An Educational Past
Time: Stamp Collecting
Stamp collecting, also known as philately, is a popular and educational
past time. Stamp collectors save stamps from letters, especially those
from other countries. They also search out old stamps that represent a
past time. Stamp enthusiasts can be found everywhere. Their notebooks
and glassine envelopes filled with stamps are fascinating to look
through. Many of the stamps they collect are very valuable as well.
Materials needed for starting a stamp collection include a stamp album
and special mounting tapes called hinges. Tools you will find useful are
a pair of small tongs or tweezers for carefully lifting delicate old
stamps and a magnifying glass for finding minute details. The beginning
philatelist can start with the stamps on the mail that arrives this very
day. To remove a stamp from an envelope, carefully tear away the
envelope from around the stamp being careful not to tear the stamp
itself. Now soak the stamp in warm water. The remaining piece of
envelope will turn loose, allowing you to lift the stamp from the water
with the tongs.
Lay the stamp on absorbent paper. When dry, place a heavy book on top of
the stamp to flatten it. As a past time, stamp collecting requires
precision and neatness. Place the dried and flattened stamp in the album
by using one of the hinges, or store it in one of the tiny glassine
envelopes unique to stamp collecting.
Many collectors specialize in collecting currently available
commemoratives as a past time. Stamp designs are varied, beautiful and
interesting. Commemoratives are those special stamps that are released
by the post office for a limited time. They can commemorate special
people or events. Most nations print commemorative stamps from time to
time. American stamps have featured wild life, artists, antiques, and
many other themes. In fact, there is an annual contest in which American
school children compete to draw the best picture of a wild duck. The
best duck art is featured on a stamp.
A fun way for a young person to build a collection of foreign stamps is
to find a few pen pals in foreign countries. This activity helps people
make friends as well as broadening their outlook. There are also
companies that will send out introductory collections of foreign stamps
in order to get stamp collecting customers on their mailing lists. These
collections are usually colorful and contain a wide variety.
Stamp collecting is an educational past time. Stamp collections can
sometimes become very valuable to the right people. If you are looking
for a new hobby or past time, stamp collecting might be for you!
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