Posts Tagged ‘hobby’

Stamp collecting is considered to be one of the most popular hobbies in the world. This is despite the fact that there is not that much money that can be made from it even if the person has some of the oldest stamps dating back to the 19th century.

Even if there isn’t that much money that can be made, there are individuals who take advantage of it and buy a lot of stamps then sell it to people who want it for a little profit. It has made these people both collector and dealers of stamps.

Just like the regular hobbyist, the dealer has to be careful in handling these. Should any dirt, oil or any damage happen to the inventory, it will be difficult for the person to sell it at the desired price.

The dealer will need the proper tools to handle it. This includes the tweezers to transport the stamps from one place to another. It will really come in handy when the person passes it to the hobbyist who will pay some money so that it can be added to the collection.

Since the dealer has to get stamps from other people to be able to sell it again, this person also needs a magnifying glass so the true value of the stamp can be assessed and proper pricing for those want it can be made.

Storing the stamps till people come and buy it must be stored in an album. The dealer can get this from a variety of places and the nearest are those sold in the local bookstore and at some specialty shops. Since the contents inside are fragile, this should be stored in room temperature and away from direct sunlight.

Dealers need to practice how to use these instruments. Using an old letter with a stamp on it is a good exercise similar to the real thing. By practicing the proper way of handling it, the dealer can make a profit by selling these in good condition.

This begins by putting it the part of the envelope with the stamp in water. When the two begin to separate, the dealer should use the tongs to pick up the stamp. This should be dried using the air and no water must be present anymore when it is placed into the album.

Another place where the dealer can get stamps is at the post office. Since these are sold in rolls and some people are too lazy to go there, the person can buy it then deliver it to the collector with a little profit.

The collector and dealer of stamps can also be found at auctions and exhibits of these small goods. These people can sell a set or in bulk to those who are willing to buy it at the right price.

Another way to get customers will be to advertise in the newspaper by leaving some details and contact numbers. Since there is a demand for stamp collecting, calls will start coming in and deals can be made.

The internet is another venue where the dealer and collector can advertise to hobbyists.

By using everything at the person’s disposal to get in touch with those who want to expand the existing stamp collections, the individual will be making a good income that will be used to buy more stamps and make this cycle continue.

The dealer must have a price catalogue at all times. This will make it easy to get it from other suppliers and give the person an idea how much to sell it to the hobbyist. This can be bought at the local specialty store which gives its standard value in the market.

Stamps are easier to acquire now compared to how it was years ago. By knowing what the hobbyists want regardless if it is old or new and finding the means to get it, money can be made.

Stamp collecting will continue to flourish as long as people need to send parcels and documents to different places in the country and in the world. This will provide the dealer with something to buy and sell with and in the process make some money.

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!

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.

Except for the stamps that you bought at the post office, it is possible to sell stamps and covers in the same places that you purchased.

That means, sell them back to dealers, advertising or sale in the philatelic exhibitions, or sell them to other collectors at the meetings of your stamp club, have a dealer to sell them at auction, or offer them yourself in an Internet auction. Each stamp show, the dealers are there to buy and sell.

There is lot of sales opportunities by using the so-called “circuit books,” a part of the services of some of the philatelic organizations, and then the organization is moving forward with other collectors in the mail. Beneficiaries may choose what to buy send money to the organization, brochures and sends them to the next collector. Circuit books are an excellent way to sell low and middle price of stamps and covers.

Run an ad in a few publications is an inexpensive way to sell stamps. It is a good idea to try and find the best market for your stamps before its time – corresponding to what you have the best potential buyers. For example, offer your collection United Nations a dealer who specializes in Britain is likely to be a waste of time, although sometimes a dealer is willing to buy “outside” in his area if the matter is something that could be delivered quickly. Maybe the dealer may sell to another dealer at a future stamp show.

It will be advantageous for you to organize your stamps in very specific groups, and then offer for sale separately, rather than mixing together different countries and promote it as “the world.” Sometimes it is best to break it up by categories popular news – a group of birds, or trains, rather than a country collection. The reading ads on the market is a good way to get an idea of what sells, and how, so you can price your collection accordingly. The values listed in places like the Scott catalog are estimated retail price of – that you might spend to buy the stamps in very good condition. It is not the price a dealer would pay you, and it is certainly not the purchase price for stamps and less good condition.

