The pleasure of stamp collecting has no limit to any collector, kids or adults, by the fact that it’s easy to start. A request for postage stamps on everyday mails from friends or relatives simply makes your collecting begins. Stamp collecting’s charm is in its freedom to fit the desires of any collector as much as he wishes to spend in time, money and effort. It is the least structured hobby in the world; you can do exactly as you wish.
What to Collect?
Once you decide to collect stamps then comes a guestion; what stamps to collect?
It is common to begin with basic items :
Unused Stamps – uncanceled stamps that have not been used.
Used Stamps – stamps that have been canceled by a postal authority to prevent their reuse on mail.
The advice is to start as general collector. Avoid the temptation to specialize before you have seen and handled a wide range of stamps. Then expand you interest into other related materials such as:
Souvenir sheets
A small sheet of stamps, including one value or a set of stamps.
A souvenir sheet usually has a wide margin and an inscription describing an event being commemorated. Stamps on a souvenir sheet may be perforated or imperforate.
Postal cards
Postal card – government-produced postcard bearing a stamp imprint in the upper-right corner
representing prepayment of postage.
Aerogramme
A postage-paid airletter sheet with gummed flaps that is written on and then folded to form an envelope. Aerograms are normally carried at less than the airmail letter rate. No enclosures are permitted.
First day cover ( FDC )
A cover bearing a stamp tied by a cancellation showing the date of the official first day of issue of that stamp.
Commemorative stamps
Commemorative stamps are issued in honor of an important event, person, or special subject printed in a limited quantity and available for purchase for a limited time.
Other Collecting items are:
Stamp booklet;
Presentation pack;
Annual stamp album;
Maximum card;
Stamp folder.
For beginning collectors, some good advice is not to take on more than you can handle comfortably. The ideas for collections can be defined by country, by topic, by time period or by any other personal interests.