Amazing Stamp Collecting In America

Stamp research is called Philately. Many Americans become drawn to this large field of research. This attraction with stamps and all of the history concerning them has started a hobby connected to philately, which is stamp collecting.

Normally, stamp collecting starts by acquiring a few stamps and choosing a certain type of stamp that the collector will pay attention to. Stamps can be acquired for the collection either through the postal office, private letters, dealers of stamps, making a trade with fellow collectors of high quality and rare stamps in whatever type that is chosen.

Although, the philatelic hobby might appear to be hard or vague, it really is not. It is not an uncommon idea to study and collect stamps. There are over 100 countries throughout the world that have a group of people called philatelists (people that study stamps).

In the year 1886, numerous philatelists joined together in America and formed the American Philatelic Society(APS). It has been over a century now, the APS gives its members not only a way to get together with other enthusiasts, but also provide many programs and information to help in the pleasure and enrichment of the collecting experience. Over a long time, many people have helped APS by donating, selling different publications, and collecting dues of members. The group of people in APS is large and may not be overlooked. In America, there are over 44,000 philatelists members of APS officially. There are a large number of people getting involved but have yet to discover APS. This great amount of people is validated by the fact that many states have conventions in the area for people excited about Philately. There is another philatelic association in America with many experts and that is the Philatelic Foundation.

There is a large variety of collections that are available. Many have postage stamps which came from different countries (mainly those of age).These include stationery postage, revenue stamps, and first day cover stamps.

However, there is one category that stands out in the USA. These are Federal Duck stamps, which duck hunters need. The purpose of these is to conserve the environment and help the ducks. A popular conservationist by the name of Ding Darling created the first Federal Duck stamp in 1934. After a while it became a tradition and many wildlife artists competed. The winner of the competition had his or her design picked to be on the new Federal Duck stamp for the year. That person gained a good reputation and was held in high regard for winning the competition. The American government works with local state agencies and the Department of Interior to manage the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. The sales of the stamps produces a large enough revenue that new wetlands can be acquired which help to preserve and protect the ducks.

First-day covers (FDCs), which many stamp collectors are finding more interesting, are stamped envelopes that are terminated on the same day the stamps were released. Some of the FDCs that were designed later will bear the motif of a special stamp’s issue, also called a cachet. In 1923, George W. Linn a famous philatelist cacheted the first FDC for the Harding Memorial stamp issue. Many people consider cachetmaking an art form today and is accomplished by different means. These ways include lithography, drawing straight on the envelope, using laser printer, and block printing. There are several cachetmaking companies like Colorano, House of Farnam, and Artcraft that make a large amount of the cacheted stamps in America.

Stamp collecting in the U.S. was not always easy to follow. During the 1920s, the U.S. stamp values were much higher. This motivated countless Americans to acquire large quantities of U.S. stamp issues in mint condition and hoping to sell them much later for a profit. Since there was an abundance available in the market, they are priced only a little more than their original face value.

The trend of stamp collecting and philately in America may increase in the coming years. Email and internet use has many critics saying that philately interests will go down. Many people still need stamps and demand is continuing as stamp designs change frequently. The world of philately will continue to be an exciting place.

To find more great Stamp Collecting tips please visit: www.MyStampCollecting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Lavergne

Stamp Collecting Basics

Stamp collecting is the most popular hobby in the world. Philately is a broader term for the study of stamps, and it is frequently - but wrongly - equated to stamp collecting.

Through stamp collecting, people find information about history, currency, science, politics, arts, architecture and customs of different nations and countries of the world. All stamp collectors have fun with their stamps because no collection is ever complete, and there is always a challenge.

First, decide whether you would like to collect unused (mint) or used (canceled) stamps. If starting a mint stamp collection, purchase unused stamps from the post office. And if you see interesting stamps coming in the mail - collect them.

Many collectors prefer used stamps because they are less expensive or they may cost you nothing.