A few words on the stamp value: value depends on the condition, on the quantity available, as well as market demand. These factors offset each other. For example, if there are only a few examples of a certain stamp, and everybody wants one. People are so eager to have they will not mind so many flaws. But if there are millions of mint copies still available, then nobody is going to pay top dollar for your stamp or cover.

There may be a lot of copies, and if they are not popular to collect, it does not matter if the stamps are perfect or imperfect, nobody wants anyway! If there are a lot of copies, and stamps are popular, then the best copies command the best prices, but less perfect copies will always be a market. All this is common sense.

There are “modes” and trends of stamps that in other markets and stamps you can not sell today can have their turn at some future time, when circumstances change. But, remember that this is supposed to be a hobby, something to be in the show for fun, not for future profits. Collect for fun and you will never be disappointed.

Stamp Collection does not necessarily need a lot of financial resources. If you are really keen on starting stamp collection as a hobby, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money then simply begins with collecting used stamps. You will really need to do a lot of hard work to collect stamps inexpensively but the efforts would be worth it.

The most basic place you can start stamp collection is your own mailbox. Chances are high that you might end up fetching similar stamps at the beginning but this surely is a head start. Some of the letters don’t have a stamp at all instead they have an imprint on them indicating that the postage has been paid for. The best way to ensure getting better stamps through your mailbox is to convey to your friends or relatives to select stamps other than the common ones when they send you a mail. Once your acquaintances know that you are a keen stamp collector they would be more than happy to help you own a good stamp collection. Also when you are sending mails regarding offers that need to be processed through mail use stamps that you want to add to your collection, as these mails will be coming back to you at the end of the process.

Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!

Since you have conveyed the news of your stamp collection hobby to your friends its time even your neighbors know about it. Neighbors could help you too to make the world’s best stamp collection. Just ask your neighbors to keep their empty envelopes for you to make use of the stamps over them. Letters coming from other countries would be a bonus!

Similarly you know someone who is working in an office. Start with your own parents. Office mail can also be scanned to get some of the best stamps since mails throng in from different possible locations in a work place. Ask your parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors too if they could remove some time to check the mail envelopes in their offices and pass on the ones with stamps to you. You could also ask them to check if they have any old mails that have stamps on them. The older the better, as they are more unique. Instead of tearing stamps from old envelopes you could soak the stamp along with the envelope in water. This will make it easy to remove the stamp as the adhesive will be lost and the stamp will separate from the envelope. We can now dry these stamps. This will help to minimize the possible damage caused by tearing.

Take help from other stamp collectors. They might also swap some of their duplicate stamps with you and you might end up having a chunk of good stamps at a much cheaper cost. The best place for stamp collection is a stamp club. Join your local stamp club. Here you can meet up with other stamp collectors, seek advice from them and even exchange stamps with them. At times these clubs present stamps as prizes or make stamps available at a lower price for their club members. For those of you who are not finding any stamp club in your vicinity, the advice would be to create one yourself. Form a group of 3-4 people who are stamp enthusiasts to start your very own stamp club. Come together every weekend to exchange ideas, information on the latest stamps available and also swap stamps if you want.

Another source for stamp collection would be a pen pal. Letters coming from your pen pal would have their country stamps. Even if they are common stamps of that country, for you they are as unique as any other stamp. You would have both – a great pal and another means to getting different stamps!

Stamps may also be purchased through the mail. Many newspapers and magazines carry advertisements offering free or inexpensive stamps. Care must be taken to read and follow the company’s sales approval conditions, paying for those you keep and returning the others promptly.

These tips should surely be of great help for a budding stamp collector. The aim is not more towards having each and every stamp that exists in your collection, but to learn about different countries and their cultures while at the same time you manage to have a pretty good time doing it. Care should be taken to store the stamps you collect diligently as you want to keepsake them with you for a good number of years ahead. You must take care of the stamps unless you can’t enjoy your stamp collection hobby more fruitfully. Enjoy your stamp collection, however small it may be, with a lot of care. You never know if it turns out to be most valuable in a couple of years.

A great deal has been written from time to time on this subject, both in favor and disfavor, but, when the different articles on both sides are summed up, one cannot but feel convinced that the collection of stamps in a careful manner, is not only The Hobby of all the Hobbies, but also that it will in time generally yield the collector a fair, and very often a handsome return in financial profit, to say nothing of the profit in pleasure and fraternalism.

