Some Collectors Are Interested in Stamps and Coins. If That Describes You, Then Read On....

Many people who started out collecting stamps have also gotten interested in coin collecting. And the opposite is true also: many coin collectors also collect stamps. We've been asked by a couple of our readers to provide a bit of information that might help stamp collectors who also collect coins. So here we go:

Coin Community is a numismatic website which has experienced phenomenal growth and recognition since its inception in 2005. It currently has over 5,200 members that hail from more than 90 different countries, and the site provides a wealth of information to coin collectors all over the world.

The Coin Community site provides a forum for give-and-take discussion, a Coin Facts section and a Coin History section that collectors can find helpful when researching various coins. The site helps collectors learn about coins, and make informed purchasing and selling decisions. Many of the members participate in the Buy/Sell/Trade section.

Have a Passion for a Particular Topic? Turn it Into a Topical or Thematic Stamp Collection!

If you feel a strong affinity for a particular subject or activity, convert your interest into a new and exciting stamp collection. Stamps have been issued on just about every topic and theme you could think of. Here are just a very few examples of topical stamp collections:

Are you a passionate golfer or follower of golf? Try a golf on stamps topical collection.

Did you serve in the military during World War 2? Start a thematic stamp collection that focuses on stamps issued by countries in which you served, that honor your branch of service or that feature specific battles in which you participated.

Do you enjoy the arcane world of heraldry and heraldic coats-of-arms? Collect stamps that feature heraldic devices from around the world, or from a specific region.

The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination.

The current trend in stamp collecting is toward thematic or topical collections, and away from country collections. Try it out, and see what makes them so popular.

The Wild World of British Machin Stamps

The "Machin" set of Great Britain definitive stamps began in 1967 and new stamps in the series are still being printed and used. They feature the head of Queen Elizabeth II. Early stamps in the series are pre-decimal; the later issues are of course decimal stamps.

The stamps are fondly referred to as "Machins" or "Machin head stamps" because the sculptor of the bust of Queen Elizabeth II that's used in the design of all of the stamps was a gentleman named Arnold Machin.

According to some experts, there are well over 1,000 different varieties of stamps in this long-running series. They can be collected on many different levels - the philatelist can collect just the major denomination and color types, or he or she can go far beyond that. Printing methods, phosphor tagging, perforation changes, and changes in the size of the denomination numeral are all additional variables in collecting Machins. Other varieties include larger size Machin stamps, which generally are high denomination stamps.

In addition to stamps that solely show the Queen's head, there are regional issues - Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man - that feature the Queen's head and a small country symbol in the top lefthand corner. For example, the Welsh regional Machin stamp has a small Welsh dragon in the corner.

Another variation on the Machin stamps was the Anniversary Issue of 1990. These stamps feature portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria.

As I mentioned earlier, a stamp collector can make his Machin collection as simple - or as complicated - as he or she likes. The most detailed, specialized Machin stamp catalog is the Complete Deegam Machin Handbook, published in two volumes. Much more than a mere "handbook," this massive work is the definitive authority on these stamps and, as such, is a must-have for any serious Machin collector.

Because of their colorful nature, but moreso because of all the different and sometimes intricate varieties, Machins can be a wild series of stamps to collect.

The Local Carrier Stamps / Cinderella Stamps of Great Britain

You've probably heard about Lundy stamps - the famous Puffin stamps used to offset the cost of local delivery from the Island of Lundy (located off the Devonshire coast) to "mainland" England.

They are essentially private postage stamps, with a value expressed in "Puffins." They began in 1927 and continue to be printed and used today. They are to be affixed to the bottom left hand corner of the envelope, so that the mainland sorting offices can process them. Their cost includes the standard Royal Mail charges for onward delivery.

The Lundy Puffins are a type of stamp known to philatelists as "local carriage labels," "local carrier stamps" or "local delivery stamps." Although the Lundy stamps are probably the best-known of the local stamps used in the United Kingdom, there are several others.

These include:

Bernera Islands, a group of islands off the coast of Scotland.

Davaar Island, also off the coast of Scotland

Eynhallow, also known as Holy Island. Also located off the coast of Scotland

Gairsay Island, a Scottish local post in the Orkney Islands

Herm Island, located near Guernsey

The Isle of Jethou, a Channel Island 3 miles east of Guernsey

St. Kilda, an island 100 miles off the coast of Scotland

Sanda Island, another Scottish island

Staffa, yet another Scottish island

the Isle of Stroma, off the north coast of Scotland

These local stamps can be fascinating to locate and collect. Some other countries also use similar stamps, including the famous Rattlesnake Island stamps used in a remote area near Sandusky, Ohio, United States.

Varieties of Canadian Stamps ~ Lots of Fun, and Sometimes Financially Rewarding Too!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, many different Canadian stamps have varieties, but those varieties aren't always mentioned in the Scott catalog. Many of them aren't worth much more than the "standard" version of the stamp, but some are worth quite a bit more. But whether they're valuable or not, varieties are always fun to find, and searching for them can be rewarding in more ways than one.

Here are a few examples of Canadian stamp varieties that are specifically identified in the Unitrade Catalog, but not in Scott:

Scott No. 593, an 8 cent Queen Elizabeth II ultramarine definitive stamp, has a number of varieties. The "weeping Queen" variety, numbered 593x in Unitrade, has a black dot at the bottom of her right eye. Number 593xi, the "tear on side of nose" variety, has a black dot between the right eye and the nose. A third variety of this same stamp, No. 593xii, is the "spur on 8" type, and features a spur on the numeral 8 in the denomination of the stamp.

Scott No. 715, the 14 cent Parliament definitive, also has a number of different varieties beyond the "standard" stamp. Unitrade No. 715iii is the "missing spire" variety. The right spire on the tower is missing on this stamp. Unitrade No. 715iv is the "missing brick" variety, and Unitrade No. v is the "light in window" variety.

The Suzor-Cote commemorative stamp, Scott No. 492, has the following varieties. Unitrade No. 492i is the "line from knee" variety. Another one is Unitrade No. 492ii, the "bird in sky" variety.

Here's a variety that's not that difficult to find: Scott No. 553, the stamp that features Paul Kane's painting of the Indian Encampment, has a variety that's been catalogued by Unitrade as No. 553i. It's called the "stroke on teepee" variety. The stroke is at the top of the center teepee.

There are a lot more varieties than just these few, but that should get you going. Don't throw out (or trade away) your extras of what you think are common Canadian stamps - they may not be as common as you think!

Canada Stamp Varieties

If you collect Canadian stamps, you probably know that many of Canada's definitive stamps - and even some of its commemorative stamps - have varieties. Differences in dies, perforations, type of gum, type of paper and other variances can result in different varieties of the same face-similar stamp. Some of these differences are intentional (by the printer or caused by using more than one printer), others are not.

The Scott catalog (the most common stamp catalog used in the United States) identifies a few of these varieties. But the Scott catalog that contains Canadian stamps doesn't pretend to be a specialized catalog, and other catalogs do a much better job with Canadian stamp varieties. These more specialized catalogs include Unitrade and Darnell, just to name a couple.

Looking for stamp varieties can be painstaking and time-consuming, but it is one way to expand a stamp collection inexpensively. And it's incredibly rewarding to find a variety that you've been looking for. One of the most effective ways to look for possible stamp varieties - and also probably the most inexpensive method - is to buy bulk stamp mixtures, either on paper or off paper.

