Stamp Collection for Beginners – 03. How to start

Stamp collecting is such a hobby, which can be perused at any age. Some are lucky enough to inherit family collections while others have to start right from the beginning. Yet it is not difficult as there are many other easily accessible sources of making a stamp collection. Exchanging gifts and purchasing is the most common and convenient method of building up of a collection.

To start with, one can collect stamps from postal mail received by family and friends. There must be some one in every family who receives lots of letters or is employed in a company or a bank that receives bulk mail.

Next could be correspondence with a foreign pen friend, which could form another very important source of collecting stamps. If one is a stamp collector then one can start a healthy exchange of stamps pertaining to their respective countries or themes as the case may be.

Forming a club in school or college or even joining a local club is the best way to exchange the duplicates and sell excess stamps and at the same time get a chance to see a properly arranged collection of some experienced collector and add to one’s knowledge regarding this fascinating hobby.

However, these methods which no doubt are very helpful in forming a stamp collection are not enough. One has to turn eventually to a stamp dealer without whose assistance stamp collection cannot be given a proper shape – it being a country, thematic or period collection. Moreover one can not expect to fulfill all requirements by way of gifts, correspondence or exchange.

It is convenient to purchase stamps packed by dealers depending on how much money a collector can spare. Invariably a collector will have a lot of duplicate stamps, which can come handy for purposes of exchange or sale.

A beginner should collect stamps of all countries so as to grasp a better understanding of the subject.

In the second stage the collectors should limit and confine themselves to countries or themes as it is virtually impossible to collect all stamps issued in the world.

Philately like any other hobby should not be made a burden on one’s finances, resources and time. Similarly, it requires all the devotion and dedication that one can conveniently manage to spare.

After selecting a particular theme or a country, one can change his approach to procuring stamps from a dealer. Here, after consulting standard catalogues (Stanley Gibbons, Scott’s etc.,) for rest of the world and any local catalogue for the home country, one can prepare a want list to buy stamps.

Auction is another method of getting stamps. But this method is recommended for rich and advanced collectors only. Some clubs have started organizing auctions on a smaller scale, which are quite useful for a beginner to gain experience and knowledge.

Another method of buying stamps is to procure stamps on approval basis i.e., buy some and at the same time return the unwanted ones. The only problem here is that one has to give an initial deposit and also pay for both ways postage to the dealer.

Certain countries have introduced and established philatelic bureaus in principal towns and one can make use of these services.