Some collectors save stamps by "topic": for instance, if you are interested in ships, you may want to collect stamps of ships and boats. Car fans often collect stamps with cars on them. You can disregard the countries and only collect stamps that have pictures that you like. Some people like to collect stamps of one or several countries, but which are all of the same subject. Popular topical themes are birds, cats, butterflies, flowers, sports, space, art, chess, famous people and other.

Specialized collecting means that you can collect all the varieties of a single stamp or collect stamps used for a special purpose.

Country collecting is usually done chronologically by date of issue, sub-divided into reigns or political periods.

Some collectors specialize in collecting only the first stamps, one for each country that has ever issued a postage stamp, or collecting first-day covers.

Some areas of collecting cost less than ten cents a stamp, while others can cost thousands of dollars.

A lot of people collect "Cinderellas" - stamps that are not official stamps issued by a country's postal administration. Cinderella collectors include in their collections local postage issues, telegraph stamps, tax stamps, forgeries and counterfeits.

The "hobbies" section of your local library may have basic books about stamp collecting, and the reference department may have a set of stamp-collecting catalogs. To find the value of a specific stamp, visit some good stamp-collecting web sites.

If looking for more information on stamps and stamp collecting, the local post office is the best place to start.

Albreht Moy owns Old World Maps website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albreht_Moy

Stamp Collecting - A Time-Honored Hobby

Philately, or stamp collecting, is a time-honored hobby enjoyed by collectors all over the world.
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects, such as covers (envelopes or packages with stamps on them). Stamp collecting can be fun and certainly easy.
Stamp collecting a very rewarding hobby because it immensely enhances the general knowledge of the collector.

Stamp collecting is a special mix of the structured and the unstructured, and you can make it a personal hobby that will not be like anyone else's.

Collecting stamps is a treasured hobby that people around the world have enjoyed for centuries. Stamp collecting started in 1860's with teenagers who started to collect stamps.

The collecting of stamps can be a fun and educational lasts you a lifetime.

Stamp collecting provides you skills which will help you connect to the history of a specific location, person, animal or thing. Stamp collecting is not a new trend of the people and the hobby is sweeping through out the world.

Collecting stamps is a very interesting hobby that is preferred and loved by the people throughout the world. Stamp collecting is the act of gathering of Stamps and basically the labels placed on the letters as charge for the postal delivery that are issued by the country or by the post office.

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.

The new collector can start this hobby at any age and have a collection of both local and foreign postage, there are a lot of places where the collection can begin the first place is usually through the mail that the person has delivered to there home.

It has become common place to declare that the future of stamp collecting is bleak, due to the increasing popularity of e-mail, other electronic forms of communication.

The Internet has greatly expanded the availability of stamp collecting information and has also made it easier for starting and intermediate stamp collectors to obtain stamps, covers and other philatelic material.

You can spend a lot of money for this wonderful hobby if you want to but you don't have to.

However you start, stamp collecting is a hobby that you can continue through your life. For more than 150 years, stamp collecting has been the hobby of choice of royalty, movie stars, sports celebrities, kings, presidents, and hundreds of thousands of other people.

Tony Harries
www.jacksworldshop.com/TheStampAuction
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Harries

What To Do With Old Stamps: 2 Easy Stamp Projects

Stamp collection has been around for many decades as one of the most popular hobbies. However, as we go into the twenty-first century where correspondence between two people miles apart can be done faster through email, stamp collection has already been forced into the background.

The presence of electronic mails has given stamp collecting two implications: (1) that although the number of stamp collectors have diminished, (2) the value of old and rare postal stamps have acquired more value now than ever before. This is good news to stamp collectors around, especially those who have the rarest and largest stamps in their collection.

However, some perennial stamp collectors are faced with the question: what to do with common, ordinary stamps? Throwing common or ordinary stamps are out of the question. Throwing stamps away will definitely not do for the avid stamp collector no matter how common the stamp may be. Common and cheap stamps can’t also sell for much. Thus, the question persists: what to do with old, common, ordinary stamps?