Mint Never Hinged - Unused and Unmounted ~ More Food for Thought

There is an increasing gap in prices for mint never hinged stamps - those with original gum that have no hinge mark or other gum disturbance - and mint hinged stamps, those that have a mark on the gum where a stamp hinge used to be.

Some stamps that have been hinged have superb centering. Should those stamps be automatically rejected from being in a stamp collection? Especially when never hinged copies that are poorly centered are actually less attractive?

Some stamps are almost impossible to buy in never hinged condition, or at least impossible to buy at a realistic price. Lovely examples of hinged stamps may be readily available and very desirable. Should those lovely stamps be ignored? Especially if you'll never be able to afford a never hinged copy?

Just some food for thought regarding the current "mint never hinged craze."

Stamp Collecting and Hurricanes ~ Tips for Stamp Collectors in Their Paths

None of us wants to be hit by a tropical storm, or even worse, a hurricane. Right now Hurricane Gustav is bearing down on the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane, possibly to become a Category 5. And Tropical Storm Hanna may be headed toward the Florida, Georgia or South Carolina coastline.

Your first priority when faced with a nasty storm such as these is to save yourself, your family and any pets. Get out early, if you need to or are told to. Your second priority is probably to stock up food and water, secure your house as best as you can, and gather together all of your very important papers in case you need to quickly evacuate.

What does all of this have to do with stamp collecting?

The answer depends on how important your stamp collection is to you. If it's valuable dollar-wise, you need to protect and preserve it as best as you can. The same is true if it's valuable for sentimental reasons and you'd hate to lose it.

Remember that along with very high winds, these kinds of storms bring incredible amounts of rain and flooding. Water is a huge enemy of stamps, so you need to do what you can to protect them from it. Even if you don't experience any actual flooding, the humidity level will be very high during a storm, especially if your power goes out and you lose your air conditioning. But flooding or rain leaking in through windows or doors would be even worse.

Gather up your stamp albums, shoeboxes, stock books, stock pages, glassines and loose stamps. Wrap them up tightly in plastic garbage bags (without any holes in them) and seal them as tightly as you can. Or you can use ziplock bags if they're big enough. Use as many plastic bags as you need to include all your important material. Then find a high and dry location in an interior room of your house - maybe on top of a chest of drawers or on a high closet shelf - and put all your stamp material there.

This will help protect your stamps from humidity and/or flooding. And it also puts them all in one place, so that if you need to evacuate quickly you can grab them along with your important papers, and then go.

You've spent a lot of time - and money - building your stamp collection. Don't let a tropical storm or hurricane destroy it overnight.

Help for Stamp Collectors - Philatelic Societies & Local Stamp Clubs

One of the most valuable assets a stamp collector can have is a reputable, trustworthy, reliable stamp dealer. A good stamp dealer will work with you and go out of his or her way to help you build your stamp collection. A stamp dealer like that will also cheerfully answer questions, help you identify "toughies," look for specific stamps that you want, and otherwise act as a great stamp resource.

Other types of help are also available. Some of the best resources are philatelic societies and local stamp clubs.

For American stamp collectors, the "Great-Great-Granddaddy" of all philatelic societies is the American Philatelic Society (the "APS"). Take a look at their website. There's a wealth of information there and it's not expensive to join.

More specialized societies also exist. Three that come quickly to mind are the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club ("PNC3"), the American Plate Numbers Singles Society ("APNSS") and the American Topical Association ("ATA"). Hundreds of additional specialty stamp societies exist.

Local stamp clubs can also be a wealth of information as well as camaraderie. They allow stamp collectors to get together in person for informative meetings (often including presentations by the members), exhibitions and stamp bourses. Check your local area to see if there's a stamp club. If there is, join it.

Stamp Collecting Tips - Dead Countries

What's a "dead country," you might ask. Well, in the stamp collecting world, a dead country is a country that either used to issue its own stamps and no longer does (for example, Bavaria) or a country that does still issue stamps but under a different name than it did before so that the old name is no longer used on its stamps (for example, the old U.S.S.R. is now issuing stamps as Russia).

Philatelists who collect dead countries enjoy a couple of extra benefits:

1. Since the country they collect no longer issues stamps, they know exactly how many stamps they will need to have a complete collection - there will be no more stamps from that country in the future.

2. These stamp collectors don't need to deal with the flood of new stamp issues by many countries during recent years.

Taking Proper Care of Your Stamp Collection

There are a number of different ways that you can use to store or display your stamps. These methods include:

stamp albums
stock books or stock pages
envelopes
boxes (the famous shoebox, not recommended!)

We recommend that you use either stamp albums or stock books/pages.

Loose stamps are very fragile and they are too easily damaged in envelopes or boxes. If you do choose to use envelopes, you should use paper envelopes of archival quality to avoid problems. Glassine envelopes are ok for very short-term storage but they are not intended for long-term use and will eventually damage stamps.

But no matter how you keep your stamps, they should always be stored in a way that protects them from excessive heat and humidity. This means keeping your stamps in an air conditioned environment during hot weather. You may also want to consider de-humidifying the air if humidity is high.

Stamps also should always be protected from direct sunlight - strong sunlight can cause colors to fade.

Excessive heat - whether it originates from strong sunlight or the room is just too hot - can cause softening of the gum on stamps. This sometimes results in a stamp "licking itself" to whatever is beneath it. Heat can also cause other damage to the gum.

Albums, stock books and stock pages should always be stored upright (not flat and horizontal) as the weight of the pages can also cause stamps to stick down. Leaf through the pages of your stamp albums and stock books from time to time - this "airs out" the stamps and is very healthy for them.

Generally, you should use album pages that are designed for stamps to be mounted or hinged on only one side, not both sides. When stamps are mounted on both sides of an album page, they sometimes "grab" each other and become torn or dislodged when pages are turned.

Don't drink any kind of liquid - water, coffee, soft drinks, etc - when near your stamps. Liquids are the enemies of stamps, especially mint stamps. Any sort of liquid will either damage or entirely remove the gum from a mint stamp.

Stamp Collecting Abbreviations Explained

If you're new to stamp collecting you may well be confused by what some cryptic-looking abbreviations that you run into really mean. Here's a guide to help you decipher at least some of this code:

Centering

F: Fine condition
VF: Very Fine condition
XF: Extra Fine condition

Gum Condition

NG: No Gum
OG: Original Gum
HH: Heavily Hinged
LH: Lightly Hinged
VLH: Very Lightly Hinged
NH: Never Hinged

Certain Types of Covers (stamped envelopes)

FDC: First Day Cover
FFC: First Flight Cover

Certain Multiples

PB: Plate Block
LP: Line Pair
JLP: Joint Line Pair

Miscellaneous Abbreviations

SS or
S/S: Souvenir Sheet

SE: Straight Edge

CTO: Canceled to Order

Ovpt: Overprint

APO: Army Post Office

FPO: Fleet Post Office

HPO: Highway Post Office

RPO: Railway Post Office

BEP: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

UPU: Universal Postal Union

CDS: Circular Datestamp (cancellation)

EFOs: Errors, Freaks and Oddities

Stamp News - Sale on US Stamps

United States stamp sets and single stamps are on sale right now at The Stamp People. The sale ends August 31st.

