Collecting Stamps

Stamp collecting, or philately, is the gathering, arranging, and studying of postage stamps and related materials, including covers, envelopes, postmarks, and post cards. It is a hobby enjoyed by millions of people of all ages around the world.

People collect stamps for many different reasons. Some value them as art—they might appreciate the simple designs of ordinary, everyday stamps (called definitive issue stamps) or they might enjoy the more colorful and larger images on commemorative issue stamps that have been created to honor a particular person, place, or event. Other people enjoy and study the history behind individual stamps and collect them for historical interests. No matter what your reason, there is no right or wrong way to collect stamps. Stamp collecting reflects your personal interests and can be a statement about who you are.

Most importantly, though, stamp collecting is fun. It is a social activity, with many clubs and organizations designed to help you share your interest in stamps with others and make new friends. Stamp collecting can also be relatively inexpensive.

You can collect cancelled stamps saved from your mail, purchase new stamps at your local post office, or buy them from stamp dealers or at stamp shows. Plus, there are no special or expensive tools necessary. You’ll be ready to start collecting once you have tongs and a magnifying glass to handle and see your stamps and an album to store and display your collection. You’ll have fun watching your collection of stamps grow; and, because no collection will ever really be complete, there are always new and exciting stamps for you to find.

For more information about stamp collecting, check out the websites for the United States Post Office and the American Philatelic Society, the largest organization for stamp collecting in the world.