Stamp
Collecting
©Money
Magic, Inc.1/29/00
Saturday Daybreak KATV, Chn. 7
Mary Ann Campbell, CFP
The
Opportunity:
Stamp
collecting is an attractive hobby precisely because each collection
can be developed and presented as a reflection of the personality
and interests of the collector.
Stamps
can also be very valuable. However, it’s important to realize
that 90+ percent of all postage stamps are valued at less than
$1 and most postage stamps sell for no more than a few cents each.
Money
Magic Actions:
(Who you gonna call and click…)
American
Philatelic Society 814-237-3803
www.stamps.org
United
States Postal Service 888-STAMP FUN
www.stampsites.com
Linn’s
Stamp News Advice for stamp collectors: linns@linns.com
- Have Fun: It is
unlikely to be fun if you begin as an investor. So, start
with quantity and learn to appreciate good stamp design, town
cancellations, color varieties, perforated initials, and the
other attributes and differences that make stamps interesting.
- Don’t tear stamps
off envelopes, especially older envelopes, without checking
with more experienced collectors to see if "on cover" has
additional value.
- Use philatelic
supplies and tools for your collection. For instance, use
hinges not Scotch tape for mounting; plain paper or stamp
albums, not photo albums for display; stamp tongs for handling
stamps. Use archival-quality materials.
- Food, drink and
stamps do not mix.
- Don’t smoke when
working on your stamps. The chemicals in tobacco stain stamps,
and they take on a characteristic odor that is increasingly
unpopular with collectors.
- Keep your good
material a safe distance away from pets and little children.
Both are curious and unintentionally destructive.
- Use catalogs,
read the philatelic press, and buy and consult philatelic
literature that covers your collecting areas.
- Share your interests
with friends, and find new friends by joining a local club
and the American Philatelic Society.
- Always buy the
best condition you can afford because higher grades of condition
always hold their value better than lower grades.
- Educate someone,
preferably your spouse or other heir, about the value of your
collection and the ways and to whom it can be sold to maximize
the return.
- Note: The Society
will, upon request, suggest a volunteer Estate Advisor to
provide a summary examination of a deceased member’s philatelic
property and to suggest appropriate methods of sale.
Little
Rock and surrounding area:
The Pinnacle
Stamp Club of Arkansas
7 p.m.; 4th Thursday of each month
University Mall;
Contact Bill Norton, 888-3175.