Every single US stamp and every US stamp set that is offered for sale by The Stamp People is on sale.

Kiloware, off paper stamp mixes and other bulk stamp lots are not included in this sale.

British Empire & Early British Commonwealth Stamps Skyrocket in Value

British Empire stamps and early British Commonwealth stamps are setting a notable positive trend in stamp values. While there are some exceptions, overall the value of these stamps is rising steadily. In some cases, values are steeply increasing.

Take a look at your stamp catalogs (if they're recent editions) and if you have a record of earlier values, you'll see what I mean when you compare them. Increases of 25% to 300% - and even more - over previous values from just a few years ago are not uncommon.

This recent trend in higher stamp values appears to hold true for stamps from all periods, not just those from the Queen Victoria and Kind Edward VII periods. In fact, stamps as recent as those issued during the reigns of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II (in the 1950s) are also rising in value. And it's true for mint (unused) stamps and also postally used stamps.

Moral of the story? Buy now, before prices go up again.

An Exciting Announcement for US PNC Collectors:

The Stamp People

has just started offering for sale individual mint and used plate number singles, strips of 3 and strips of 5. They will be adding more and more PNCs, PNC3s and PNC5s to their website on an ongoing basis.

And even better, they will soon be offering two different sets of custom-designed plate number coil album pages for sale. One set of stamp album pages will be a comprehensive set of pages for all PNC singles other than the Transportation Issue, and all plate numbers known for those PNCs. The second set of stamp album pages will focus exclusively on the Transportation Coils for those who only collect PNCs from that issue, and will also include all plate numbers known for each of those stamps.

If you're looking for stamp album pages, check The Stamp People in a few days.

If you're looking for plate number coil stamps, check The Stamp People now, and often, as more and more will be added regularly.

Buying Stamps Online For Your Collection - Some Stamp Purchasing Tips

Are you wondering how to go about purchasing stamps online? Here are a few guidelines.

Tip Number 1 for Buying a Stamp Online: Read the complete description and study any and all pictures that are available. Carefully consider these vital pieces of information about the stamps you're interested in.

How else could you learn pertinent details such as gum condition (never hinged, lightly hinged, hinge remnant, etc.), centering, perforation condition, any faults (thins, tears, creases or bends)? After all, you don't have the stamp itself right in front of you.


Tip Number 2: Find an online stamp dealer (or a few stamp dealers) that you trust, and stick with them.

Good online stamp dealers will post thorough and accurate descriptions and provide pictures that accurately portray their stamps. They also will provide superior customer service: they'll respond quickly to any questions you might have, acknowledge your order and your payment, and let you know when your order has shipped.

Try to build an ongoing relationship with this type of stamp dealer. You'll be able to trust the accuracy of their descriptions and pictures, and if you buy from them again and again, you just might get more favorable prices, too.


Tip Number 3: When in doubt, ask questions before buying.

This will actually serve two purposes. The first, of course, is to get the answer to your question before you buy (rather than finding out after your purchase). But you can also ask questions for another reason: to determine how responsive a dealer is. A good online stamp dealer will respond quickly, professionally and as thoroughly as possible. Some other stamp dealer may not respond at all, may take an undue amount of time to reply, or otherwise not provide good customer service.

Keep the first type (the good stamp dealers) on your short list of stamp sources. Don't bother ordering from the unresponsive ones.


Tip Number 4: When you find good online stamp dealers, cherish them.

Recognize that good online stamp dealers are worth their weight in gold to your stamp collection. By definition they're trustworthy and reliable stamps sources. But in addition to those golden qualities, they will often go out of their way for you. Don't abuse this valuable relationship.

Tropical Storm Fay ...

Has nothing to do with stamps, but we hope and pray for good luck and safety to all in its path.

It's currently forecast to pass just about right over our heads, so if we don't post much in the next few days that's probably why. Rest assured we'll be back as soon as possible if that happens.

Good luck to all, and boo hiss upon Fay.

Top 10 Stamps We'd Buy If We Hit The Lottery

Just for fun, we thought we'd post some thoughts on the stamps we'd most like to buy if we got rich by hitting the lottery. Here's the countdown of our "top 10" stamp wants (if we could afford them):

10. US Scott # 122 - the 90 cent carmine & black Abraham Lincoln stamp issued in 1869.

It features the great wartime President who fought to hold our country together during the Civil War and who met an untimely death via assassination.

9. US Scott # 245 - the $5 Columbian Exposition stamp, issued in 1893, that features Christopher Columbus.

A stamp that was never intended for postal use, but we like it anyway. What we'd REALLY like is to find this stamp on a non-philatelic cover. Maybe a commercial cover.

8., 7. & 6. US Scott # C13-C15 - the complete Graf Zeppelin issue of 1930.

Beautiful stamps, what more can we say.

5. Canal Zone Scott #1 - the Map of Panama stamp issued in 1904.

The Panama Canal was a great engineering (and public health) achievement by the United States. We honor those achievements with this selection.

4. Canada Scott # 158 - the beautifully engraved Bluenose stamp issued in 1929.

One of the most beautiful stamps ever designed by any country, and a national symbol of Canada.

3. US Scott # CL1 - the "Buffalo Balloon" air post semi-official stamp issued in 1877.

Privately issued, very scarce, but a piece of early airmail history.

2. US Scott # 262 - the bright blue $2 James Madison stamp issued in 1894.

The father of the US Constitution, the last of the founding fathers to die, and President at a pivotal point in history.

1. US Scott # 292 - the $1 Western Cattle in Storm stamp from the Trans-Mississippi Exposition Issue of 1898.

A gorgeous stamp that reflects some of the struggles endured during the settlement of the Great West of the United States.

The Hidden Value of Postage Stamps


Postage stamps can be quite educational without realizing it - kind of like postcards. You (or your child) can learn geography, history and all sorts of interesting tidbits about places and events. If you collect foreign stamps (or postcards) you even pick up some bits of foreign languages along the way. I could probably name the currencies of 50 different countries without even thinking about it because I collect and sell stamps.

Stamp collecting (and postcard collecting) is great for kids because of that - they learn and don't even know that they're learning about things until it's "too late" and they've already learned it.

Stamps and vintage postcards are a gateway to history.

There are different ways to either start a stamp collection - or continue one - that can be very inexpensive. You can buy stamp assortments, available for a lot of different types of stamps, that are often priced at less than a penny per stamp, far below what you would pay for them if you bought them individually. It's a great way to start a new collection or to fill in gaps in an existing collection. And you learn along the way!

Stamp Collection Organization - Do's and Don'ts

The manner in which you organize the stamps in your collection is entirely up to you, but here are some things the typical stamp collector should do ... and not do.

DO:

Keep your stamps in a safe and secure location. They may be in a stamp album or on stock pages, but keep them away from large swings in temperature or humidity. A house that's maintained in a temperature- and humidity-controlled way (heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer) should be adequate to protect most stamps from these dangers.

DON'T:

Store your stamps in a place where they are easily damaged. This means don't just toss loose stamps (or even gently place them) into a box. After all, stamps are small pieces of paper, and as such, they are very fragile. They bend (crease) and tear very easily. Even stamps that are still affixed to the paper they were mailed on are somewhat fragile, with corners or perforations being fairly easily damaged. Also, don't store stamps in glassine envelopes for very long - move them into your stamp album as soon as you can. Glassines are not acid-free and are not intended for long-term stamp storage - leaving stamps inside them for too long can cause damage.



