Stamps with Faults - What to Do With Them? (continued)
Damaged stamps are accumulated by just about every stamp collector. They can be put to very good uses. And some people buy them intentionallly, with a specific purpose in mind.

1. Give them to a young child. They may spark his or her interest in stamp collecting, which is always a good thing, both for the child and for the hobby in general. And the child you give the stamps to may show those stamps to friends, who may also get interested in collecting stamps. They may even start trading stamps among themselves, and stamp collections may begin to form.

2. Use them as space fillers. This is a common way, employed by stamp collectors around the workd, to have stamps in your collection that you may not otherwise be able to afford. Some damaged stamps are quite lovely in appearance when mounted in a stamp album. Thins, a very short, almost invisible tear, or damaged gum are faults that really cannot be seen from the front. If an otherwise very expensive stamp is severely marked down in price because of a fault like this, it can be a good acquisition for your stamp collection. You may end up with a stamp that you need for your collection but couldn't otherwise afford.

3. Use them as references for different color shades.

4. The cancellations and postmarks may be collectible, even on damaged stamps.

5. Use them for art (see the picture at the top of this post). Although that may be a little carried away, you can use damaged stamps for scrapbooking, collages, framed art and other decorative purposes.

The list of uses for damaged stamps goes on and on. Just use your imagination!