Different writers advise different lines and courses to follow, with a view of financial success.  Although every country has its older varieties which continue to advance more or less in value, new issues at one time and another contain errors, etc.  that come quickly into prominence financially, and continue to mount, we are of the opinion, that, if cold financial gain is the object, the line of procedure would be Confine one self to a limited number of items of the older medium priced stamps, and if capital be limited, meddle with but a few countries, procure items in quantities and hold for advance.

This, as previously stated, applies to investment only, purchase for gain.

As to collecting, exchanging, buying and selling, etc., with a monetary ambition, we would not venture a suggestion as to what line to follow; success financially would depend largely and almost entirely upon the experience and ability of the collector plus the amount of capital available.

There is no doubt financial satisfaction has been, and is being achieved every day in good old Philately.

A piece of real good advice is “Exchange, buy, beg, borrow. But don’t steal.  If not in, get in and stay in the game.

It is about hundred and forty five years since Turkey first attracted the Philatelists’ attention. Turkey’s first stamps were issued in 1863. In the same year Russian offices were opened and a large square label, a 6k blue, was put forth by the Russian Steam Navigation Company.  This is now quite an un-common stamp.

Austria, seeing the advantage of having its own office in such a cosmopolitan land, followed by issuing a set in 1867 for its newly formed postal station.

Germany was third, putting forth a series in 1884.

Great Britain was fourth, issuing adhesives in 1885.

In the same year France, the fifth nation to establish its own Levant mail service also put forth a number of surcharges. Separate issues for Dedeagh, Port Lagos, Cavalle and Vathy did not come out until 1893-94 however.

Roumania was sixth, overprinting six values with Turkish currency in 1896.

Italy was seventh, making the first two definite sets, for Albania and Janina in 1902. However, a set for use all over the world had been available since 1874.  A general issue for the whole Levant and separate issues for Constantinople, Durazzo, Jerusalem, Salonia, Scutai, Smyrna and Valona come out within the following five or six years.

Russia followed Italy’s lead by issuing separate stamps in 1909 for the following cities: Constantinople, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Kerassmunde, Mont Athose, Salonique, Smyrna, Trebizonde, Beyrouth, Dardanelles, Metelin and Rizeh.

The seven nations kept up their own services until 1914. Then come a crushing blow, the Abolition of Capitulations which did away with all for foreign offices in the land of the star and crescent.

But collectors who hoped that this act would lessen the flood of labels from this part of the world were destined to be disappointed.  Turkey was on its way to the carving.

The first piece to bereak loose was Hejaz, which declared its independence in 1916.  A little later the British occupied Palestine and Mesopotamia.

The next nation to wield the butcher knife was Greece.  Although three sets came out about this time all were bogus.  The first for Rodosto, a place never occupied by the Greeks and the second and third for Smyrna and Cydonia, both private speculation.

As hostilities had ceased, Roumania and Poland opened offices at Constantinople and the adjacent coast in the latter part of 1919.

Then came an avalanche of issues make by France, for Cilicia, Syria and Castellorizo.

Three independent countries Arabia, Armenia and Trans-Jordania were also formed from fragments of the ‘old bird’.

Later all these countries issue many interesting stamp issues, which attract philatelist’s attention.

With the birth of stamps came the birth of stamp collectors or philatelists as they have become known. Shortly after adhesive postage stamps were introduced by Great Britain in 1840, people began collecting them. In 1841, a women even placed an advertisement in the London Times in which she requested help in collecting stamps so that she could paper a bedroom wall.

The two terms philately and philatelist, which refer to the collection and study of postage stamps, were derived from the Greek word phileo, meaning “I love” and ateleia, meaning “free of charges”, in the sense that postage stamps replaced a cash postal charge. As people began to collect these interesting pieces of paper, no one realized how valuable stamps could become.

* The Term Philately was coined by Georges Herpin of Paris.  Herpin create the word as a suitable replacement for the hobby’s previous pseudo-scientific name, the derogatory timbromanie, which means ‘stamp madness’. Herpin is said to have first used the new word in a French Stamp collecting publication, Collectionneur de Timbre-Poste, issued November 3, 1864.

