A Primer on the History of Stamp Collecting - Part II
As we mentioned yesterday, stamps were one of the main causes of the American Revolution. Great Britain's Stamp Act of 1765 imposed a tax on the population of the American British colonies without any input from the colonists. This tax led to one of the most famous rallying cries of the colonists and one of the founding principles of the USA: "No taxation without representation." But those types of stamps are different than the postage stamps that most people collect today.
The first government-issued postage stamps were issued by Great Britain in 1840, and they were a hit right from the beginning. Although many private and local post stamps had been issued by then, Britain's Penny Black and Penny Blue were the first "official" stamps printed by a national postal authority. Sir Rowland Hill came up with the idea as a means to prepay postage at the expense of the mailer instead of charging the recipient on delivery, but an additional benefit was a standardized rate for all mail carried throughout the country. His idea caught on quickly and spread throughout the world, with the United States issuing its first postage stamp in 1847.
Stamp collecting also became popular very quickly, and the wares of stamp dealers began to be in demand. By the end of the 19th century stamp albums, along with stamp collecting tools such as stamp tongs, stamp hinges, magnifiers and stamp catalogs had come into common use. Around this same time, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, some of the world's most important stamp sets were issued. Classic US stamps falling into this category include the Columbian set of 1892, issued in connection with Chicago's Columbian Exposition - the World's Fair that celebrated the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. Prized for their beautiful engraving and designs, the Columbians were also the first (technically, anyway) commemorative stamps issued by the US. Other important US stamp sets from this period include the Trans-Mississippi Exposition set and the Pan-American Exposition set. Far more (in my opinion) than the coveted (and in my opinion highly overpriced) Graf Zeppelin set, when taken together, the Columbians, the Trans-Mississippis and the Pan-Americans represent the pinnacle of US stamps, and I do not believe their quality and beauty will ever be surpassed.
The Universal Postal Union, created in the late 19th century, also significantly impacted stamp collecting. We'll discuss the UPU more in a couple of days, but for now suffice it to say that the UPU imposed standardized stamp colors for international mail, causing a plethora of new stamps to be issued in order to comply.
Tomorrow we'll add the final post in this short series on the history of stamp collecting.
Showing posts with label stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stamps. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
A Primer on the History of Stamp Collecting - Part I
Stamp collecting has a long and rich history, and few hobbies have enjoyed such enduring popularity. Although stamp collecting is sometimes called the "hobby of kings," you don't have to be rich to enjoy it. Many people of somewhat limited means have built beautiful, and above all, rewarding stamp collections.
Collecting stamps can be the hobby of a lifetime, but if you're anything like me, the more you know about its history, the more you'll enjoy it. The fact that many famous and important people have been dedicated stamp collectors has probably added much to its appeal. Kings, queens, United States Presidents, corporate CEOS and people in just about every other profession you can think of have been stamp collectors, and you can share their passion for philately.
Most people collect postage stamps and those types of stamp collections could not exist before 1840, when the world's first government-issued postage stamp - Great Britain's Penny Black - was issued. However, stamps of other types could be collected before 1840, including collecting tax stamps, revenue stamps, seals and more. No one knows how many people collected these other types of stamps before 1840, but mankind's predilection to collect just about anything makes me pretty sure that at least some did.
The Netherlands issued the first tax stamp way back in 1624. They soon came into popular use throughout Europe, including Great Britain, and were used to indicate prepayment of taxes that were levied by those countries' governments.
Did you know that stamps were one of the main causes of the American Revolution?
Stay tuned for more stamp collecting history tomorrow.
Stamp collecting has a long and rich history, and few hobbies have enjoyed such enduring popularity. Although stamp collecting is sometimes called the "hobby of kings," you don't have to be rich to enjoy it. Many people of somewhat limited means have built beautiful, and above all, rewarding stamp collections.
Collecting stamps can be the hobby of a lifetime, but if you're anything like me, the more you know about its history, the more you'll enjoy it. The fact that many famous and important people have been dedicated stamp collectors has probably added much to its appeal. Kings, queens, United States Presidents, corporate CEOS and people in just about every other profession you can think of have been stamp collectors, and you can share their passion for philately.
