Collecting Postage Stamps

Philately is the name for the hobby of postage stamps collecting. Collecting postage stamps as a hobby has been around as long as stamps themselves. People have been collecting postage stamps ever since stamps were introduced in the United Kingdom in 1840.

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If you're new to postage stamps collecting, you may want to start by collecting postage stamps that appeal to you. That might mean collecting postage stamps of a specific country, collecting postage stamps of a particular color, collecting postage stamps with a similar subject (such as birds, flowers or landmarks), collecting postage stamps featuring a specific person or type of person (for example, Elvis Presley or famous women), collecting postage stamps of a specific denomination (for example, two-cent stamps), collecting postage stamps of a particular type (for example, air mail stamps), collecting postage stamps with a specific theme (for example, music or travel), or collecting postage stamps that celebrate a particular holiday or event (for example, Christmas or coronations).

Postage stamps collecting can be an economical hobby. Just save the stamps from letters and packages you receive. Tell friends and family members you are collecting postage stamps and ask them to save stamps for you. Then decide how you want to store or display your collection. Stores that specialize in postage stamps collecting, hobby stores and scrapbook stores have all have albums and materials that are good for postage stamps collecting.

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If you decide on collecting new or valuable postage stamps, you will want to give them special handling. Special plastic strips called "hinges" can be used in albums to display stamps without damaging them. Clear plastic sleeves or glassine envelopes can also be used for postage stamps collecting.

When you first start collecting postage stamps, you can simply cut them out, or save the whole envelope they come on. As you get more serious about collecting postage stamps, you may want to carefully remove them from the envelopes. If you put the whole envelope, or the piece of it that surrounds the stamp, into a tray or bowl of warm water, the adhesive will dissolve and the postage stamps you are collecting will float to the bottom. Remove the stamp from the water with tweezers or tongs and let dry. To keep wet stamps from curling up as they dry, put something heavy on top. Make sure that the back of the stamp is not resting on anything made of paper, in case all the adhesive did not dissolve, or you'll have to do it all over again.

Collecting postage stamps is a wonderful hobby for anyone, but it is especially educational for children. Collecting postage stamps can help get children interested in history and other countries.