Here are two easy projects for the stamp collector.

Framed Stamp Collage

For the framed stamp collage project you will need scissors, glue or paste, loads of common or ordinary stamps and a large cardboard. You can choose to cut your cardboard to an irregular or desired shape or simply choose to leave it rectangular. This cardboard will serve as your base for the collage.

Simply paste and position old, common or ordinary stamps onto the cardboard. It is recommended to use same-sized stamps to achieve even sides. If there is not enough same-sized stamps to use, start gluing the differently sized stamps from the center of the cardboard going outward. Make sure that you do not use too much glue. This will result to unevenness on the collage surface.

Color schemes may add an interesting detail to your stamp collage. You may use warm-toned stamps at the left moving to cool-colored stamps into the right. You may even use a pattern for the stamps. The possibilities are endless. Imagine what you want to see in a framed stamp collage hanging on your living room and work on it.

Once all the stamps are pasted with your desired pattern on the cardboard, you can now have it framed in your local framing shop and hung on to your living room. As a stamp collector, you will be able to express your identity subtlety and at the same time, add character to your living room.

Stamp Collage Place mats and Coasters

If you want to use your old common and ordinary stamps to create character in the dining room, you can also do so. The materials and process for this second project is very much the same as the first. Only, the cardboard serving as the stamp collage base, or, in this case, the place mat or coaster, will have to be cut according to the size you want.

Paste in the stamps onto the cardboard according to the pattern that you want. Again, make sure to apply just enough glue to keep the collage surface even. To add an antiqued-tone effect, dabble a few granules of coffee or sponge the surface with coffee.

Once your place mats and coasters are nice and dry, it is time to bring them to your local laminator and have your place mats and coasters laminated for use.

Years and years as a practicing artist have taught me to waste not, want not. There is beauty and functionality even in the most mundane, ordinary, unexciting things of everyday. It is up to the artist in you to see the potential and make the mundane special, the ordinary extraordinary and the unexciting, exciting. And although anyone can argue by saying that he or she is anything but an artist, these simple projects will hopefully encourage you to waste not on your old common stamps and want not in the simple delights of stamp collage and stamp collecting.

JB Anthony is the webmaster of http://www.stampcollecting.hottestniches.com For more articles, information, resources, stamp-collecting ideas, please visit http://www.stampcollecting.hottestniches.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JB_Anthony

Collectible Postage Stamps

Humans are notorious for collecting and hoarding. Many people have collections of some sort - be it collecting coins, cars, dolls, china, art work and a myriad of many many other collectible items. Stamp collecting is no exception. The art of stamp collecting is known as Philately.

Collectible postage stamps aren’t necessarily the highest dollar value - or most valuable stamps. Virtually all stamps will feature something that appeals to a stamp collector, instantly making the item a collectible. Whilst most collectors aspire to own stamps worth large sums of money, many who enjoy the hobby simply collect and/or purchase stamps they find visually interesting.
The obvious source for finding stamps is a post office, but shopping for collectible stamps at such a location barely scratches the surface in terms of what’s available. By using the Internet, you gain access to stamps from around the world. One of the best internet resources for a stamp collector is eBay, the world’s single largest marketplace.

An east strategy to begin a collection is to ask family and friends to collect the stamps off mail they have received. remember to ask them not to try to take the stamp off the envelope - leave that task for yourself top do properly.

Some of the most popular collectible postage stamps feature images of pop culture icons. Disney characters, Elvis Presley, and Princess Diana have all been honoured with their own postage stamps. For those new to the world of philately, these celebrity stamps make the ideal starting point. They feature familiar faces we all know and love, and many of them are available at economical prices. You may also choose an event such as the olympic games as a theme for your first collection - think of where your own interests lay - and follow that interest. For example - you may be interested in flowers, animals or cars - so you could use those themes as the theme for your first collection.

