Beginning Stamp Collecting - Today's Installment of A Tutorial on the Hobby for a Lifetime (continued)


Plan your stamp collection, but keep in mind that there are no rules, only the ones you set for yourself. Your ideas and collecting habits will change over time and as your collection grows. Your plan - whatever it is - should be flexible enough to allow for growth and broadening interests.


Your first thought might be to establish the theme or topic of your collection. The easiest place to start is to collect stamps that come from mail that is sent to you or your family or friends. Most of these stamps will be from the country in which you live. Many collectors start this way, and branch out later as their interest grows.

There are several different types of stamp collections. For most types you will need at least one stamp catalogue, and possibly several reference books.

Single country.

This type of stamp collection is where you try to collect every stamp issued by the country that you select. The more you collect, the more specialized your collection will become. This will take some time but is a great experience. You will develop in-depth knowledge of the country's stamps.

Topicals or Thematic Stamps.

In this type of collection, you try to collect stamps with a similar theme from anywhere in the world. The choice of topic is yours. The list of possible topics is basically unlimited, but some popular themes are trains, airplanes, space, ships, flowers, flags and Boy Scouts. For something a bit different, you could also try collecting all of the worldwide stamps that were issued in the year of your birth.


Omnibus Collection.

In this type of collection you collect all the stamps that were issued by various countries in connection with a specific event, such as the death of Princess Diana, the Silver Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King George VI, etc.


Ad hoc stamp collection.

This is a collection with no apparent rhyme or reason - they are just "stamps that you like." Many stamp collections start this way, and this is how many stamp collectors learn about stamps. This stage may take years, and a collection like this can be left and returned to many years later. This type is usually the least expensive for those with limited funds.