More stamp collecting "do's and don'ts are coming!

Unused Stamps - Do You Want to Collect Mint Never Hinged, or Mint Hinged?

Some people collect postally used stamps, and we applaud them for doing so. Finding high-quality used stamps to include in a stamp collection can be much more challenging - and therefore rewarding - than locating the same stamp in unused, mint condition. And although there are some notable exceptions, most postally used stamps are less expensive than their mint counterparts. The difference in prices allows the typical stamp collector to include many more used stamps in his or her collection than would be possible with unused stamps.

That's why the folks at The Stamp People chose to offer for sale a large number of postally used stamps in addition to mint stamps. Doing so allows them to help that many more people build their stamp collections.

But enough of that - this post is intended to discuss the relative merits of collecting mint never hinged (unmounted) stamps versus mint hinged stamps.

Often, although not always, there's a significant difference in price between a mint never hinged stamp and its hinged counterpart. Both types - hinged and unhinged mint (unused) stamps - have their original gum. But when a mint stamp has been affixed to a stamp album page by a hinge, its gum is disturbed to one degree or another.

When removed, some high quality hinges leave only an extremely light mark on the gum that can be difficult to see unless the stamp is held at an angle or "against" the light. Other hinges, when removed, leave a much more significant mark or even part of the hinge itself remains attached to the stamp (known as a "hinge remnant").

In contrast, mint never hinged stamps, by definition, have never had a hinge attached to them and so there cannot be any hinge marks or hinge remnants.

But how important is this?

Well, the value of a mint never hinged stamp may be only 5 cents more than a hinged copy, or it might be hundreds of dollars more. It all depends on the rarity and condition of the specific stamp.

So whether a mint stamp has been hinged or not can have a very significant affect on its value. But consider these facts:

• although it may be worth much more (or maybe not), a mint never hinged stamp will also cost more to buy. It increases the value of your stamp collection more than a hinged stamp would, but it also costs more to add to your collection. Would you rather have more stamps in your collection (as you could with the more inexpensive hinged stamps or used stamps) or fewer but more valuable stamps? Only you can answer that question - your collection is whatever you want to make of it.

• do you want to "buy gum?" By that we mean, you will probably pay a significantly higher price for mint never hinged stamps, even though the only difference between them and the same stamps when hinged is those little marks on the gum. How important is that to you? Do you often look at the backs of your stamps? (we think not, once they're mounted in your stamp album) Again, only you can answer that question - it's your stamp collection and you're the one who gets to decide what's important and what's not.

• Early (vintage) mint never hinged stamps carry a sometimes huge price increase over their hinged counterparts. The reason? Stamp mounts didn't exist back then. If a stamp was going to be mounted on an album page, it had to be done with a hinge. That's all there was (although some people used stamp selvedge for the same purpose, it leaves an even worse gum disturbance than stamp hinges). And because most collected stamps were, and are, mounted on stamp album pages, there just aren't that many unhinged vintage stamps around. They're much harder to find, and they're much, much more expensive than a hinged stamp. So if you insist on only mint never hinged stamps in your collection, you may have some difficulties finding older stamps - and you'll probably have some serious money involved.
  

Vintage Stamps (continued)

We left off at "what is a vintage stamp?" The general consensus is, a vintage stamp is a postage stamp that's more than [x] number of years old, but the meaning of "x" (how many years back we should go) is up for some debate.

Our personal feeling is that a stamp isn't a vintage stamp until it's at least 70 or 80 years old. Many stamp collectors and stamp dealers agree with us, but a few do not.

But is it important? Is there some inherent value in being a vintage stamp?

Many vintage stamps are valuable. But just because a stamp is a vintage stamp does not automatically mean it's also a valuable stamp. We could give you hundreds of different examples of stamps that are more than 100 years old, but because so many were printed and still survive today, they aren't worth more than 5 or 10 cents.

In the end, a stamp has a better chance of being valuable if it's vintage, but that's certainly no guarantee. And it works the other way too - many recent stamps have little value because they're so easy to find, but some recent stamps buck this trend and are fairly pricey. So keep in mind that there is always more than one factor at play in the value of a particular stamp - condition, scarcity, and age.

What is a vintage stamp? (the first of several parts of this somewhat-complex discussion)

All stamp collectors want to acquire vintage stamps - well, most of us, anyway. That's where the money is, right? Some people think that all vintage stamps are valuable just because of their age.

Not necessarily.

There is no clearcut definition of what constitutes a "vintage" stamp.

We get emails all the time from people who collected stamps when they were a kid and now want to sell them. And from people who inherited an old stamp collection from a parent or grandparent and want to sell it. And also from people who have a handful of stamps from the 1960s or 1970s. Almost all of them say that they want to sell their "rare and valuable vintage stamps."

They are shocked when we tell them that a stamp produced in 1970 (for example) is not "vintage" and is almost certainly not "valuable." Although it's now 38 years old - and probably older than some of the senders of these emails - a stamp printed in 1970 is actually fairly "young" or "recent" in the stamp world. On top of that, many stamps from the 1950s or so forward have been printed in such huge quantities (billions of the same stamp in many cases) that it's impossible to consider them to be "rare." Don't forget, there are several factors involved in the price of any specific stamp:

• condition,
• condition (yes, I know I repeated it)
• scarcity / rarity
• subject matter (this has much more significance for collectors of topical or thematic stamps than to country collectors)
• condition (again)
  
• age (and by that, I don't mean 20 or 30 years old)

Definitions of "vintage stamp" vary, but we would hesitate to consider any stamp printed later than 1925 or 1930 to be "vintage." Old, yes, but vintage, no.


to be continued ....

Postally Used Stamp Collections - Popular or Not?

We've recently read that nowadays, stamp collectors are not as interested in postally used stamps as they are in mint never hinged stamps (unused and unmounted).

We disagree. And we disagree quite strongly. Here's why:

1. The number of stamps now being issued throughout the world makes it an almost impossible task to collect worldwide mint never hinged new issues.

For the vast majority of stamp collectors, the expense of collecting worldwide mint never hinged new issues would simply be too large, because of the now-huge number of stamps that would be involved. And in a time like now, when several countries issue more than 100 stamps per year all by themselves, the amount of time involved to assemble the thousands of new stamps coming out each year would also be prohibitive.

It's easier to collect mint never hinged new issue stamps when you only collect stamps from one or two countries. But take a country like the United States just as an example. The first class, one ounce letter rate stamp is now 42 cents. Multiply that by one hundred or so (an estimate for the number of new stamps that will be issued) and that's $42.00 if all those new stamps are purchased at face value at the post office - the cheapest way to buy them. But wait - there's a new Express Mail stamp and a new Priority Mail stamp. Between just those 2 stamps, there's another almost $20. So now we're at about $62.00, and we haven't even included the postcard rate stamps, the 2 ounce stamps, the international letterpost stamps, etc. The total could easily be $80 or $90 or more. And that's just one year and one country, purchased at the post office. If a stamp collector is buying older mint never hinged stamps he or she would need to buy them from a stamp dealer, at a much greater cost.


2. While it's true in many cases that mint never hinged stamps have a higher catalog value than their used counterparts, there are many exceptions where the postally used stamp is worth much, much more than the same stamp in mint condition (even when never hinged).