Of course on eBay, you’ll find thousands of auctions for collectible stamps, ranging from affordable celebrity-themed stamps to the extremely valuable. The auction website is also a wonderful place to find stamps from countries other than your own. By using Find-Your-Item.com, you can effortlessly discover new stamps to add to your collection. eBay has been designed with efficiency in mind and is completely free for shoppers to use. Simply input a few keywords to begin your collectible stamp quest, or browse by category to view the full range of stamps up for auction on eBay.

Good luck and happy stamp collecting.

Tony Robinson is a keen stamp collector and also has a range of First day of Issue envelopes. His site is at http://www.betterpostagestamps.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Robinson

Amazing Stamp Collecting In America

Stamp research is called Philately. Many Americans become drawn to this large field of research. This attraction with stamps and all of the history concerning them has started a hobby connected to philately, which is stamp collecting.

Normally, stamp collecting starts by acquiring a few stamps and choosing a certain type of stamp that the collector will pay attention to. Stamps can be acquired for the collection either through the postal office, private letters, dealers of stamps, making a trade with fellow collectors of high quality and rare stamps in whatever type that is chosen.

Although, the philatelic hobby might appear to be hard or vague, it really is not. It is not an uncommon idea to study and collect stamps. There are over 100 countries throughout the world that have a group of people called philatelists (people that study stamps).

In the year 1886, numerous philatelists joined together in America and formed the American Philatelic Society(APS). It has been over a century now, the APS gives its members not only a way to get together with other enthusiasts, but also provide many programs and information to help in the pleasure and enrichment of the collecting experience. Over a long time, many people have helped APS by donating, selling different publications, and collecting dues of members. The group of people in APS is large and may not be overlooked. In America, there are over 44,000 philatelists members of APS officially. There are a large number of people getting involved but have yet to discover APS. This great amount of people is validated by the fact that many states have conventions in the area for people excited about Philately. There is another philatelic association in America with many experts and that is the Philatelic Foundation.

There is a large variety of collections that are available. Many have postage stamps which came from different countries (mainly those of age).These include stationery postage, revenue stamps, and first day cover stamps.

However, there is one category that stands out in the USA. These are Federal Duck stamps, which duck hunters need. The purpose of these is to conserve the environment and help the ducks. A popular conservationist by the name of Ding Darling created the first Federal Duck stamp in 1934. After a while it became a tradition and many wildlife artists competed. The winner of the competition had his or her design picked to be on the new Federal Duck stamp for the year. That person gained a good reputation and was held in high regard for winning the competition. The American government works with local state agencies and the Department of Interior to manage the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. The sales of the stamps produces a large enough revenue that new wetlands can be acquired which help to preserve and protect the ducks.

First-day covers (FDCs), which many stamp collectors are finding more interesting, are stamped envelopes that are terminated on the same day the stamps were released. Some of the FDCs that were designed later will bear the motif of a special stamp’s issue, also called a cachet. In 1923, George W. Linn a famous philatelist cacheted the first FDC for the Harding Memorial stamp issue. Many people consider cachetmaking an art form today and is accomplished by different means. These ways include lithography, drawing straight on the envelope, using laser printer, and block printing. There are several cachetmaking companies like Colorano, House of Farnam, and Artcraft that make a large amount of the cacheted stamps in America.
Stamp collecting in the U.S. was not always easy to follow. During the 1920s, the U.S. stamp values were much higher. This motivated countless Americans to acquire large quantities of U.S. stamp issues in mint condition and hoping to sell them much later for a profit. Since there was an abundance available in the market, they are priced only a little more than their original face value.

The trend of stamp collecting and philately in America may increase in the coming years. Email and internet use has many critics saying that philately interests will go down. Many people still need stamps and demand is continuing as stamp designs change frequently. The world of philately will continue to be an exciting place.

To find more great Stamp Collecting tips please visit: www.MyStampCollecting.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Lavergne