Stamp Collection

Collecting stamps is pretty easy. One may save stamps from packages, letters and postcards. People interesting in stamp collection can also ask their friends and family to save stamps for their mail for them. They may also swap stamps with other collectors when they have doubles. You may also collect stamped envelopes from neighborhood businesses that get a lot of mail like stores, banks and travel agencies - might save their envelopes for you, too. Or, you can start your collection by choosing one or two favorite subjects and then, collect only stamps that fit your theme, which can range from art, history and sports to transportation or science. This is called topical collecting. Most people who collect stamps do so for the sheer fun of it, without putting too much thought into making a profit. Hobbyists who collect stamps love to learn about the stories behind their stamps, as well as explore the world behind the production of stamps. Every time you collect an old stamp, you will likely be curious enough about its origins and would definitely be interested in reading up the history of that stamp. Before starting on a collection, there are certain things one must know about such as the worth of a particular stamp depends upon two aspects-its rarity and the condition it is in. You can begin to judge the condition of a stamp by examining its front. Is the stamp clean, dirty or stained? Are the colors bright or faded? Is the stamp torn? Torn stamps are not considered "collectible." Is the stamp design centered on the paper, crooked or off to one side? Are all the perforations intact? Has the stamp been canceled? A stamp with a light cancellation is in better condition than one with heavy marks across it. Now look at the back of the stamp and see whether there is a thin spot in the paper? If so, it may have been caused by careless removal from the envelope or hinge. Once you have stacked up a wide variety of stamps, you are in dire need to store them. Just a common storage space would not do, you also need to show it off to others. This is when one needs to invest in stamp collecting supplies. Pinnacle offers a range of stamp collecting supplies such as stamp collecting albums and folders that take care of their storage and keep them in Mint condition.