3. Finding specific postally used stamps for a collection is generally a much greater challenge - and usually much more fun and rewarding - for the stamp collector. You can't just go to the post office and buy them. And most stamp dealers don't stock inexpensive used stamps - they just don't want to spend the time that would be required in order to catalog and stock inexpensive used stamps (for an exception to this general rule, visit www.thestamppeople.com - they sell expensive, classic stamps, but they also sell wholesale bulk lot stamps and individual inexpensive stamps).

4. How many people enjoy buying a "mystery box" of stamps, or bags of stamps, or bulk lots of stamps? You might be surprised by the answer. For a very long time, this has been one of the all-time most popular ways of buying stamps. And as popular as they've always been, sales of postally used, wholesale priced bulk stamp mixtures are going up even more, not down. This is true for kiloware (on paper stamp mixtures) and also off-paper stamp mixtures.

So bottom line, we think collecting postally used stamps is alive and healthy.

Upcoming Subjects That We'll Be Discussing In The Next Few Days:

1. Postally Used Stamp Collections - More Popular Than Ever, or Falling Into Disfavor?

We've recently read that the number of stamp collectors who focus on postally used stamps is decreasing. We beg to differ. In fact, we disagree quite strongly.

2. Type of Stamp Collections.

Stamp collectors can make their collections be anything they wish. Are you a country collector, a worldwide stamp collector, or a topical or thematic stamp collector? Do you limit your collection to a particular range of dates? Do you only collect mint never hinged stamps, or do you prefer postally used examples?

Theft of Collectible Stamps While Still in the Mailstream.

We've been hearing more and reports of collectible stamps being removed from their covers before the mail has even been delivered.

We've also had this happen to us personally - expensive, collectible US Express Mail and Priority Mail stamps, as well as commemorative stamps from other countries that were used on mail that we've received, have been carefully removed from their covers before the mail was delivered. Most of the time the envelope is cut right around the stamp that's being removed, without damaging the contents of the envelope. Other times the stamp is peeled off the cover.

Our Canadian and British correspondents report that this happens to them as well.

This practice of removing valuable and collectible stamps before the mail is delivered is theft. We don't know who is doing it, only that the mail is still delivered even though the stamp is now gone. Are postal employees doing this? We don't know, but who else has access to undelivered mail?

United States Self-Adhesive Stamps - Pro's and Con's:

Well, they sure are easier to put onto an envelope and they do save us some time tearing them apart from each other from the sheet or coil they came from (not to mention saving us some saliva).

BUT, and it's a big "but" - some of the recent American self-adhesive stamps are almost impossible to soak off their paper. These stamps either just won't come off, no matter what you do, or once off paper, they dry with big "cracks" in their surfaces, or when they come off the paper a layer of the stamp comes off too (leaving either thins or an entirely "thinned" stamp).

These are not good things for stamp collectors that are interested in postally used postage stamps. We wish the USPS would smarten up and use some type of adhesive that allows stamps to more easily be removed from their paper.

Some of the "problem child" stamps that are so very difficult to soak off paper include stamps of the 37 cent Constellations set (Scott No. 3945-3948), the 37 cent Summer Olympic Games stamp (Scott No. 3863), the 41 cent Purple Heart (Scott No. 4164), the 41 cent James Stewart stamp, the beautiful 26 cent Panther coil stamp, stamps from the popular Star Wars set, some of the Forever Stamps (Scott No. 4127) and the nondenominated Flag coil stamps (Scott No. 4133). There are more difficult to soak self-adhesive stamps, these are just some of them.

Are Water-Activated ("Lick and Stick") stamps dying a slow death? Part 2 of 2 Parts.

Let's revisit the issue that there are many more self-adhesive stamps now being used than water-activated, lick-and-stick stamps.

One problem that this issue raises is the fact that many more self-adhesive stamps, and many fewer water-canactivated stamps, will be seen in postally used stamp accumulations and mixtures. This imbalance will cause postally used lick and stick stamps to become much harder to find. But is this truly a problem or not?

Will the imbalance result in increased future values for those postally used water-activated stamps that can be found? Will they have a higher catalogue value than "equivalent" self-adhesive stamps that are much more readily available? No one knows as yet, but we predict that a higher catalogue value for water-activated stamps is a distinct possibility.

For example, we can easily envision a stamp that has two varieties - one self-adhesive and one water-activated - where the future catalogue value of the self-adhesive is 20 cents (or whatever the minimum value of popular stamp catalogues is at the time) while the future value of the much less common water-activated variety is 2 or 3 or even more times as much.

Are Water-Activated ("Lick and Stick") stamps dying a slow death? Part 1 of 2 Parts.

Since the advent of self-adhesive stamps, usage of water-activated stamps has severely declined. In the old days, self-adhesives didn't exist and people were accustomed to licking stamps in order to use them to post mail. Water-activated stamps were the only game in town, and no one minding using them.

Now, however, self-adhesive stamps are in the picture. It seems like there are far more self-adhesives being produced by countries than water-activated stamps. No doubt, this is because of customer feedback indicating their preferences to the USPS and other countries' postal authorities. Even with stamps that are available in both self-adhesive and water-activated varieties, postally used copies of the lick and stick version are drastically under-represented in stamp accumulations.

Self adhesive stamps truly are much easier and much quicker to put on covers, but some of them can be almost impossible to soak of their paper without causing extreme damage. Collectors of postally used stamps are accordingly having a very difficult time in trying to find some of the newer issue self-adhesive stamps that are off-paper but still in collectible condition.
Those stamps will have to be collected still on paper.

We mourn the apparent slow death of lick and stick stamps.

Some thoughts we plan to address in the near future about US stamp collections:


Are water-activated "lick and stick" postage stamps dying a slow death?

In the future, will stamp collectors be able to find recent postally used lick and stick stamps for their collections, or will they be very scarce and have a much higher catalogue value than their self-adhesive contemporaries?

And just what's up with some of those self-adhesive stamps - some (although not all) of the postally used self-adhesives are almost impossible to soak off their paper - and when you do manage to get one off, the surface often "cracks" or a thin spot appears because too much of the stamp backing comes off with the paper. Hey, USPS, please lighten up on the goo you use to make self-adhesive stamps!

Theft of collectible stamps while in the mailstream - the removal of these stamps off their envelopes before mail delivery, by persons unknown.

US Forever Stamps - A Second Look

A few months ago we posted our thoughts on the US "Forever Stamp" - how we thought it would affect collectors of United States stamps.

Well, here is another thought, after giving it a few months:

Based on the percentages of different types of stamps that we see on both household and commercial mail, the Forever stamp appears to be extremely popular with people and businesses that are sending 1 ounce letter-rate first class mail. There are 4 varieties of the Forever Stamp (for now), which means stamp collectors can look for those varieties.

But the downside for stamp collectors is a big one: in addition to businesses, which never used many commemorative stamps for their mailings, now many "regular people" are foregoing the use of commemorative stamps - and even definitive stamps other than the Forever stamp - when posting their mail. Receiving a letter that's been posted with a commemorative stamp is becoming a somewhat scarce event. This apparent reliance of most mailers on just a few different stamps makes it very difficult for collectors to assemble collections of postally used recent stamps.

