Part 1 of a two-part series
The best way of course is to inherit one from your grandfather. Most of us, however, have to start from scratch. Probably the most important factor is to determine if the hobby is something that you would like to do. Talk to people who you know are collectors, have a look at their albums. Read different literature available both online and at the library. Visit the local stamp club and talk to the members and if the opportunity arises attend a Stamp Show.
Many people start with a random accumulation of stamps from many countries. Ask friends and relatives to save the postage from letters that they may receive. Check out garage sales and markets along with social media.
One way to organize your stamps is in an album. These are available in many formats to fill varied interests and themes. An alternative is to use a loose leaf binder and make your own album pages.
There are too many themes for a collection to cover in any one article. What interests you? Specific countries, the British Commonwealth, themes like sports, royalty, art, ships, airplanes, wildlife, famous people, the list is almost endless.
You should decide whether to collect used or mint stamps. Mint stamps are those which have been purchased directly from the post office or stamp dealers and have never been used for postage.
Stamp collecting is an excellent hobby for learning a great deal of general knowledge: geography – what country is the stamp from and where it is located in the world; world leaders are featured on stamps along with famous structures and landmarks, special events and so much more.
In a future article I will go into the various tools that will assist you with your collection.
If you think that you may have an interest in collecting, try to attend the Spring Show held by the Medicine Hat Coin and Stamp Club on Saturday, April 9. This year’s location is the Cypress Centre Auditorium. Use the entrance across from the Kinplex. The show runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Hope to see you there.
Dennis Vickery. Collector’s Corner is contributed by the Medicine Hat Coin and Stamp Club. For questions or comments about coin or stamp collection email medhatcsc@live.com