Most people collect postage stamps and those types of stamp collections could not exist before 1840, when the world's first government-issued postage stamp - Great Britain's Penny Black - was issued. However, stamps of other types could be collected before 1840, including collecting tax stamps, revenue stamps, seals and more. No one knows how many people collected these other types of stamps before 1840, but mankind's predilection to collect just about anything makes me pretty sure that at least some did.
The Netherlands issued the first tax stamp way back in 1624. They soon came into popular use throughout Europe, including Great Britain, and were used to indicate prepayment of taxes that were levied by those countries' governments.
Did you know that stamps were one of the main causes of the American Revolution?
Stay tuned for more stamp collecting history tomorrow.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Types of Stamp Cancellations & Postmarks: Part I
Precancels vs. Cancelled-to-Order (CTO) stamps:
Some stamp collectors may be a bit unclear about the difference between these two types of cancelled stamps, so we thought we'd give a bit of information about both of them. The key difference is that precanceled stamps are actually used on the mail.
Precancels:
Precanceled stamps are stamps that are cancelled before they're used on the mail. We know this might not make much sense, since stamps normally are cancelled after the mail they're on arrives at the post office for processing. But precancels were used in order to make mail processing faster - since the stamps were already canceled, the canceling process at the post office was bypassed.
Precancels were applied in one of two ways, either printed on the stamp or handstamped using a rubber stamp. In the US, precancels were printed by the federal government (usually called Bureau precancels, after the Bureau of Printing and Engraving), printed locally by local post offices, or handstamped at local post offices (not surprisingly, these latter two types are called local precancels). In the US and Canada, precancelled stamps were used for first class mail, parcel post and bulk mail. Some larger companies used them as a substitute for perfins - a security device to stop their employees from using the stamps for their personal mail or to sell. Precancels were generally used in other countries to mail newspapers.
Thousands of different precancels and varieties exist, and collecting precancelled stamps is both challenging and rewarding. Catalogs and lists of town precancelled stamps are readily available.
Canceled-to-Order (CTO) Stamps:
CTO stamps have been canceled by the issuing country's postal authority before their sale and are usually sold to stamp dealers for a reduced price. The stamp dealers then sell them to stamp collectors, often passing on their savings in the form of reduced prices. CTO stamps are not valid for postal use. They generally still have their full original gum, and the cancellations are almost always very neat and clear; often just a corner of the stamp is canceled so that the stamp design is not impacted. Many people collect CTO stamps because of their lower cost, and in fact the catalog prices for the stamps of some countries is for canceled-to-order stamps rather than postally used (which have a higher catalog value and cost more).
Many beautiful topical stamps are mainly available in CTO form. Don't turn your nose up at them, because they can be a way to inexpensively build a beautiful stamp collection.
Precancels vs. Cancelled-to-Order (CTO) stamps:
Some stamp collectors may be a bit unclear about the difference between these two types of cancelled stamps, so we thought we'd give a bit of information about both of them. The key difference is that precanceled stamps are actually used on the mail.
Precancels:
Precanceled stamps are stamps that are cancelled before they're used on the mail. We know this might not make much sense, since stamps normally are cancelled after the mail they're on arrives at the post office for processing. But precancels were used in order to make mail processing faster - since the stamps were already canceled, the canceling process at the post office was bypassed.
Precancels were applied in one of two ways, either printed on the stamp or handstamped using a rubber stamp. In the US, precancels were printed by the federal government (usually called Bureau precancels, after the Bureau of Printing and Engraving), printed locally by local post offices, or handstamped at local post offices (not surprisingly, these latter two types are called local precancels). In the US and Canada, precancelled stamps were used for first class mail, parcel post and bulk mail. Some larger companies used them as a substitute for perfins - a security device to stop their employees from using the stamps for their personal mail or to sell. Precancels were generally used in other countries to mail newspapers.
