamps are called straight-edged stamps. Avoid them if at all possible.

Mint stamps without gum are of less value than regular gummed specimens. Usually such a stamp was glued to an album page or in a stock book by humidity. Or it may have become stuck to other stamps, making it necessary to soak them apart, thus loosing the gum. Make no attempt to re-gum a stamp to restore it to good condition. First, you cannot duplicate the gum used by the government. Secondly, you cannot spread it evenly on the stamp. Thirdly, you cannot know the exact thickness to apply the gum. If you lose the gum on a mint stamp, you should just try to accept your loss as philosophically as possible.

The same with parted perforations in blocks of stamps. If you have a block on which some of the perforations have parted, you merely have four stamps. No longer can you value it at the premium price of a block. The best thing to do is to part the stamps, saving an intact pair if possible, and make two separate singles.

Many of the items listed as freaks are off-center perforations, where the perforation is so far off center as to cut right through the center of the stamp or, in many cases, cut off one portion of the stamp, placing that portion of the stamp above or below it, or perhaps to the side. Sometimes, in multiple-color printings, one color is shifted to a degree that it makes a strange design on the stamp instead of the intended impression.

Sometimes the perforations are so far off center that the name or the value of the stamp, normally say, on the bottom, is cut off entirely from its proper location and appears instead at the top of the stamp below. This means, of course, that all the stamps in that sheet will be the same, except the first row which will be lacking the name of value entirely, having a wide margin instead. It would appear that this row would be of greater value than all the other stamps.

Color variation is another category that is in great favor among specializing collectors. These people will make a collection of dozens, or even hundreds of specimens of the same stamp, separating them into infinite minute shades of color. Another way of collecting is position collecting. This is done more with the stamps of Great Britain than with other countries, since the older British stamps had a letter or symbol in one or more corners of each stamp, designating its position in the printed sheet. The idea behind position collecting is to obtain every stamp in a sheet, mounting them in the original positions they occupied until an entire sheet is reconstructed.

Counterfeiting is big business, especially in stamps of countries that are no longer in existence, and whose legal stamps are very high priced. Many of the old European states issuing their own postage actually have very little traffic in postal duty. Their stamps are worth a couple of Pounds unused, but several hundred Pounds, perhaps, if canceled. Hence, counterfeit cancellations are very plentiful. If you buy such stamps, it is best to buy from a large dealer who will authenticate the stamp and the cancellation, and issue a guarantee certificate attesting to its genuineness. You will pay for this service, naturally, but the alternative is the possibility of ending up with a worthless piece of ornamental paper.

And then, of course, there are the out and out counterfeits. Almost every valuable stamp of the world has been counterfeited at one time or another. Some of the rarer items are as plentiful as counterfeits that it a nearly impossible to find a genuine copy. Of course, the fact that it was nearly impossible to find a genuine copy in the first place is what made the stamp valuable to begin with.

It would seem very easy to counterfeit some of the older rarities, since they were so crudely made by their governments. They were wood-block prints on soft, spongy paper, the dyes imperfect and imperfectly applied to the printing die. The impressions were often off-center and sometimes almost illegible. All these things make it easier for the counterfeiter, and for this reason you should be very sure, when you buy such a rarity, that you know for certain that the stamp is genuine. Authentication by a reputable and knowledgeable dealer is the best way.

For stamp collectors, stamp collecting can be more exciting if you know where and how to get your collections. Whenever you collect a stamp, always remember that, someday, it will become rare and will worth a lot of money. So handle your collected stamps well.

In this article we give you some tips on how to collect your postage stamps.

Follow some of our tips and we guarantee that you will have lots of postage stamps as your collections.

Buy your stamps. It is always a good idea to spend a little amount of money for your collections in order to get your stamps regularly. Just by doing this, you will soon build up an impressive collection of stamps, in a little amount of time.

Postage stamps are not that expensive anyway. Recent stamp issues are available in the Post Office near you; you can always purchased stamps issued over the last few months. You can also look for the right stamp dealers in your area; most of them have huge collections. Find some that you like. Remember that the value of old postage stamps is much higher than others.

Exchange stamps with friends. Ask your friends if someone are interested to exchange stamps with you. If not, ask stamp dealers if they want to exchange for some of your collections. But first, choose stamps that are duplicate, exchange the other one for a stamp that you still don’t have. Go for the older stamps. You can offer a greater number of stamps in exchange for an old stamp.

Old posted stamps are hard to find. Don’t worry – you can always buy stamps that are recently issued. One way to publicize your passion for stamps is by blogging. Create a blog about your desire to exchange stamps with other postage stamp collectors, this way, you reach out farther, many famous stamp collectors from all over the world may see your posting and maybe will contact you for stamp exchange.

On the 15 fennigi stamp of the Republic of Poland in its last issue of 1919 appears the face of Paderewski, whose unusual career at once attracts attention and admiration of all.  It is probably the only instance in history where a noted musician has been honored with his picture on a postage stamp, although of course it was not his fame in that line which prompted his country to so honor him.

Paderewski was born in Podolia, Russian Poland, on November 6th 1860. He was nominated Professor of Music in the Warsaw Conservatory at the early age of eighteen.  He also held a Professorship at the conservatory at Strasburg but his favorite line of musical endeavor was that of a pianist.  As a pianist he made his debut in 1887, and his fame spread rapidly until the whole world soon paid him its homage as one of the greatest pianists who ever lived.

Probably every musical centre of the knows him as a musician, but during the troublous days of the World War he turned his talents to other laudable things, that of helping his distressed country to throw off the yoke of servitude imposed by Germany, Austria and Russia.  He toured the American Continent for funds to help the distressed people of his native land and to further their cause for liberty.  When the German army was heing cleared of Poland he returned there and it was probably more to his wisdom and skill in statecraft that the Republic was so successfully organized.  He served as its first Premier and held the ship of state at the most crucial period of its history and acquitted himself with a capability which shows him to be equally skilled in statesmanship as in the manipulation of the keys of a piano.