The percentage of commemorative stamps used on US mailings is probably now down to somewhere between 5 and 10% when commercial mailings and household mailings are both taken into account. The percentage is somewhat higher than that for household mailings, but the overall percentage is dragged down significantly when commercial mailings (probably not even 5% use commemoratives) are factored into the average.

'Tis a sad time for US commemorative stamp collectors who focus on postally used stamps. And we have yet to see whether the Forever stamps will blossom into enough different face-similar varieties to challenge collectors the way that the Flag Over Porch series has.

British Empire and British Commonwealth Stamps - Rising Values

In the last few years we have seen a large upsurge in the value of British Empire and British Commonwealth stamps. This rise in prices seems particularly true for stamps from the King Edward, King George V and King George VI periods but early Queen Elizabeth II period stamps seem to be rising a bit in value as well.

We're not sure why this is occurring, but it definitely is - we've noticed that some British Empire stamps that held only the minimum catalogue value just a few years ago are now worth $10 or even more now.

So a word to the wise - if you're interested in these types of stamps, you might consider buying now, before prices rise even more.

The Stamp People


This fine stamp website has always sold wholesale stamp mixtures - both on and off paper - from the US and around the world. Their prices are great and their selection is wonderful.

Now it's also offering individual stamps and stamp sets, small stamp collections, souvenir sheets, postal stationery and postal history and other philatelic items. New material is added daily so check this great stamp website often for your needs.

They also sell gift certificates that can be used to purchase stamps on their website. And they offer a discount coupon to new customers who register for an account there.

The Stamp People has our hearty recommendation as a resource for stamps of any type - vintage classic stamps, recent stamps, mint, used, kiloware, off-paper stamp assortments and more.

There are hardly any commemorative stamps in the stamp mixture I just bought - what's going on?

A recent independent sample (not done by us) of stamps received in the mail reported that only around 5% of the stamps used were commemoratives. The overwhelming majority of stamps seen in this sample were coil stamps of various types (almost all self-adhesive).

It's hard to get any large number of US commemorative stamps in bulk stamp mixtures nowadays, and that's why - hardly anyone is using them for their mail.

Stamp Hinges vs. Stamp Mounts Revisited

A few months ago we did a four-part post that discussed the relative merits - and disadvantages - of using stamp hinges and stamp mounts in stamp collections.

Well, we recently came across a great idea (although a bit more expensive than using mounts or hinges) so we thought we'd pass it along.

One of the disadvantages of stamp mounts that we discussed was that it is sometimes difficult to remove a mount from a stamp album page without damaging the page itself.

In short, the idea is this: place your stamps inside stamp mounts. Then, instead of licking the back of the mount and adhering it to the album page directly, use one or more stamp hinges to do that. In other words, hinge the mount to the album page.

Using the stamp mount protects the gum of the stamp, and using the stamp hinge to attach the mount to the page protects your album pages - the best of both worlds!

The only downside that we see for those who use stamp mounts already is a slightly increased cost - but it's negligible because stamp hinges are so inexpensive.

This great idea was published in the December 3, 2007 edition of Linn's Stamp News, contributed by a reader in the "Reader's Opinions" section. Thanks, reader!

Should I Use Stamp Mounts or Stamp Hinges For My Stamp Collection? Part 4 of 4 Parts.

Some people - especially older stamp collectors and those who collect used stamps - prefer the old-style gummed stamp hinges that until the 1950s or 1960s were just about the only thing available for mounting stamps.

Other people would never even consider using hinges in their stamp collections.

Each mounting method has its good points and its bad points. This post will discuss the disadvantages of using stamp hinges.

Disadvantages of Stamp Hinges:

• As a general rule, stamp hinges should not be used with mint (unused) stamps, as doing so will damage the stamps' gum and reduce their value accordingly. Because of this, stamp mounts are more appropriate for mint, unused stamps.
  

• Stamps can usually be removed from a stamp fairly easily, at least with high-quality hinges. But please take care when removing a stamp hinge from a stamp, otherwise there is at least some risk of creating a hinge remnant, thin or even a tear in the stamp.

• Hinged stamps sometimes get tangled up with each other when leafing through a stamp album that has double-sided pages with stamps on both sides. And stamps sometimes fall off or pull away from their hinges. Either way, there is a serious risk of one or more stamps being damaged.
  

Should I Use Stamp Mounts or Stamp Hinges For My Stamp Collection? Part 3 of 4 Parts.

Some people - especially older stamp collectors and those who collect used stamps - prefer the old-style gummed stamp hinges that until the 1950s or 1960s were just about the only thing available for mounting stamps.

Other people would never even consider using hinges in their stamp collections.

Each mounting method has its good points and its bad points. This post will discuss the advantages of using stamp hinges.

Advantages of Stamp Hinges:

• Stamp hinges are very inexpensive when compared to the cost of stamp mounts. A pack of pre-cut stamp mounts will cost at least $3 at most stamp shops and will usually only contain 25 or so mounts. In contrast, a pack of stamp hinges will only cost $5 or $6 but typically contains 1,000 hinges.

• Stamps can usually be removed from a stamp fairly easily, at least with high-quality hinges. But please take care when removing a stamp hinge from a stamp, otherwise there is at least some risk of creating a thin or even a tear in the stamp. And because they're usually easy to remove, stamps can readily be moved to a different location on an album page without damaging the album page either. Although stamps mounted in stamp mounts can be very easily removed or relocated, the mounts themselves can be difficult to remove from an album page without causing damage to the page. This can make it very difficult to re-orient / change the layout of stamps on a given page.

• Stamp hinges are great for beginners, for those working with a limited budget, or for those who collect postally used stamps, since there's no gum to be damaged.
  

Part 4 - the disadvantages of stamp hinges - will be posted tomorrow.

Should I Use Stamp Mounts or Stamp Hinges For My Stamp Collection? Part 2 of 4 Parts.

Some people - especially older stamp collectors and those who collect used stamps - prefer the old-style gummed stamp hinges that until the 1950s or 1960s were just about the only thing available for mounting stamps.

Other people would never even consider using hinges in their stamp collections.

Each mounting method has its good points and its bad points. This post will discuss the disadvantages of using stamp mounts.

Disadvantages of Stamp Mounts:

• Stamp mounts are very expensive when compared to the cost of stamp hinges. A pack of pre-cut stamp mounts will cost at least $3 at most stamp shops and will usually only contain 25 or so mounts. In contrast, a pack of stamp hinges will only cost $5 or $6 but typically contains 1,000 hinges.
• Although stamps mounted in stamp mounts can be very easily removed or relocated, the mounts themselves can be difficult to remove from an album page without causing damage to the page. This can make it very difficult to re-orient / change the layout of stamps on a given page.
• If too much moisture is used when attaching a stamp mount to a page, some of the moisture can seep through the slit (where the stamp is inserted) and damage the gum on the back of the stamp, devaluing it significantly if it was previously mint never hinged.

Part 3 - the advantages of stamp hinges - will be posted tomorrow.

Should I Use Stamp Mounts or Stamp Hinges For My Stamp Collection? Part 1 of 4 Parts.

Some people - especially older stamp collectors and those who collect used stamps - prefer the old-style gummed stamp hinges that until the 1950s or 1960s were just about the only thing available for mounting stamps.

Other people would never even consider using hinges in their stamp collections.

Each mounting method has its good points and its bad points. This post will discuss the advantages of using stamp mounts.