Thousands of different precancels and varieties exist, and collecting precancelled stamps is both challenging and rewarding. Catalogs and lists of town precancelled stamps are readily available.
Canceled-to-Order (CTO) Stamps:
CTO stamps have been canceled by the issuing country's postal authority before their sale and are usually sold to stamp dealers for a reduced price. The stamp dealers then sell them to stamp collectors, often passing on their savings in the form of reduced prices. CTO stamps are not valid for postal use. They generally still have their full original gum, and the cancellations are almost always very neat and clear; often just a corner of the stamp is canceled so that the stamp design is not impacted. Many people collect CTO stamps because of their lower cost, and in fact the catalog prices for the stamps of some countries is for canceled-to-order stamps rather than postally used (which have a higher catalog value and cost more).
Many beautiful topical stamps are mainly available in CTO form. Don't turn your nose up at them, because they can be a way to inexpensively build a beautiful stamp collection.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Choosing the Best Stamp Album
All right. You've begun your stamp collection, accumulating stamps wherever you find them, and maybe even making a stamp purchase or two. But right now, all your stamps are in a shoebox. What's a new stamp collector to do?
It's true, a shoe box will provide storage. But it's not the safest way to store your stamps, and it's not exactly the way you'd like to display them, either. Shoeboxes hold a ton of stamps, but when you use a shoe box, you run the risk of damaging your stamps: creases, bent corners, perforation damage and the like are all too common in shoebox collections. Your stamps will lose value as well as much of their beauty. Stamp albums are the solution, providing safe storage as well as a beautiful way to present your stamp collection.
Many types of stamp albums are available. You can begin with a "beginner's stamp album," but you don't need to stick with it forever: if you and your stamp collection require it, you can graduate from a beginner album to a nicer, more comprehensive stamp album. Your beginner stamp album may even consist of homemade album pages in a spiral or three-ring binder, but we suggest one of the albums printed by commercial album publishers: the paper used for the album pages is heavier in weight and better able to support the stamps without ripping, tearing or becoming dog-eared.
If you're buying a commercially-made stamp album, don't be misled by claims that any particular stamp album is "the best:" what's best for you may be a lot different from what might be best for a very advanced stamp collector. Good but inexpensive beginner stamp albums are available; most feature stamp illustrations to show you where to mount the stamps, and some even provide additional information about the stamps.
Keep in mind, while selecting a stamp album, that some types may present problems. The most notable of these problems is caused by double-sided album pages, meaning albums where stamps are intended to be mounted on both sides of each page, front and back. When the album is closed, the stamps on the front of one page have a tendency to become tangled with the stamps on the back of the facing page, and they may even tear off the page when pages are turned or the book is opened or closed. It's best to buy a stamp album designed for stamps to only be mounted on one side of each page. But these can be more expensive, so you may be forced to use a doubled-sided album for your collection. If that's the case, invest in some good-quality interleaving or plastic sheet protectors: they'll prevent stamps from tangling.
Your stamp album should consist of quality, fairly heavyweight, acid-free paper: flimsy paper just will not stand up, and an album made of lightweight pages will end up not being a whole lot better than a shoebox. If you have a specialty stamp collection or you just don't like the way commercially-printed stamp albums look, you can make your own stamp album pages, but make sure you use acid-free paper to protect your stamps from discoloration caused by chemicals in the paper itself.
Choosing the best stamp album is an individual decision, and you're the only person who can decide which one is best for you. But think before you buy, don't jump at the first album you see. But don't be too concerned if you make the wrong decision or if you decide to "upgrade" later - you can always use your album for temporary storage or for storing your duplicate stamps. Any stamp album is better than a shoebox!
All right. You've begun your stamp collection, accumulating stamps wherever you find them, and maybe even making a stamp purchase or two. But right now, all your stamps are in a shoebox. What's a new stamp collector to do?
