Stamp Collecting Blog

Stamp Collecting Where to Begin

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:31:00 -0700

So, you have decided to give one of the oldest known hobbies a try. But how does one begin stamp collecting? What do you need to begin?

Perhaps the best place to start is with a general idea of what types of stamps you will most likely be interested in...US or Foreign Stamps. Once that is covered, all you need is something to put the stamps in and, of course, the stamps themselves.

If you decide upon collecting stamps from the USA, you could begin simply by soaking the stamps off your current mail. If you have a particular foreign country in mind, beginning with a stamp packet may be your best bet to a hit the ground running. We also have a great offer on Worldwide stamps for new stamp collectors that includes our stamps on approval service. Whatever you decide, we would love to hear how it goes. Please use the comment feature below to share your experience with us and other new stamp collectors.

Timely Bargains for Collectors

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:51:00 -0700

During the next several weeks, a number of us at Jamestown Stamp Company have decided to select and list products that we really like and those that we really like as gifts. Since I am the Web Geek of the bunch, I have the advantage of being able to tell why I choose the items I choose. All of these items will be displayed and updated regularly on our Bargains for Collectors page. Actually, there is one item I didn't choose. My 11 year-old daughter and her friends chose the Holographic Butterfly stamp. But I did choose both the US Stamp Bag and the Mystery Stamp Cube. The main reason I chose these stamp items is because they allow kids room to explore. Whether they become stamp collectors or not is up to them. But at a time when parents and grandparents could do without wasting gas while looking for the perfect non-iPod gift, both of these items offer an affordable way to introduce a child to a whole new world...their world that exists beyond blinking screens and ringtones.

CD Stamps

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:37:00 -0700

Would these be classified as CDs on Stamps or Stamps on CDs? Either way, the Hartford Courant reports today about these Canadian Easy Listening Stamps. By the way, the first I heard of Joni Mitchell was last night via an old Alias episode. I've never been an easy listening type of guy. But the souvenir stamp sheet concept is pretty neat.

Stamp Game

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:04:00 -0700

I found this MSN Group called the Stamp Game while searching the Web today. It sounds very interesting. It's always nice to see how stamp collectors leverage the power of the Internet to enjoy their hobby. If anyone has tried this or knows of something like it, please leave a comment. Our comments are moderated which means that comments must be reviewed before they appear.

10 Years of Collecting on the Web

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 21:29:00 -0700

It was in 1939 that Jamestown Stamp Company began serving collectors via mail order. That's some impressive history. No one questions this company's commitment to collectors or its knowledge of the hobbies it tailors to. Likewise, it was in May of 1996 that Jamestown Stamp Company first purchased the domain name jamestownstamp.com. A mere decade in most industries is just a small milestone. On the Web, it's huge! [More]

Is Stamp Collecting for Nerds

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:44:00 -0700

What makes something for nerds anyway? Let me retape my glasses and address this question. I could list famous people who have collected stamps but that would be reversing the same ridiculous stereotype. Hobbies simply don't make people cool or uncool. This is common sense and we all know this. But none of us particularly enjoy appearing uncool. For this reason very few of us would wear a shirt that proclaims, "I am a Geek". The opposite would probably also lead to unfavorable comments...wearing a shirt that said "I am Cool". Regardless of which category you might think you fall into, boldly proclaiming either will probably not pan out in your favor. Just the same, it would be ill advised to carry a perforation gauge to the high school prom. This is common sense. [More]

Stamp Topics

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:52:00 -0700

There are so many different types of topics one encounters when collecting stamps. In fact, the number of topics is limitless. For example, the topic art on stamps can be further subdivided and specialized into pop art, paintings, portraits, nature scenes, etc. I am still pretty new to this and haven't really spent much time on any one topic enough to call myself a topical collector. But I do plan to focus on a particular stamp topic soon. When I can, I plan to begin collecting stamps featuring the Resurrection. I suppose if there's any place to start, that has to be it. [More]

Mobile Post Offices

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:30:00 -0700

Shortly after getting my first apartment, I was like a lot of fresh out of college kids always forgetting things like postage stamps. One day, when I had to mail an already late payment, I simply taped a quarter and penny or two to the envelope. I figured the post office would know what to do. As fate would have it, the apartment complex's postman happened to be delivering mail to all the boxes. While he wasn't too pleased at my solution, he did offer me an alternative. [More]

Stamps and Anticipation

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:45:00 -0700

I've waited all week to get back to my Mongolia collection only to find that I was out of time. There's just something about securing a chunk of time for organizing and researching new stamps. [More]

Stamp Cancel Marks

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 20:38:00 -0700

We were soaking off some stamps the other day and noticed that some of the stamps had large, almost defacing cancel marks on them. Obviously, their purpose is to mark the stamp as having been used. But one would think that postal service would do their best not to destroy any aesthetic value of the stamp(s). [More]

Sports and Stamps

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 22:43:00 -0700

No, I'm not talking about Sports on Stamps topicals. I'm talking about teamwork. It's basketball season so let's talk basketball. The NBA is gearing up for the playoffs and we're knee deep in March Madness. Contrary to what commercials and media hype would have us believe, championship teams are built from a group...not just a single marquis player. Sure, marquis players get all the hype. But alone, they do not win championships. [More]

Finding Rare Postage Stamps

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:51:00 -0700

Is it even possible to find rare postage stamps these days? One of the things that I feel makes this hobby so exciting is the possibility of finding a true treasure. Think about it. Unlike most other collectibles, postage stamps--while on a letter--were often tucked safely away. While many collectibles are stored away safely, letters of significance were and are often protected for later review whether the owner collected stamps or not. Non collectors generally disregard the stamp entirely. This means that while the entire letter or postcard may be preserved, the owner would have no idea what stamp was on it. [More]

What is a Stamp Packet

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 22:25:00 -0700

Don't all purchased collectible postage stamps come in a packet, glassine, or package of some kind? Sure. But the term packet refers more to the diversity of different packets available. For instance, there are country specific packets. There are United States stamp packets, Russia stamp packets, etc.. There are also packets categorized by topic like butterflies on stamps, trains on stamps, and scouts on stamps. There are even packets categorized, or grouped, by stamp type like commemoratives or triangle stamps. [More]

The Value of a Stamp

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 21:53:00 -0700

Just a few days ago I talked about the value of a stamp or coin going beyond monetary terms. I stand by that. But having stamps in your collection that have a high dollar value is exciting. In fact, seeing just one or two stamps having a higher catalog value than what you paid for the packet is exciting. So, how do you find this value figure? [More]

Kids and Collecting Part 3

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 22:19:00 -0700

Anyone half interested in collecting stamps has heard the talk of today's kids not being interested in stamps. Perhaps there's a shred of truth to that. But that same truth can be applied to most items that kids collect. Are rocks exciting? They can be, I suppose. But the point is that rocks don't have to have images of the latest cartoon characters or the latest boy band for a child to pick it up and put it in his pocket. Nor do they have to be rare and valuable. The fact that they are common and easily found makes looking for a different one all that much more meaningful. These same factors still apply to stamps. So, why aren't more kids collecting stamps these days? [More]