* Philately comes from the Greek words ‘philo’ (love) and ‘ateleia’ (exempt from tax or payment).  This refers to a letter bearing a stamp to indicate that postage has been paid, and therefore exempt from further payment.

* America’s first public postal service was established on November 5, 1639, at the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  Bostonian Richard Faribanks became head of the service, and was therefore the first American Postmaster.

* In the year 549 A.D. letters were carried by means of a kite during the siege of Chinese city.

* Camels have been used to carry mail all over Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Western and Southern Australia, Soviet Central Asia and also in the American States of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

* The longest recorded distance covered by foot-post is found in Asia.  Messengers took 189 days to deliver mail between the cities of Lhasa, Tibet and Peking, China. It took that long to walk the 1,988 miles between the two cities.

* On November 1st, 1838, the New South Wales Post Office issued prepaid envelopes valid for use within the Sydney area. These were embossed with the official seal of the General Post Office, although they were not postage stamps as we know them, they certainly were the pioneers.

* On March 3, 1845, an Act was passed establishing uniform postage rates in the United States. Prior to this time, rates were high and based, not on weight, but on the number of sheets in a letter. Any letter sent to a destination of 300 miles or less would cost 5¢ per half ounce. Any letter sent to a distance over 300 miles would cost 10¢ per half ounce. Letters for local delivery were charged 2¢.

Collection of stamps is one of the oldest hobbies. The stamp collecting hobby crosses all boundaries and genres. There are a lot of hobbies that were created in a single nation, while philately is universal. Collection of postage stamps, not only provides the enjoyment for the philatelists, but also increases their awareness of many historical facts. It is a hobby for old and young alike.

The stamp collecting hobby is for people who have a good dose of patience. Stamp collectors need to gather information on stamps from different sources. A major source is the letters they receive. One of best source is having pen friends from all over the world. Stamp collectors continue and increase their friends list in order to obtain the largest number of stamps. There is no limit to the number of pen friends. Through the letters of pen friends, the stamp collectors not only receive the seal of the different countries, but also learn through the letter themselves about different cultures. It is quite possible that the stamps collected by this method have no significant value, but in the future, who knows, you could Jackpot. (Learn how rare stamps are found)

For those, who new to the stamp collecting hobby must have some good methods and tools. Before collecting different stamps, buy a stamp album. This does not necessarily have to be very fancy, but you want something solid. You can also make a simple stamp album yourself. The album alone is not enough to store stamps; buy large quantities of screens to assemble the album of stamps.  Other tools are a pair of pliers, tweezers, magnifying glass etc.

The very first lesson is how to remove stamps from envelopes. We must be very careful while removing the stamps from envelopes. Stamps received on personal mail or purchased on paper can easily be soaked off the attached paper.  The most convenient way to separate stamps from their envelopes or pieces of their original envelopes is to soak in water, twenty or thirty accumulated stamps all at once.  Never peel dry stamps off their attached paper as this will probably result in damage to the stamp. Stack the material face up for easier sorting and check for any rarities on the stamps or cancellations that may prove more valuable if the stamp is left on the envelope.  Also check for colored paper linings on envelopes and red or purple cancellations.  These colors sometimes run and this material should be soaked separately under cool, running water. Place the stamps in a large pan of cool water. Allow the material to soak for about an hour so that the gum will dissolve completely. Spread newspaper or white blotting paper in a place where the stamps can be left to dry. When the stamps have separated from their envelopes, or have soaked sufficiently to be easily separated from their envelopes, remove them from the soaking water and spread them face down on the waiting newspaper or white blotting paper. To keep the stamps from curling or wrinkling, another newspaper or piece of white blotting paper can be spread over the drying stamps, and a heavy flat object, such as a book with a plastic jacket to protect it can be placed on top. Allow several hours for the stamps to dry completely.

Stamps that are out of the envelopes are placed in the stamp album. I also saw some philately lovers store their stamps in envelopes. You want something that keeps your stamps secure while allowing the expansion of your collection over time.

There are other methods for the acquisition of stamps, like the position that issuing any new stamp issue from time to time. Due to the limited number, these stamps are still in high demand. You can always exchange double stamps in your collection with others. These stamp exchanges and trades are helpful to build best collection.

Happy philately.