It's true, a shoe box will provide storage. But it's not the safest way to store your stamps, and it's not exactly the way you'd like to display them, either. Shoeboxes hold a ton of stamps, but when you use a shoe box, you run the risk of damaging your stamps: creases, bent corners, perforation damage and the like are all too common in shoebox collections. Your stamps will lose value as well as much of their beauty. Stamp albums are the solution, providing safe storage as well as a beautiful way to present your stamp collection.
Many types of stamp albums are available. You can begin with a "beginner's stamp album," but you don't need to stick with it forever: if you and your stamp collection require it, you can graduate from a beginner album to a nicer, more comprehensive stamp album. Your beginner stamp album may even consist of homemade album pages in a spiral or three-ring binder, but we suggest one of the albums printed by commercial album publishers: the paper used for the album pages is heavier in weight and better able to support the stamps without ripping, tearing or becoming dog-eared.
If you're buying a commercially-made stamp album, don't be misled by claims that any particular stamp album is "the best:" what's best for you may be a lot different from what might be best for a very advanced stamp collector. Good but inexpensive beginner stamp albums are available; most feature stamp illustrations to show you where to mount the stamps, and some even provide additional information about the stamps.
Keep in mind, while selecting a stamp album, that some types may present problems. The most notable of these problems is caused by double-sided album pages, meaning albums where stamps are intended to be mounted on both sides of each page, front and back. When the album is closed, the stamps on the front of one page have a tendency to become tangled with the stamps on the back of the facing page, and they may even tear off the page when pages are turned or the book is opened or closed. It's best to buy a stamp album designed for stamps to only be mounted on one side of each page. But these can be more expensive, so you may be forced to use a doubled-sided album for your collection. If that's the case, invest in some good-quality interleaving or plastic sheet protectors: they'll prevent stamps from tangling.
Your stamp album should consist of quality, fairly heavyweight, acid-free paper: flimsy paper just will not stand up, and an album made of lightweight pages will end up not being a whole lot better than a shoebox. If you have a specialty stamp collection or you just don't like the way commercially-printed stamp albums look, you can make your own stamp album pages, but make sure you use acid-free paper to protect your stamps from discoloration caused by chemicals in the paper itself.
Choosing the best stamp album is an individual decision, and you're the only person who can decide which one is best for you. But think before you buy, don't jump at the first album you see. But don't be too concerned if you make the wrong decision or if you decide to "upgrade" later - you can always use your album for temporary storage or for storing your duplicate stamps. Any stamp album is better than a shoebox!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Stamp Mystery Boxes - Days of Fun
Sometimes called stamp mystery lots, stamp box lots or stamp boxes, stamp mystery boxes delight stamp collectors throughout the world. Usually fairly inexpensive (sometimes very inexpensive), they provide a great deal of entertainment to collectors because their exact composition is unknown when they're purchased.
You never know what you'll get in a stamp mystery box, but that's their attraction. Often the stamp dealer who sells a mystery box to you won't know what's in it either - stamps and stamp-related material such as covers and souvenir sheets are tossed into a box until it's judged by the dealer to be the right size for what is paid for it, without regard for the value of its contents. This means that a stamp mystery box may contain material that's all pretty common, or it may contain some material that has a fairly high value. You never know.
Stamp forums are full of tales about collectors finding a very valuable stamp in a mystery box. I have no doubt that this does happen sometimes, because I began my stamp collection (many years ago) by buying mystery boxes and wholesale stamp lots. And I always found at least a few really nice stamps in them, as well as plenty of more common stamps to fill holes in my collection.
Generally available in a variety of prices, stamp mystery boxes provide hours of fun, and sometimes some great finds, for stamp collectors around the world. Visit The Stamp People to order a stamp mystery box in a size of your choice, and get days of delightful enjoyment in return.
Sometimes called stamp mystery lots, stamp box lots or stamp boxes, stamp mystery boxes delight stamp collectors throughout the world. Usually fairly inexpensive (sometimes very inexpensive), they provide a great deal of entertainment to collectors because their exact composition is unknown when they're purchased.
