A Creative Approach to Philately
Stamp collecting offers immense flexibility, allowing you to build a collection that reflects your personal interests rather than rigid traditional rules. Beyond standard worldwide or country-specific albums, you can specialize in stamps issued for special postal services—such as airmails, coils, special delivery, or postage due—or organize your collection around alternative physical traits like specific shapes, colors, or numbered cancellations.
To begin this journey safely, you do not need great wealth or specialized skills. By using basic tools like smooth-tipped stamp tongs, a protective album, and a general reference book, you can systematically organize these unique issues. You can use StampSnap to create a likely identification and log your findings in a digital collection record as you build your specialty.
Exploring Special Service Stamps
While traditional postage stamps pay for standard mail carriage, postal administrations also issue stamps dedicated to special services. Collecting by type allows you to focus on these specialized issues. Airmail stamps, for example, were designed specifically to pay for the carriage of mail by air, while coil stamps are manufactured in long rolls for use in vending machines or dispensers.
Other special service categories include special delivery stamps, which secured rapid delivery upon arrival at the destination post office, and postage due stamps, used to indicate that the recipient needed to pay outstanding postage. Focusing on these types provides a structured yet highly specialized window into postal history, allowing you to study how postal systems managed different classes of mail.
Selecting Stamps by Color, Shape, and Personal Milestones
If traditional categories feel too restrictive, you can choose to collect stamps based on alternative visual and thematic traits. Some collectors build highly creative displays by focusing entirely on a single color, such as collecting only yellow stamps. Others focus on the physical geometry of the issues, seeking out stamps of unusual shapes rather than standard rectangles.
Personal milestones also offer an engaging way to customize your collection. You might choose to collect stamps that were issued on your exact birthday, or narrow your focus to stamps issued during your birth year. This approach makes your collection deeply personal and ensures that every addition carries individual significance.
The Appeal of Used Stamps and Numbered Cancels
Choosing to collect used stamps offers several distinct advantages for collectors pursuing alternative traits. Used stamps have served their intended purpose of carrying the mail, and they generally cost less than their mint counterparts. Additionally, you do not have to worry about preserving the original gum on the back of used stamps, which allows you to mount them safely on album pages using inexpensive stamp hinges.
For many philatelists, the cancellation mark itself becomes the primary focus of the collection. You can build a collection centered around special postmarks or even embark on a challenge such as gathering cancels numbered from one to one million. These markings provide tangible evidence of a stamp's historical journey through the mail system.
Using the Right Tools for Your Collection
Regardless of the specialty you choose, handling your stamps safely is critical to preserving their condition. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum identifies a simple pair of stamp tongs, an album, and a general reference book as sufficient starting tools for a new collector. Tongs feature smooth ends designed specifically for picking up loose stamps without direct finger contact, protecting them from skin oils.
To study the finer details of your special service or colored stamps, a magnifying glass is highly helpful. You can also use a perforation gauge to measure perforations and distinguish look-alike issues. For advanced analysis, specialist aids like watermark detectors, color guides, and catalogs can help you record details such as issue dates and printing methods. Always compare your physical observations with reliable references rather than treating them as conclusive on their own.
Building and Recording Your Specialty
As you gather unique shapes, special services, or numbered cancels, keeping an organized record is key to enjoying your hobby. You can use StampSnap to help create a likely identification of a newly acquired stamp, making it easier to look up its historical details in a catalog.
Remember that there is no right or wrong way to collect. Whether you are inspired by the historical collections of famous figures like President Franklin Roosevelt, John Lennon, or Maria Sharapova, or you prefer to build a highly customized collection of outhouses and rainbows, the ultimate goal of stamp collecting is personal enjoyment and relaxation.
Frequently asked questions
What are the advantages of collecting used stamps over mint stamps?
Used stamps generally cost less than mint stamps, and you do not have to worry about preserving the gum on the back. This allows you to mount them on album pages using inexpensive stamp hinges. Sometimes, the cancellations on used stamps are also of historical interest.
What basic tools do I need to start a specialized stamp collection?
According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, a simple pair of stamp tongs with smooth ends, an album, and a general reference book are sufficient starting tools. You can also use a magnifying glass to see design details and a perforation gauge to measure perforations.
What are some examples of special service stamps I can collect?
Special service stamps include airmail stamps (for mail carried by air), coil stamps (issued in long rolls), special delivery stamps (for rapid delivery), and postage due stamps (indicating outstanding postage to be paid by the recipient).
How can I collect stamps by alternative visual traits?
You can collect stamps by specific colors (such as yellow stamps), unique geometric shapes, or personal milestones like stamps issued on your birthday or during your birth year.