postage stamps collecting

What are Postage Stamps?

2011-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Postage stamps are an adhesive label stuck on envelopes and other postal packages, as proof of the deposit of fee paid for postal services. The first country to issue postage stamps was United Kingdom.

Postage stamps are traded through various outlets of the post office, and are issued by the government. Postage stamps are available in various forms and dimensions. There are memorial postage stamps committed to various important events. Postage stamps are also issued to give respect to national personalities, or other extremely important personalities. There are also a range of other types of postage stamps available that depict diverse cultures and geographical features. Many postage stamps also have birds and animals as their theme.

Postage stamps differ according to the way they are used. The main kinds of postage stamps in use are airmail stamps, postage due stamps, special delivery stamps, and express mail stamps. The rates of postage stamps usually differ according to the weight of the postal article and the nature of the mail.

Self-adhesive postage stamps and water-activated type of postage stamps are available. Postage stamps by and large have details such as the name of the country, year, and the value of the stamp. These days, there are postage stamps that are sold around the holidays that are a sign of the season, such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Individuals may also opt to buy postage stamps that have messages on them, such as stamps that are sold to generate funds for charities. Apart from, raising fund for charities, there are various other postage stamps that help medical institutions and health organizations raise adequate funds.

Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps, and many a philatelist would pay an exorbitant amount to get a rare stamp. Stamps that are collector?s items can be bought at auctions or online.

Stamp collecting as your own hobby

2010-04-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

As stamps are started being used massively, having different persons and different designs, the birth of stamp collectors occurred as well. Great Britain was the pioneer country that started making stamps during the 19th century, thus it's not shocking that there are still people who like collecting stamps as a pastime. This pastime actually has a name, it is called philately.

There are millions of stamps available today, with picture of an important person, of an animal or a monument. These are produced based on different occasions. For instance, during the Olympic game, there are cycles that hit the market, as there are many collectors who value their uniqueness and would like to add them to their collection.

A person who likes collecting stamps can start gathering regularly, a few years later the same stamps will become rare, once they are changed by newer designs and styles. People who like collections tend to develop their personal taste and build collections that reflect their preferences. The value of old postage stamps becomes higher the older it is.

Internet is an appropriate place for beginners, as there are whole collections of stamps that are sold individually. There are stamp albums, which are considered to be a start of a collection. Some of them offer rare postage stamps. However, it is important to know that they usually contain stamps that were sold in a particular country. Most stamp collectors tend to gather from all over the world - this is the most interesting part related to these collections. Stamps featuring queens and kings, important persons or buildings can be quite expensive as well.

Buying postage stamps

2008-08-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

OK so you got mail - to post that is! You obviously now need to buy postage stamps.

Well the obvious place to go would be the Post Office - but have you ever though that this is not the only place to purchase them from?

Depending on exactly what you need you may be able to buy your postage stamps online. A quick search on www.google.com shows there are over 3 million sites for the search term buy postage stamps so looking closely at some of these sites will show you the procedure on buying stamps online.

One site I found - www.2-clicks-stamps.com allows you to search for postage stamps online dealers.

Instead of going to the post office - have a look for the blue-and-red U.S. Postal Service logo at grocery stores, drugstores and mini-marts. Also look for stores that specialize in mail and shipping services. Swing by the ATM machine and buy stamps while you make deposits or withdrawals. You can even go to USPS to simply have stamps mailed to your home.

If you want cheaper stamps - You can even get stamps for below the face value! Buy them in a greater quantity from a dealer. They have so many they actually reduce the price below what the stamps originally were worth (sometimes), especially if you have $25 or more to spend all at once on a whole bunch.

Research carefully to find both new and uses postage stamps as well as special and hard to get stamps. When searching ebay, mix up your search terms such as postage stamps, stamp collections, first day of issue stamps and so on. This will give you a wide range of stamps to choose from.You could even begin your own little business by trading and buying and selling postage stamps.

So good luck and happy buying of postage stamps.

The Beauty of Photo Postage Stamps

2008-04-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

I never thought that postage stamps would ever play a role in my life, but the new wave of customized photo postage stamp just made me realize how lovely these little bits of paper can be. I recently came across these customized photo stamps and saw just how lovely some of these things can be. I decided to experiment with my own photo postage stamps just to satisfy my curiosity.

I made one of these photo postage stamp with a picture that I had on my computer and saw that while the possibilities were there, I needed better pictures for my photo stamps.

I started digging through photo albums for pictures that would look good in photo postage stamp and I picked out some of the best moments in my life to try and make into these postage stamps. I also chose a few pictures that did not include me but brought back good memories of my times with my family and brought these up to my room as well.

Readying my scanner, I placed picture after picture into my scanner and saved them in a folder marked to remind me that the pictures I wanted to use for my photo stamp were there. I then started to experiment with the pictures I had and tried creating photo postage stamp out of them. I also tried tweaking with the pictures I had to cut and crop some parts that would not look too good. Pretty soon, I had quite a few photo stamps ideas ready for creating and ordering.

After placing an order for the photo postage stamp I wanted and receiving them, I decided to give some to my mom. I gave her the postage stamp pictures of me as a little kid and while those can be used as real postage stamps, she never did use them but just kept them in an album with other pictures of me as a kid.

