Philatelic Tidbits

This will be the first in a fairly long series of introduction to stamp collecting type posts, or stamp collecting for beginners. I’ve wanted to do this for some time, and have thought about various ways of getting it done, from writing an e-book for my readers to download to making a special page just for this information, to setting up a stamp collecting for beginners email list. I think this is the best approach to it, though, as I’d rather that people looking for this kind of information can look around and see some of the more advanced stamp collecting related information as well. This way, they can get a “feel” for what the hobby is about in a more immersed kind of way, if that makes sense.

So, let’s get started then. Chances are, if you are reading this, then you have at least some kind of passing interest in stamp collecting and might be wondering why people choose this as a hobby. You’ll find a lot of answers to this question around the Internet and in various stamp collecting for beginners books, some of them are good answers, and some of them are not. Everyone seems to have a different answer as to why they began collecting stamps, but the more collectors you talk to, the more you realize that the story is very similar in almost every case.

It might pay to have a look at what most collectors seem to have in common. These are just empirical observations on my part, as well as what I’ve heard other folks say about the commonalities among stamp collectors, but I think they are probably quite accurate. For starters, most stamp collectors have a keen interest in the world around them. This can mean the cultures, the history, the landscapes, the flora, the fauna, and even the politics of countries around the world. You will find all these subjects and more on stamps, which is something that cannot be said for coins or even most other collectibles.

Another thing that all collectors of every kind seem to have in common is a need to accumulate, organize, and study the objects of interest; in this case stamps. Many beginning stamp collectors, particular children, are largely about the numbers; meaning that they try to accumulate as many different stamps as possible without regard for organization and study. For the most part, though, the folks that stick around the hobby for more than a couple of years definitely dig into and study many aspects of the stamps they collect and organize those stamps in some manner. So, if you are the type of person that likes to organize, categorize, and study, then stamp collecting (for that matter, any kind of collecting) will likely turn out to be a hobby that has some appeal for you.

Yet another common trait that seems to be apparent amongst stamp collectors is intelligence and education. Particularly in my case… (just kidding on that one). This is not just my observation or wishful thinking: the American Philatelic Society has done surveys of it’s membership and has found that the average collector has a college education and a very good paying job. For a very enlightening presentation on the make-up of the APS membership check out the 2007 APS Membership Survey (works best in Internet Explorer).

As a side note, and since this post is for beginners, I should say a little something about the APS. The APS is one of the oldest and the largest stamp clubs in the nation. It is for all stamp collectors of every type, age, and preference and boasts a membership of more than 44,000 in 110 countries. Amongst the services provided to stamp collectors by the APS is a monthly magazine (arguably one of the best in the business), multiple venues for buying and selling stamps, a fantastic website, and the best stamp shows in the country. Should you decide to become a serious stamp collector, then APS membership is undoubtedly in your future at some point. You can get more information about the APS and how to join by clicking the logo over in the sidebar on this site, or by visiting http://www.stamps.org.

Ok, back to the topic at hand. There is one demographic about stamp collectors that’s absolutely impossible to ignore and just a little bit discouraging. The fact is, stamp collectors are by and large men to the tune of about 89% of the general population of collectors. Nobody really knows the reason for this, but it is most likely a throwback to the days when women were expected to stay at home and tend to the household chores and children, while men went out and gathered with their hobbyist buddies. This was even carried so far as to explicitly ban women from belonging to some stamp clubs! Those days are long gone now, and hopefully that demographic will change over time. So, the big message that should be sent here is: we need more lady stamp collectors in the hobby.

Let’s look at some of the reasons that stamp collecting is an appealing hobby. The biggest reason, I think, is that in spite of the demographics outlined above, stamp collecting in all it’s various forms has something to offer just about everyone. You can choose to collect expensive stamps or cheap stamps. You can aim for more stamps than anyone else, or you can aim for more of any particular stamp than anyone else. You can find stamps that appeal to every possible taste in subjects from ferraris to art to nudes to American Idol on stamps. No matter how you approach stamp collecting, there is hours of fun, scholarship, exploration, study, and pure enjoyment waiting for you.