Advantages of Stamp Mounts:

• unlike hinges, a properly used stamp mount will leave no mark on the stamp. This preserves the "mint never hinged" condition of unused, unmounted stamps. Hinging a previously mint never hinged stamp can significantly and adversely affect its value. Thus, using stamp mounts instead of hinges can preserve the value of your unused stamps.
• stamp mounts, unlike hinges, can help protect your stamps. When stamp mounts are used, the stamps are enclosed in a protective plastic-like layer. The stamps are much less likely to fall off the page or get tangled up with each other
• if a collector acquires a "better" copy of a stamp that he or she already has, it's very easy to do a switch and replace: simply slip the stamp to be replaced out of the mount (leaving the mount in place on the album page) and slip the new stamp right in. No muss, no fuss, and no damage to either of the stamps.
• stamp mounts are available in dozens and dozens of different sizes, and can be purchased in strips to be cut to size as needed (a bit less expensive) or in pre-cut sizes (very convenient and time-saving). The larger sizes allow a collector to place large items such as souvenir sheets or stamp panes into an album without having to use multiple hinges.

Part 2 - the disadvantages of stamp mounts - will be posted tomorrow.

We Sell kiloware stamps, off-paper stamp assortments and vintage postcards on eBay as well as on ioffer and our own websites.

For Those of You Who Collect Vintage Postcards Too --

Please take a look at these postcards for sale on www.ioffer.com

US Postage Stamps Your Way!

Just like the old hamburger commercial that offered to make your sandwich any way you wanted it, now you can buy US postage stamps any way you want.

The Stamp People offers wholesale-priced, bulk lots of on paper stamps and off paper stamps. They sell their stamp mixtures by the pound or by the ounce, whichever way you prefer,

In addition to US kiloware and off paper stamp mixes, The Stamp People
also sell US classic stamps and stamp sets, more recent, inexpensive sets and singles, and worldwide stamps and stamp assortments.

They even sell very hard to find vintage postal stationery from around the world, most of which is well over 100 years old.

Visit The Stamp People today, you'll be sure to find something that interests you.

Recent United States Kiloware on Sale

20 pounds of mostly recent US kiloware stamps on paper are now available at The Stamp People

The Stamp People at www.thestamppeople.com just received these US stamps, and they are being sold as received, not picked over, not checked, but as-received from a favorite source.

They won't last long. Visit The Stamp People and buy a pound or two of these US postage stamps on paper.

The Stamp People has just got in a new off paper United States stamp mixture.

Some of these off paper US stamps are older but many are pretty recent and the mix does include some 41 cent stamps. The large accumulation just received includes commemoratives, definitives, coil stamps, sheet stamps, self-adhesive stamps, Christmas stamps, and Love stamps.

The Stamp People will be leaving about half of the mixture as-is so they can sell mixed lots of US stamps. The remaining half of this large accumulation will be sorted into lots that contain only one type of stamp, for example packets that contain only commemorative stamps, or packets that contain only coil stamps.

Buy bulk off paper postage stamps here.

How to Build Your Stamp Collection Inexpensively

Buying stamp mixtures or assortments can be a very inexpensive way to get your stamp collection started, or to fill in holes in an existing collection. Instead of paying 15 or 20 cents each for an inexpensive stamp, you'll end up paying a penny or two - or even less. And there's always the chance that you'll find some more expensive stamps too.

You can buy inexpensive stamp mixtures from The Stamp People for just a single country, or from all around the world. On paper kiloware or off paper stamps - it's your choice!

New Charity Mix just in!

We just received a number of pounds of on paper US stamps from one of our charity sources. This mission mix is full of recent 41 cent stamps on paper, but it also has some older stamps too. We see commemoratives, definitives, coils (with some plate number coils), Christmas stamps, Love stamps and a few airmail stamps in the mix.

It just arrived today, and it won't last long.

Visit The Stamp People to buy some before it's sold out. Just click the US Kiloware Mixes page!

Now You Can Buy Collectible Classic Stamps, Vintage Stamps and Modern Stamps at Affordable Prices!

Whether you're looking for fine classic vintage stamps, US or worldwide kiloware assortments, US or worldwide off-paper stamp mixes, inexpensive US or worldwide stamp sets and singles, or postal stationery or postal history from around the world, try The Stamp People.


Great Selection, Low Prices, and an easy, safe, secure Shopping Cart.

Stamps for Collectors, by Collectors - The Stamp People.

More Stamp News Regarding the USPS Rate Increase Coming in May, 2008

The following information is quoted from the official USPS website found at www.usps.com:


"On May 12 we will adjust prices for mailing services — First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services.

A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. Customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps they purchased for 41¢, even after the price change. We will have 5 billion Forever Stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the price change. We also will have a 62¢ stamp available shortly after May 12 for 1-ounce nonmachinable First-Class Mail letters, such as square greeting cards.

Pricing highlights:

No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.
Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.
Shape-based pricing for First-Class Mail International letters, flats, and parcels.
First-Class Mail International price groups expand from five to nine groups.

Select prices:


First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.) $0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.) $0.59
Postcard $0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.) $1.00
Certified Mail $2.70
First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.) $0.72
First-Class Mail International to all other countries (1 oz.) $0.94


We will announce new prices for shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail — in March."

As you can see, the 1 oz first class international rate to Canada & Mexico will jump by 3 cents, and the same rate to anywhere else in the world will jump by a whopping 4 cents.

No one except the USPS knows how high the charges for domestic Express Mail, Priority Mail and other services will be after May 12, but the Post Office will need to issue many new stamps.

The only good thing about this rate increase is the number of new postage stamps that it will require, meaning stamp collectors will have a large number of new stamps to find and put into their collections.

The United States Postal Service announced today that the first class domestic 1 ounce letter rate will go from 41 cents to 42 cents in May of this year. We haven't yet heard whether there will be any other rate increases, such as increased charges for domestic parcel post or priority mail, or for international mail.

A couple of things (in addition to costing more to mail an item) make this rate increase important to stamp collectors.

First, the new rate will necessitate the printing of new 42 cent stamps - and possibly other stamps too, if other rates are also increased. That means that there will be a whole raft of new, collectible stamps to be added to existing stamp collections. Additional one cent stamps will also need to be printed in order to meet the demand - people will want them in order to use their "leftover" 41 cent stamps after the rate hike goes into effect.

Second, just how "forever" will the Forever Stamps be good for, and how long will they continue to be printed, now that the USPS has announced a rate increase so quickly on the heels of the last one? Maybe there will not be as many printing varieties of the Forever Stamps as we originally thought - because it's possible that once the existing stock is gone, no more will be made and sold to the public.

Alternatively, new printings - and hence additional varieties - ARE possible, although after the beginning of May, they'll cost 42 cents instead of 41 cents. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I wonder how long they will be available, and how many different varieties of the "forever stamp" will be printed.

If there are several varieties throughout a number of years it may be a good thing for stamp collecting.

The US Forever Stamp - Good or Bad for Stamp Collecting?

Factors that make it good for collectors:

It may be in use for quite a while, increasing the chances of multiple printings throughout the years, even by different printing companies. If this comes true there will likely be several different varieties to collect, and possibly several different plate number coils as well.

Factors that make it bad for collectors:

Because they supposedly be able to be postally used no matter what the future first class mail rate increases turn out to be, non-collector users wishing to save some money on postage (and probably some stamp collectors too) will tend to buy them in quantity while they're available and use them on all of their mail. This will seriously decrease the number of different stamps that will be postally used in the future, a bad thing for collectors of used US postage stamps.


