| You get your mail, riffle through, then suddenly you | | | | swapping not only increases your collection, it also |
| spot that colorful postage stamp and you think, "I | | | | allows you to get acquaintances and friends. |
| should be collecting them." | | | | - Get your grandma or grandpa to let you see their |
| Or, you're probably awed over that huge collection of | | | | old letters. There is a high chance that you'll get rare |
| stamps featured at the nearby museum. You look at | | | | and old stamps that you won't see anywhere ever |
| it and say, "That looks like an interesting hobby." | | | | again. |
| Well then, welcome to the world of postage stamp | | | | 2. Sort |
| collecting. | | | | Have you stamps in one huge box? Now's the time |
| First things first. To start any activity, you have to | | | | to sort them all out. Sorting is necessary to facilitate |
| have your materials and tools. In stamp collecting | | | | the storing process. Most of the stamps you have |
| you'll need: | | | | are on paper because they are cut out from mailing |
| - Your stamps | | | | envelopes. You need to sort them out into: |
| - Stamp album or stock book | | | | - stamps with white background paper |
| - A magnifying glass | | | | - stamps with colored background paper |
| - A glass vessel, usually 8" by 10" or 10" by 12" in | | | | - stamps with rubber stamp ink (especially those in |
| size, to soak your stamps in | | | | red and purple) |
| - Lots of plain, white, paper towels | | | | - stamps without rubber stamp ink |
| - A stamp drying book | | | | 3. Trim |
| - A thermometer | | | | Leave about 1-2 cm safety margin when you trim |
| - Heavy books | | | | your stamps. Also, try not to cut the perforations, as |
| These can be found at your local post office, DIY | | | | it will decrease the value of your stamp. |
| store and the internet. You might also want to buy a | | | | 4. Soak |
| watermark detector, but if you're just starting out, it | | | | Never try peeling a stamp off the paper, even if it's |
| isn't really necessary yet. | | | | loose. Peeling like this is a surefire way to ruin your |
| Now on to the steps: | | | | stamp. The way to do it is to soak it in water. |
| 1. Get | | | | First, fill up your vessel to about half. The water |
| If you're starting from zero, the best way to go is | | | | temperature should be around 30-35°C. Water |
| to buy local postage stamps first. A packet of 500 or | | | | that's too warm or hot will increase the chances of |
| 1000 assorted worldwide stamps are usually available | | | | color running. Soak your stamps by batches, around 8 |
| at your nearest post office. This goes for at least $3 | | | | or 10, for around 15 minutes. |
| to $6. | | | | Remember: NEVER soak a stamp with white |
| Still isn't too varied for you, you could try to buy | | | | background paper and a stamp with a colored one at |
| from dealers who sell "kiloware". Kiloware are stamps | | | | the same time. Stamps with a colored background |
| on-paper sold by weight (by the pound) for a specific | | | | paper and those with rubber stamp inks usually stain |
| amount. You could also try going to stamp shows | | | | the water and might damage your white stamps. |
| where they sell stamps, by the bucket! See for a | | | | This is why you need to sort them all out before |
| calendar of the shows. | | | | starting. |
| Now, you can get try getting stamps for free! Here | | | | They way to go with these problematic stamps is to |
| are some quick tips on how to. This will definitely | | | | soak them individually. Yes, it could be time |
| make your stamp hunting more interesting and | | | | consuming and tiring but in the end, you'll get great |
| worthwhile: | | | | stamps. |
| - Inform everybody you know that you're collecting | | | | After 15 minutes, pick up a stamp with your fingers |
| stamps. Chances are they'd pull out all that old letters | | | | and try to peel it off the backing. If there is even |
| they kept and start giving them to you. Don't forget | | | | the slightest of resistance, drop it back into the |
| to say thank you. | | | | water and wait for another 10 minutes or so. |
| - Have relatives in foreign countries? Ask them to | | | | 5. Dry |
| send you some (or a lot) of postage stamps available | | | | After peeling, lay your stamps face up into a waiting |
| in that country. If that doesn't work, try asking them | | | | paper towel. Put another sheet on top and gently |
| to send you letters instead. | | | | blot the excess moisture. Be extra careful since wet |
| - Know of anyone who's going on a business trip | | | | stamps are very fragile. |
| abroad? A vacation in Asia? Going up north? Ask | | | | Afterwards, line them up in the plastic page of your |
| them to send you post cards form wherever they | | | | stamp album. Place the blotter sheet atop them, |
| are. Not only do you get the stamps, you also get to | | | | close the book and press. It'd help if you put heavy |
| keep track of how they are. | | | | books on top of the drying book to ensure nice, flat |
| - Get to know your neighbors. Chances are one of | | | | stamps. They should be sufficiently dry after 4-5 |
| them is working in a big company or institution | | | | hours. |
| wherein loads of letters pour in everyday. And if | | | | 6. Store |
| you're really lucky, said neighbor might actually be the | | | | If you want to be able to move them around and |
| one in charge of opening all those letters. You get | | | | shuffle them, you' be better off with a stock album. |
| the drift? | | | | A stock album has plastics sleeves wherein you can |
| - The next time you visit the post office, keep an | | | | keep the stamps and their duplicates. |
| open eye for stray envelopes that recent visitors | | | | But if you want to store them for good, you can |
| have carelessly tossed aside. Many people read and | | | | mount them in a stamp album. It'd be a permanent |
| discard their letters at the post office. | | | | home for your beloved collection. |
| - Make friends with fellow collectors. Trading and | | | | |