What
Stamps Shall I Collect?
As
we described in our previous
page, that there are so
many different kinds of
postage stamps in the world.
It would be an individual
preference of what to collect.
You can collect the world
of stamps or limit your
fields of endeavor.
We
also mentioned that you
can start collecting few
thousands of stamps of "the
world". On this you
will be able to learn about
stamps and the countries
where it came from. The
first few thousand stamps
should be world wide in
variety and cover all kinds
of issues. Of course, it
should be stamps of a very
low cost.
From
the very beginning, we start
to learn about things that
are of interest and will
stand us in good stead as
we prgoress. However, almost
everyone looks forward to
completing a project and
if our goal is a collection
of the entire world, that
will be a sunstantial fortune
and the time involved in
building such a collection.
Hence, after few years of
stamp collection, most collectors
turn toward specializing
that give them the possibilities
of completion within reasonable
time.
Specializing
your stamp collection can
be done in so many ways.
You can specialize by single
country like mine. I am
collecting United States,
United Nations and Canada
mint. Other collectors major
in different kind of stamps,
such as airmails, special
delivery or revenue stamps.
Some
collectors also collect
according to the pictures
on the stamps and this is
called Topical stamp collecting.
Many collects arts on stamps,
music, flowers, birds, animals
and even landscapes. This
kind of collecting offer
a fascinating field for
the youngsters and the natureminded.
For example, I am collecting
different kinds of topics
for my daughter AJD and
that includes art on stamps,
birds, animals, flowers,
dolls, dinosaur, and other
children friendly stamps.
I am also chasing everywhere
for the souvenir sheets
of the 20th century issues
called Millennium Collections.
And with another desire
that I am interested with
the work of art of the famoes
Slania engraver.
With
this kind of collection
you are on your own. There
are no catalog or printed
albums to guide and restrict
you. The albums you will
use will be blank albums,
the reference books you
will use will be the general
catalog of the world's stamps,
encyclopedias and similar
materials to uncover the
stories behind the stamps
you place in your collection.
Many have found this is
a most satisfying form of
collecting stamps.
Also,
another fascinating form
of collecting is the "First
Day covers". This consists
of entire covers to which
is attached a new stamp
mailed on the first day
of issue. In the United
States the Post Office designates
certain cities to inaugurate
the first day sale of a
new stamp and provides a
special "First Day"
cancellation to be applied
to all covers mailed from
the post office, bearing
the new stamp, on the specified
day. Several firms provide
envelopes with very handsome
"cachets" which
may be purchased and used
with the new stamps. A "cachet"
is an appropriate picture
printed, usually, at the
left side of the envelope
which, in its design and
wording, has special significance
for the new stamp issue.
More about "FDC"
on the following First Day
Cover page in which I will
illustrate some FDC in my
collection.
We
have mentioned few ways
of which stamps are collected.
The versatility of the hobby
is unlimited and no doubt
you will develop your one
particular "specialty"
as you progress. Most of
us stamp collectors does.
