Stamp Collecting

Since the first stamp was created in England in 1840, people have been collecting stamps. The Penny Black as it was called had to be cut with scissors so that it could be attached to an envelope. It was only later that stamps had perforations which made stamps much easier to use. Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby with millions of collectors in the United States alone.

The first stamp hobbyists were mostly children and teenagers. Adults saw stamps as utilitarian and not something of importance. As the young stamp collectors grew up, they continued collecting stamps even into adulthood. Because they were intensely interested in stamps, they began to study stamps from all over the world. Their research encouraged others to begin collecting. Many collectors even began to see that stamp collecting might become a lucrative business. It wasn’t until the 1920’s that stamps did begin to have a real monetary worth. Because so many collectors had kept their older stamps in pristine condition, collectors began to vie for the rare ones.

One would think that the Penny Black would be worth a fortune since it was the first stamp. On the contrary, these stamps are worth less than $200. Sometimes, Penny Black stamps that are in poorer condition barely fetch prices over $20. If a stamp collector is lucky enough to run across an unused Penny Black, the stamp would be worth quite a lot of money. Most of the supply are used stamps.

Most stamp collectors take up the hobby because they enjoy stamps and not for monetary gain. Some people collect stamps for their beauty. Many countries produce more stamps than they can use so that they can sell them to collectors. They devise extraordinary stamps to lure collectors to their stamps. It’s a great source of revenue.

Many people worry that stamp collecting will soon be a thing of the past because so many people refuse to use snail mail. They rely almost completely on e-mails rather than postage stamps. It is doubtful that stamps will ever go entirely out of business. There is just something about getting a real letter in the mail. Getting cards and letters are so much more personal.

Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby because unless you are a stamp investor, you don’t have to spend much money. Every post office offers stamps especially for the collector. If you life to travel, you can buy postage stamps all over the world. They make great reminders of our vacations.

Copyright 2007 Janice D. Sterling - All Rights Reserved

See also: Stamp Collecting - Coin Collecting - Calligraphy

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