Collecting Topical or Thematic Stamps

Topical or thematic stamp collecting is the practice of collecting postage stamps relating to a particular subject or concept. Topics may include just about anything, from flowers on stamps to famous explorers to stamps on stamps (yep, a smaller version of some stamp that's reproduced on another stamp).

Early stamps usually pictured the heads of reigning monarchs or government officials, people that were important in the country's history, or coats of arms. But that can get boring, so postal administrations around the world eventually developed new designs that drew upon nature and also their nations' cultures. A prime example is the beaver, featured on some of the earliest stamps of Canada. More than 150 years later, the number of designs on stamps is staggering and provides stamp collectors with thousands of different topics to collect.

In fact, there are now so many stamps that traditional topics for collecting, such as "ships" or "birds", have become nearly impossible to complete. Many topical collectors have adapted to this by narrowing their thematic stamp collections further, such as by looking for only sailing ships from the 1800s, or only flightless birds.

Most types of stamp designs are commonly available and inexpensive, and acquiring them is mostly a matter of reviewing stamp catalogs to find relevant stamps.

Lists of topics can be obtained from The American Topical Association and other groups. Or you can make up your own - after all, it's YOUR collection!