Stamp Collecting Basics
There are various ways that you can get involved in stamp collecting. For many people, it is simply a hobby or pastime that they spend time doing when they’re not working at their job. For these people, there is just a small investment at the beginning, a “startup” cost for the hobby. There are also people who take stamp collecting very serious, and treat it more like a part-time job than a hobby. These people spend more time and money on their stamps, and through trading or selling, they can make it quite profitable. At the farthest end of the spectrum are professional collectors. These are people who take stamp collecting very seriously. They have probably done it for a number of years and have become so involved in the trade that they can earn a living from it.
If you’re starting out from scratch, it might be a good idea to buy a pack of 500 or 1,000 stamps from your local hobby shop or an online dealer. This is a good way to get started. This first pack might cost you between $3.00 and $7.00. So you can see that the initial investment doesn’t have to be a bank-breaker. Many people like to start out by purchasing a mixed pack of stamps from all over the world. More serious dealers can even sell stamps by the pound. But, it’s important to remember that these packs are more expensive, and it’s generally a good idea to start off small and build your way up.
Another of the basics of stamp collecting has to do with used stamps that are found on envelopes. This too, is a very common way to collect stamps. It you’re thinking about going at it this way, you’ll want to sort the stamps first and then very carefully, remove them from the paper. This last step can be tricky and requires a delicate hand and a lot of patience. Sometimes it can be difficult to get a stamp off of a piece of paper without tearing or creasing the stamp.
If you’re not experienced however, you don’t have to remove the stamp from the envelope; you can just cut the paper neatly, leaving a small border around the stamp. This assures that the stamp may stay in the best condition possible. As you will learn, the condition of stamps is very important in figuring out their value. If you don’t have the skills to successfully remove a stamp from an envelope, it’s better to simply cut the paper with a sharp pair of scissors, to assure a clean cut.
It you are interested in taking the stamps off the paper before putting them in your collector’s book, one good way is to soak them off. You can do this by filling a casserole dish with lukewarm water (it’s not a good idea to use hot water even though it might seem quicker). Warm water works just fine. The dish should be clean. The adhesive from the stamps will let loose when it makes contact with the warm water. The stamps will usually separate easily and without much effort. If you have a stamp that appears to be stuck, you won’t want to try to pull it off. This could result in tearing. Instead, leave it in the water for a little longer, until it loosens up.
The main thing to watch out for is brighter colored stamps. With some colored paper- especially red –the color can run, which means, when it makes contact with the water, it releases the dye. If this happens, it could stain your stamps, making them undesirable and much lower in value. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s a bad idea to soak stamps in order to remove them from paper. On the contrary, soaking is an effective way to remove stamps; you’ll just want to be very attentive to the reaction of the paper when you are soaking the stamps.
Stamp collecting is a fun way to start a hobby or pastime, and many people have been doing it for years. The availability of stamps online and at local shops has grown recently with the increase of interest on the part of the collectors. If you’re thinking about starting up a stamp collection, take some time to learn about it. There are numerous web pages that contain tips like these and more. Happy collecting!
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