I have been doing my best this year learning about old postage stamps. The reason for that is because my Granddad had a collection and it is now my responsibility to maintain. I was surprised by the amount of knowledge that you must have to look after them properly.
I really enjoyed going through the collection and marking everything off. It took me a long time but I went through and took a record of every single stamp. I think it is best to have your collection recorded properly. It also helps for insurance purposes.
I was very keen to take them home and as a result I stored the old postage stamps incorrectly (for a short time). I had them in a flat position on the floor. This can damage the stamps. You should have them in a upright position. You also want them to be left in a dark place that is cool and dry. If possible you want the area to be of zero humidity.
Once I had the album at home I wanted to buy some stamps for it. I was keen to 'stamp' my personality on it. I started buying any stamps that I liked but I don't think that did the collection much good. I went for a theme so it will have a bit more of an order.
These days you can buy old postage stamps all over the place. I found that the post office has a useful website for information. There you can buy them at face value although they aren't presented very well. I have found buying them over the internet to be ok. I have found one or two bargains on Ebay. You also can go to a specialised stamp dealer or have the excitement of an auction.
I have really enjoyed collecting and learning about old postage stamps. You can have the same experience to and learn in your own way. You don't have to do it like I did.
Would you like to know more about old postage stamps? Please visit the site that Nigel has put together for more details. You can use it to find the value of old postage stamps that you might have.
categories: old postage stamps,postage stamps,stamp collecting,stamps,philately,hobbies,collecting,collectables,antiques,home family,leisure
