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

Buy Collectible Classic, Vintage 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 or inexpensive stamp sets and singles, try Stamps by Dmhcollectibles.

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

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.

Stamp Trivia Question of the Week:

What is the commonly accepted name of the long-running, world-famous British series of stamps that honor a monarch of the U.K., and who is the monarch?

The famous Machin series, named after its creator Arnold Machin. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch it honors.