Moreover, if you decide that you’d rather take on some other type of stamp collection after you’ve begun, there is nothing stopping you from doing so. For the most part, the investment involved in most stamp collections is minimal, at least in terms of money. Time is entirely a different story, but then that’s a major part of the enjoyment of stamp collecting. There are at least as many ways to collect stamps as there are individuals collecting them. A stamp collection can, and should, reflect the individual to whom the collection belongs to.

Now that we’ve taken a look at who stamp collectors are and what stamp collecting is, let’s take a look at what stamp collecting IS NOT. Unless you’re name is Bill Gross or Count Ferrari or John DuPont, forget about stamp collecting as an investment. In order to afford investment grade stamps, you MUST be independently wealthy AND be willing to risk an awful lot of cash on something that can take a VERY long time to appreciate. Yes, there are many stories of how some folks have invested wisely in stamps and came out way ahead. What you don’t hear is the time and experience involved in realizing those kinds of returns. Your knowledge of the stamps you’re investing in must be second to none, or you risk the chance of being swindled quite easily. That takes time, money, and a willingness to study very hard at something that isn’t even your profession. To me, that takes all the fun out of collecting, and I’m willing to bet that it would for most people.

You also might think that some of these “funds” that have been established in Europe and elsewhere might be a good way to invest in stamps. Think again. If you look around the pages of this site and others on the Internet, you will find stories of the latest scam involving the Escala Group and other major names in philately. This is what I’m talking about when I say that you run the risk of being swindled. Some people have lost their entire retirement thanks to Escala (think Enron), and others have lost the better part of their hard-earned fortunes. It is much better if you think of stamp collecting as a hobby first, with the possibility (however remote) that you may earn something on the back end to pass on to your heirs. Never, ever, make stamp collecting the cornerstone of your retirement investment philosophy. Ok, enough said about that…

Any good introduction to stamp collecting will need to do some clarification on the difference between philately and stamp collecting. Most people will tell you that the terms are interchangeable, but I’m here to tell you that they are most definitely not. Stamp collecting is just what it sounds like, the collecting of stamps for the enjoyment of the stamps themselves. Philately, on the other hand, is the deep study of stamps including the uses of them, the methods in which they are made, the minor varieties of stamps, and even the politics involved in choosing which stamps were even created. Philately also involves the study of mail itself, including periods in which stamps weren’t even a part of the equation. The choice to become a philatelist is a very personal decision which doesn’t necessarily have to be taken. You can have a very fulfilling hobby if you just stick to collecting stamps without digging any deeper into the scholarly levels of the hobby. Some people find it very rewarding to get very deep into the scholarly study of stamps (philately), while others would just rather stick to the surface and collect whatever they please. There is room for both kinds of collectors in this hobby, and each should be equally welcomed.

So, by and large stamp collecting is a hobby and should be regarded as just that: an avenue for rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. It should be used as an escape from the pressures of the outside world, just like any other hobby. You will find collectors who are insanely passionate about their pastimes, and you will find others who just barely seem to be involved in the hobby. Either way is fine, just keep in mind that stamp collecting is a hobby and that your level of involvement in that hobby should be determined by you alone, not the outside pressures of others.

In the next post, we will start digging into what is necessary to actually begin building a collection of stamps, including how to decide which stamps to collect, the tools necessary to work with your stamps, where to store your stamps, and how to get the most enjoyment out of your stamp collection.

I hope I’ve given you enough information to decide whether or not stamp collecting is the appropriate hobby for you. If you have questions that I’ve not answered above, then by all means leave a comment below, and I will be more than happy to give the best answer I can. For the experienced collectors who’ve stuck it out and read this post, feel free to add anything I might’ve left out in the comments below. I’ve said some things in this post that might prove to be debatable, too. I’d love to hear your opinions on them.

Also see:
Stamp Collectors for Beginners - The History of Stamp Collecting

philately, stamp collecting, stamp collecting for beginners, stamps

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