What are rare stamps?

2007-12-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, investing in rare stamps is a normal occurrence. Usually, the collection and gathering of rare postage stamps is a hobby that is better appreciated by the advanced collectors.

Unbelievably, rare stamps are investments that are of the tangible kind. Compared to art they are also a worthwhile and enjoyable investment especially for enthusiasts.

First things first, the fact is that rare stamps are really, definitely very rare. But what is it that makes a stamp rare?

The following are some of the reasons as well as circumstances that makes a stamp that rare, expensive stamp that everyone would want to own.

Believe it or not, there exists the stamp that would be considered as the mother of all rare stamps and quite possibly the stamp that – if given the chance – would be the one to rule them all.

The stamp that costs one cent is the British Guiana. This stamp is currently considered as the most rare stamp in the whole world because only one of such kind was made. This stamp was reportedly discovered by a school boy back in the year 1873.

Another valuable rare stamp is called the Penny Black where it is also considered as a very rare and valuable item for collectors.

The father of all rare stamp collectors

A man with the name Philipp von Ferrary who lived during the years 1850 until 1917 was considered to be the collector of all collectors when he was able to amass stamps from all places in the world.

Ferrary, as he was fondly called by his clients and almost everyone, began the hobby of colleting stamps when he was young. Since he was able to inherit a great fortune, he made it his life long quest to buy stamps that are rare.

In the fifteenth of January, 1915, he relegated to the Berlin Postmuseum his collections. But since he was an Austrian – who at that time was residing in France during the first world war – he left his albums to the embassy of Austria & left for Switzerland where he soon died.

Post world war one brought on the government of France to confiscate his collection. Since then, most rare stamps have a stamp of “ex-Ferrary” on them, because almost always, the stamps may have previously belonged to him.

Rare stamps found in a dresser

You know you have in your possession a rare stamp when people are suing you for them to have it back.

It was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of stamps that a judge granted the stamp’s original owners when it was found that it was included in the dresser a Robert Ganter bought in a used store that sells furniture.

The original owners discovered Ganter’s find when the latter issued an ad in a stamp catalogue for collectors and offering it up to be sold.

Buying rare stamps is a cinch

So how I one supposed to buy rare stamps when they see one? The best method is by simply buying the best stamp that one could possibly afford.

New rare stamps recently unveiled in Asia
Beginning April of this year, stamps that highlight Vietnam’s birds, specifically the partridges as well as pheasants of the country was launched in Vietnam’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.

These rare stamps provide the people who live in Vietnam with a magnificent documentation of how the country’s birds thrive. The birds that were included in the stamp include a partridge whose neck is range in color, its scientific name is Arborophila Davidi. Other birds in the stamps include lophura hatinhensis or the more popularly known Vietnamese pheasant.

Why are these birds featured in such a stamp series? For one, putting their pictures on a stamp is one way to immortalize their existence as they are currently considered as endangered. Their populations have been slowly dwindling due to the loss of their natural habitat as well as hunting.

All in all, collecting rare stamps is a fun, enjoyable and interesting activity to do especially if rare stamps are your cup of tea.

INTERESTING FACTS ON STAMPS

2007-10-25T23:44:00.000-07:00

Stamp collecting is an educational and fun hobby enjoyed all over the world.

In fact, there are more adult stamp collectors than kids stamp collectors. Collection of stamps is not limited to kids at all. Postage stamps have been in existence for over one hundred and fifty years but still more and more individuals are drawn to stamp collecting.

To give you more information on postage stamp collecting, we came up with a collection of facts and other interesting details about postage stamps.

It was in 1973 when postage stamps that seemed like music records were issued in Bhutan. Interesting enough, if you place the postage stamp on a record player, these would actually play the Bhutanese national anthem.
Banana-shaped postage stamps were once issued in the Pacific Island of Tonga.
In 1863, the smallest postage stamps were issued by the Columbian state of Bolivar.
Postage stamps are miniature works of art.
The Penny Black stamp were the first postage stamps issued in England in 1840. The postage stamp were named Penny Black stamps because they cost a penny and the stamps were in black. Queen Victoria’s image was on the postage stamps.
The first postage stamps collector was John Bourke. He was the Receiver-General of Stamp Duties in Ireland in 1774.
The world’s largest postage stamps were issued in the 1900’s in China. These postage stamps were used on express mail deliveries.
It was only in February 1964 when the first self-adhesive stamps were issued by Sierra Leone.
The first individual to be depicted on postage stamps other than royalty figures was playwright William Shakespeare.
Postage stamps are currently produced by 200 countries worldwide.
Australia issued postage stamps that look like just gems. Special technology was used to produce the look of real opals on the postage stamp issued on 1995. Another set of postage stamps that look like real diamonds were issued in 1996.
The 1c British Guiana postage stamps of 1856 are the world’s rarest and most valuable stamps. These postage stamps are now estimated to value over £1 million.
The French Government in 1849 made a law making it illegal to wash or clean used French postage stamps. This odd law was made to counter the practice of re-using the stamps. Almost 15,000 individuals were charged under this law within six years from its implementation.