How do you get stamps?
Your first and best resource for stamps will be your friends and family. Let them know you are a collector, and have them send the stamps they receive over to you, they will likely be happy to save the stamps from their incoming mail for you to look over and select from. There are also products where companies send out a selection of stamps for the collector to look over. Generally, these programs allow the collector to keep the stamps for up to a month without charge. After a month's time, he or she can choose to purchase the stamps that are of interest, and return those that do not fit into their collection. Just remember to return the stamps you do not want on time!
Putting a value on your stamps
Although they are collectables, most stamps are actually valued at face value or less. That means that most stamps are worth a negligible amount of money. This is fine for most casual collectors however because they are simply collect for personal enjoyment, not financial investment. This is not to say of course that stamp collecting can never be lucrative. Stamps that range in value up to $50 are not uncommon.
Finding out more about stamp collecting
Stamp collecting is an extremely popular and old hobby all over the world. For this reason, there is no shortage of hobby groups that any prospective or experienced stamp collector can join. The main organization in the United States is the American Philatelic Society. The American Philatelic Society is one of the oldest and most well known organizations. All of these stamp collecting groups often sponsor trade shows, conventions, and other events, which promote networking, trading, and transactions involving stamp collections. And of course, as with so many things, there are also a host of online resources available. Online beginner's guides are a great place to start for those new to stamp collecting, while price guides, social networks, and other resources are available for more seasoned collectors.
Steve Dolan has been collecting for many years. Find out what to collect at Collecting and Collections Collect Coins - then click Coin Collecting and for stamps Stamps and Stamp Collecting
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