You never know what you'll get in a stamp mystery box, but that's their attraction. Often the stamp dealer who sells a mystery box to you won't know what's in it either - stamps and stamp-related material such as covers and souvenir sheets are tossed into a box until it's judged by the dealer to be the right size for what is paid for it, without regard for the value of its contents. This means that a stamp mystery box may contain material that's all pretty common, or it may contain some material that has a fairly high value. You never know.
Stamp forums are full of tales about collectors finding a very valuable stamp in a mystery box. I have no doubt that this does happen sometimes, because I began my stamp collection (many years ago) by buying mystery boxes and wholesale stamp lots. And I always found at least a few really nice stamps in them, as well as plenty of more common stamps to fill holes in my collection.
Generally available in a variety of prices, stamp mystery boxes provide hours of fun, and sometimes some great finds, for stamp collectors around the world. Visit The Stamp People to order a stamp mystery box in a size of your choice, and get days of delightful enjoyment in return.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
New Wholesale-Priced Stamps at The Stamp People
The Stamp People, an online stamp shop that sells wholesale-priced bulk stamps as well as vintage and recent stamp sets and singles, received several new shipments of US kiloware and US bulk off paper stamps within the last few days. These stamp mixtures are now available at great prices on their website at www.thestamppeople.com
The new stamps, which came from several different suppliers, are from a wide time period and include stamps from the 1800s all the way through 2009.
The Stamp People are known for providing stamp collectors with bulk stamp mixes that have far fewer duplicates than the mixtures that can be bought from other stamp dealers. Stop by their website today. You'll be sure to find something you'll want.Monday, April 06, 2009
Simpsons Stamp to be Issued by the United States
I heard about the United States Postal Service's intention to issue a commemorative stamp for The Simpsons TV show over the weekend. I'm wondering what you all think about it.
The stamp will be the latest in a series of stamps that honor pop culture, including Comic Book Heroes and Star Wars.
Here are my thoughts: I know that The Simpsons have successfully invaded American culture, but I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, or that the show is a good influence. Although they can be funny at times (and just plain stupid at others), The Simpsons really boils down to the tales of a dysfunctional family. Honoring that just seems a bit crazy to me. I can't make the same accusation about stamps featuring Comic Book Heroes or Star Wars characters, but honoring them with stamps does strike me as a bit frivolous. It seems to me that there are enough genuine heroes out there that we don't need to honor fictional ones.
What do you think?
I heard about the United States Postal Service's intention to issue a commemorative stamp for The Simpsons TV show over the weekend. I'm wondering what you all think about it.
The stamp will be the latest in a series of stamps that honor pop culture, including Comic Book Heroes and Star Wars.
Here are my thoughts: I know that The Simpsons have successfully invaded American culture, but I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, or that the show is a good influence. Although they can be funny at times (and just plain stupid at others), The Simpsons really boils down to the tales of a dysfunctional family. Honoring that just seems a bit crazy to me. I can't make the same accusation about stamps featuring Comic Book Heroes or Star Wars characters, but honoring them with stamps does strike me as a bit frivolous. It seems to me that there are enough genuine heroes out there that we don't need to honor fictional ones.
What do you think?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Honoring Living People With Stamps
Australia Post, unlike the United States Postal Service, permits its stamps to depict living people.
Four stamps issued on January 26th (Australia Day) honor four of the country's newest "Australian Legends." All four are Hollywood film stars.
Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush each now have a stamp that features their likeness, issued in honor of their contribution to Australian culture and entertainment.
The postal authorities of some countries produce stamps that feature living celebrities as a means of tapping into their popular appeal and increasing stamp sales. But from an American perspective, it's odd to see.
Australia Post, unlike the United States Postal Service, permits its stamps to depict living people.
Four stamps issued on January 26th (Australia Day) honor four of the country's newest "Australian Legends." All four are Hollywood film stars.
Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush each now have a stamp that features their likeness, issued in honor of their contribution to Australian culture and entertainment.
The postal authorities of some countries produce stamps that feature living celebrities as a means of tapping into their popular appeal and increasing stamp sales. But from an American perspective, it's odd to see.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Collecting Plate Number Coils
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 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.
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