Posts Tagged ‘stamp collecting for beginners’
As an avid stamp collector, I take offense to the notion that stamp collecting will soon be an outdated hobby and distant memory of American culture. I realize that e-mail has long surpassed “snail mail” in terms of volume, but there will always be the need to send hard copies to people, which means that there will always be a need for stamps. One of the enjoyments of being a collector is the fact that you get to see how stamps have evolved over time, from the price to the design, and how this reflects on society as a whole.
The latest innovation to revolutionize the stamp world has been introduction of sticker-style stamps. Personally, I loved the distinct flavor of the lick-and-stick style stamps, but all of the new stamps are, essentially, just expensive stickers. Call me old-fashioned, but I miss the days when you never knew what stamps you would get at the post office, unlike the mass-produced bell design that is ubiquitous now.
Stamp collecting for beginners or for that matter anyone, I’ve read, is one of the most popular hobbies. That is most likely due to the easy accessibility of finding stamps, with mail arriving almost daily. This, of course, offers us a chance to start our collection with little or no investment to speak of. Perhaps this also why stamp collecting is so popular with kids also, in addition to the beauty and variety of stamps available.
Stamp collecting is not just collecting stamps, but includes related items, such as covers (envelopes or packages with stamps on them). First-day covers are sought after eagerly by the avid stamp collector.
It is estimated that the number of stamp collectors in the United States alone ranges up to 20 million. How many times have we received a piece of mail with a stamp we just had to keep?