Does anyone else have any thoughts on this new (for the US) type of stamp?

Collecting Plate Number Coils

The daily mail can be very discouraging to a stamp collector - especially a beginner: for a stamp collector, the use of printed meters or postage-paid permits is almost certainly even worse than the use of the same definitive stamps over and over again. While it is true that there is no area of the hobby that does not have its adherents, and they are often quite passionate, if you're a stamp collector you want to collect STAMPS, not meters.

Stamp collectors, strictly defined, collect stamps, and the last stamps you found on your mail were probably on Christmas cards that you received. If they weren't Christmas stamps, they were probably definitive stamps, and often coil stamps.

What's a stamp collector to do, now that postally used commemorative stamps are getting so hard to find?

There is a lot of excitement now about plate number coils. Coil stamps have small numbers spaced along the bottom of the strip of stamps to show what plate was used in the printing - this number is referred to as the "plate number," and stamps bearing plate numbers are known as "plate number coils."

Depending upon what type of printing press was used, the plate numbers may appear on every 24th, 48th or 52d stamp. Look sharp and use a magnifier if necessary; the plate numbers are very small and sometimes are very lightly printed. The custom is to collect either single PNCs (the common abbreviation for plate number coils) or strips of three or five stamps, with the numbered stamp in the middle. Searching for all the plate numbers that were used for specific coil stamps, and indeed all coil stamps that have them, can be a lengthy but very rewarding pursuit - just the thing for a stamp collector who may think he or she has reached a "dead end."

dmhcollectibles offers PNCs in more than one way: unchecked, bulk coil mixes which almost certainly contain postally used plate number coils at wholesale prices, and individually identified - by Scott Number - PNCs. We also sell plate number coil stamp albums, specially designed for just those stamps.

The disturbing trend toward use of definitive stamps instead of commemorative stamps is continuing. Take a look at the mail you receive. How many "regular," definitive stamps were used as postage, and how many of the large commemorative stamps were used?

Is this because it's easier to keep a small booklet of self-adhesive definitives in your wallet or purse, ready to be put on a piece of mail when a stamp is needed? Possibly...

Is it because the sheets of large commemorative stamps are a bit less convenient because of their larger size, even though many commemoratives are now self-adhesive? Possibly ...

Is it because many post offices, like the one we use, "push" use of definitive stamps rather than commemoratives? Our post office only carries one or two different types of commemoratives at any one time and, if you go to the window to buy stamps, they will sell you definitives unless you make a specific point to ask for one of the one or two types of commemoratives they do carry. It almost makes you wonder why the USPS bothers to print commemorative stamps anymore.

We think the USPS needs to "smarten up" a bit and encourage the use of commemorative stamps a bit more than they currently do. People receiving mail using such stamps will be happy to see something different even if they're not stamp collectors. And stamp collecting will be helped a great deal. Stamp collectors would once again be able to easily obtain our beautiful used US commemorative stamps.

Deltiology - A Lifelong Hobby

Deltiology - the hobby of collecting postcards - can be a lifelong hobby, or one that you can pick up and put down as often as you'd like. You can spend as much - or as little - time and money as you'd like. The same is true for stamp collecting.

Postcard collecting is probably one of the three most popular collecting hobbies in the world, along with coin collecting (numismatics) and stamp collecting (philately). Many postcards are miniature works of art, and they have a very wide appeal. People collect postcards showing places that they've been (or want to be). Other collectors are topical or thematic collectors, collecting only a specific subject. In addition, collectors of various other types of memorabilia and ephemera, as well as historians, museums, and others, diligently seek specific postcards or types of postcards.

We sell most of our postcards individually, and prices vary with the type of card and its condition. But we are also able to put together a variety of larger wholesale lots of postcards grouped by country, town or topic. For more information, or to make a purchase, please visit Postcards From A Bygone Era.

Free Shipping Offer!

Free shipping on any postcard or group of postcards in our postcard shop -- Postcards From A Bygone Era

Postcards Can Be The Perfect Holiday Gift!

Vintage postcards can be the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones. Take them back to a favorite vacation beach, motel or restaurant. A college football player, now in his 50s, would probably love to get a postcard that shows his home stadium or the school mascot. Or find a postcard that shows your hometown way back when it was a tiny little place.

Share your memories, share your love, with vintage postcards.

Visit www.bygonepostcards.com to purchase one of our thousands of postcards.

Stamp Collecting - Philately

Collecting postage stamps - philately - can be a very rewarding hobby. It is suitable for all ages, from very young children to the elderly.

Extremely educational, it can teach children and adults history, geography and many other subjects, without really seeming to.

Stamp collecting can be as inexpensive as you like: you can purchase bulk mixtures of stamps at wholesale prices - pennies or less per stamp - from various websites, including Vintage Postcards, Stamps & More, or Stamps by Dmhcollectibles

Or if your budget allows, you can buy classic stamps, or inexpensive single stamps and sets, at the same websites.

Collecting Vintage Postcards - Another Lifelong Hobby

Stamp collecting and postcard collecting go together very well, and many people collect both.

And stamp collecting and postcard collecting can both be lifelong hobbies full of endless enjoyment.

Click on Vintage Postcards to see a wonderful selection of quality antique and vintage postcards from all around the world, for any budget. Artist-Signed, topicals, topographic postcards, Real Photo postcards, Expositions, amusement parks, Raphael Tuck, Roadside Americana, ships, including passenger liners and naval vessels, diner postcards & much more. Free shipping and great customer service. We buy postcard collections and accumulations too!

New Discount Online Postage Stamp Shop For Collectors

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Why don't people use commemorative stamps on their mail anymore?

I've noticed on my own personal mail that I hardly get any that have been posted using commemorative stamps - the beautiful, usually larger size stamps that honor an event, a person or some other occasion.

I thought about this for a while, and then realized that the USPS is not making it convenient to use them on mail. When you go into a post office to buy stamps, they usually try to sell you the small definitive stamps - flags, etc. - and if you want to buy commemoratives you have to specifically ask for them.

My own post office only sells one type of commemorative stamp, even though there are probably dozens of different commemoratives currently available for use - that is all they stock.

It's no wonder that postally used commemorative stamps are getting harder and harder to find.

Stamp collectors should write to the USPS and see if these policies can be changed.

Announcing a new stamp website for collectors and dealers alike: Stamps by dmhcollectibles

Featuring US and foreign wholesale kiloware and off paper stamp assortments and mixtures, fine US and worldwide classic vintage stamp sets and singles, inexpensive individual stamps and sets, souvenir sheets and mini-sheets, and much more, all at prices far below catalogue value. This online stamp shop includes an easy to use, secure shopping cart for all items.

Finally!

Good news for US stamp collectors! 2007 stamps are finally beginning to show up in kiloware and off paper stamp assortments!

I've noticed, however, that (so far at least) there is a low percentage of commemorative stamps being used compared to past years.

Collecting so-called "Dead Countries"...

Can be a fascinating pursuit, and sometimes easy on the budget too, since there are no new issues to keep up with.

Are you having trouble soaking some of your stamps off the paper?

Try adding a little dishsoap to some lukewarm water - this often helps with those stubborn recent self-adhesive stamps.