Stamp collecting

Postage stamps are often collected for their historical value and geographical aspects and also for the many subjects depicted on them, ranging from ships, horses, and birds to kings, queens and presidents.

The first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued by Britain in May 1840 and pictured a young Queen Victoria.

In 1862, Gray stated that he "began to collect postage stamps shortly after the system was established and before it had become a rage".

One of the earliest was Adelaide Lucy Fenton who wrote articles in the 1860s for the journal The Philatelist under the name Herbert Camoens.

However, hinging stamps can damage them, thus reducing their value; today many collectors prefer more expensive hingeless mounts.

Issued in various sizes, these are clear, chemically neutral thin plastic holders that open to receive stamps and are gummed on the back so that they stick to album pages.

It is important to have certificates for rare and high quality stamps to certify they are fault free and genuine in all respects.

They check for hidden faults like creases, tears and thins as well as lightened cancellations, repairs, reperforated perforations and re-applied (regummed) fake gum.

As with many collectables with no inherent value, sell pricing is set by the market bidding on the item at the time.

Definitives seem mundane but, considering their variety of colours, watermarks, paper differences, perforations and printing errors, they can fill many pages in a collection.

[8] Introducing either variety or specific focus to a collection can require the purchasing of stamps, either from a dealer or online.

[9] Large numbers of relatively recent stamps, often still attached to fragments or envelopes, may be obtained cheaply and easily.

Many dealers sell stamps through the Internet while others have neighborhood shops which are among the best resources for beginning and intermediate collectors.

Many consider that Count Philipp von Ferrary's collection at the beginning of the 20th century was the most complete ever formed.

Many collectors limit their collecting to particular countries, certain time periods or particular subjects (called "topicals") like birds or aircraft.

The Internet has greatly expanded the availability of information and made it easier to obtain stamps and other philatelic material.

Although such organizations are often advertised in stamp magazines and online, the relatively small number of collectors – especially outside urban areas – means that a club may be difficult to set up and sustain.

The Internet partially solves this problem, as the association of collectors online is not limited by geographical distance.

[11] Organizations such as the Cinderella Stamp Club (UK) retain hundreds of members interested in a specific aspect of collecting.

King George V possessed one of the most valuable stamp collections in the world and became President of the Royal Philatelic Society.

[17] Late in life Ayn Rand renewed her childhood interest in stamps and became an enthusiastic collector.

Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, collected stamps as a child.