Most philatelists will tell you that they collect stamps for the sheer fun of it. If you probed them further, they might even tell you that the hobby is tantamount to a monumental desire for beauty, order and an individualistic freedom of expression.

Every stamp collection reflects the temperament, knowledge and personal interest of the collector. They can be strategically specialized or be impressive in their breadth of scale or depth of research.

I Collect "Cuz I Like 'Em"

No law says that your collection must be absolutely complete. Depending on your resources, you may certainly limit yourself to what intrigues you the most. Here are a few collector whims that are both fascinating and inspiring.

Ernst M. Cohn looks out especially for mail properly stamped and addressed to him, but which the post office has misdirected and delayed. He collects plenty of these postal "screw-ups" right at his front door.

A mélange consisting of advertising covers from breweries, vintners, distilleries and liquor merchants.

Electric Beans For Tired People

Stansfields Unshrinkable Underwear

Choosing a Collection

A heap of stamps, even if it goes into thousands, is not yet a collection. For the making of a philatelist out of a collector one thing is necessary above all else - a clear idea of how to assemble a collection based on a well-founded knowledge of a chosen parameter.

It has been shown that the collections that fetch the most money when they are sold are put together not for the value but its formation. The key desirability is that they have taken an area, wide or narrow, and endeavored to form a representative 'completeness'.

Philatelic collections can be divided into 2 large, basic groups - catalogue collections formed in the original, classical way and thematic collections.

Catalogue Collections

For a general catalogue collection, stamps are arranged according to the date of issue, in chronological order, without regard to varieties or specialties. Such a collection can comprise one or more countries or just certain periods. The advantage is that the stamp collector can easily collect with the help of a catalogue. The disadvantage is that such a collection naturally includes the rarest stamps, which are expensive and difficult to obtain.

Forming a specialised collection requires a different approach. The collector concentrates on different perforations, types of stamps, printing errors, deficiencies etc. He is interested in all circumstances of the production and use of stamps. Such a collection may include entires and stationery, postmarks and even forgeries. It requires very thorough philatelic knowledge.

The most demanding is the study collection. Further research into other material and documents and postal archives is necessary. Endless patience is required, for instance, in the minute study of several thousand copies of the same stamp to discover typical marks. It is the philatelists who have formed study collections who explain unknown facts concerning the printing and use of stamps. They provide the most valuable exhibits for stamp exhibitions and pass on their experience to other philatelists by means of articles for the press, books and lectures.

This is a relatively young branch of philately, based nowadays on a wealth of stamps with all sorts of motifs that are issued all over the world. The design and motif of the stamp are the most important concern for the thematic collector. While the classical collector is interested in the technical details of the stamp, in its perforation, paper, details of design and so on, the thematic collector is interested in the meaning of the design. He acquires knowledge in all sorts of fields and pursues variants of the factual and artistic expression of certain motifs. He considers how he can apply the pictures to the basic theme and how he can illustrate the theme with the help of philatelic material.

The subject collection is the lowest level of the field, based exclusively on the design of the stamp or purpose of issue (ships, flowers). These are prepared in a very simple way without any libretto or guideline. A minimal amount of text s needed for each page of the collection.

A thematic collection is more demanding. A libretto is prepared and the collection is provided with detailed explanatory texts. It expresses with the help of stamps and philatelic material a certain chosen theme. The philatelist must acquire a great deal of knowledge in the field of this theme. Otherwise he could not work it properly into a libretto and correctly evaluate the stamps that he needs for the collection.

It is the subject of the design and its connotations, which attract collectors - and even experienced philatelists - to the picture gallery of stamps or the well-documented story. Arranged in an orderly fashion within an album, the 'accumulation' becomes a collection reflecting the owner's personal taste and aptitude for display.

Another form of thematics is the narrative or story in which stamps illustrate the progressive development of a theme - it could be the life and career of a celebrity, a famous musician, perhaps or a well-known painter. Something more ambitious would be 'The Story of Flight', 'The History of the Motor Car' or a telecom saga 'From Morse to Telex'. This type of collection must be thoroughly pre-planned and researched to provide the necessary 'running commentary' in the album, especially if it is intended for competition.

Spotlight on Postal History

Postal history is a field where the investor must become an avid collector. But it is also likely to be his most rewarding field. Here an item worth a few pounds can be made very much more valuable by diligent research. There are more opportunities for discovery in postal history than in any other branch of philatelics. A meaningless scrawl in a foreign language may turn out to be a slave-trader's letter, which immediately gives it an added interest and correspondingly an added value.

Advice from One Collector to Another

Beware of bargains that are too good to be true! More importantly, know your financial limitations. Don't try for too broad a stamp spectrum. Tightening your collecting goals will allow you to become more knowledgeable about what you do collect. With that kind of focus, you may be better able to form an opinion on prices and selection.

Learn from the Best

There is the philatelic press and a whole reserve of newsletters, papers and journals by various societies and other authoritative sources that you can seek out. Never be afraid or too proud to ask for help from fellow collectors and dealers who know your collecting field.

Join a local stamp club or start one if none exists in your community. When it comes to stamp collecting, camaraderie and knowledge just seem to go together.

Good basic catalogues often give introductions that can educate you on terms, printing methods and stamp design. A thorough knowledge of these will help you attain your collecting goals. When you realize, for example, that a tiny variance in perforations can mean the difference between a common stamp and one of great value, you will appreciate the wisdom of a quest for philatelic knowledge.

A danger for a beginner collector is to think that your money is better spent on stamps than a catalogue. There could be many varieties of the same stamp with great differences in price. Without a catalogue, you may have to take the dealer's word that the stamp you are buying is properly cataloged and fairly priced.

Limit your collecting goals but not your hunt for knowledge. As with antique and art collecting, knowledge and discernment are the keys to common-sense approaches and the enjoyment of your hobby.

How to Use a Catalogue

All postage stamps are listed in catalogues. They may be listed by country or theme. Catalogues tell you what stamps a country has issued, when and why. They also give details of perforation size, watermarks, design and printer. They give two prices for each stamp, one for a new stamp and one for a used stamp. These prices are known as the catalogue value.

The value given in the catalogue is the price for which the dealer will sell the stamp when it is in perfect condition. If you are buying a stamp, you will probably pay less than the catalogue depending on its condition. Any defects will greatly reduce the value of a stamp so don't expect to sell your stamps for the catalogue price!

Find that stamp through these simple steps

Check that all the details in the catalogue are the same as your stamp. Then read the other information - you may want to write notes from the catalogue in your album.

For more information on stamp collecting, visit www.stamp2.com.