Collecting postage stamps and postal history, one of the world's most popular collecting hobbies almost from the moment stamps existed. A stamp is a small engraved window on its country and era, which is why albums built around nations, reigns and themes double as informal histories, and why the rarest stamps rank among the most valuable objects by weight ever made. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Established When (Circa)From 1840; collectors appeared within months of the Penny Black, the first adhesive postage stamp 1 Connections
Associated With
Source American Philatelic Society (Wikipedia)
Source Coin Collecting (Wikipedia)
Houses the Smithsonian National Philatelic Collection, nearly six million stamps and related items, the oldest intact national stamp collection in the world.
The first stamp created the first stamp collectors within months
Source Penny Black (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Stamp Collecting (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction, first sentence
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects.
History section, first paragraph
Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by 1860 thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across Europe, European colonies, the United States and other parts of the world.
Collecting section, philately definition
Stamp collecting is generally accepted as one of the areas that make up the wider subject of philately, which is the study of stamps. A philatelist may, but does not have to, collect stamps.
History section, Penny Black sentence
The first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued by Britain in May 1840 and pictured a young Queen Victoria.
Organizations section, national collectors' organizations sentence
Most nations have a national collectors' organization, including the American Philatelic Society (APS) in the United States
History section, Stanley Gibbons sentence
As the hobby and study of stamps began to grow, stamp albums and stamp related literature began to surface, and by the early 1880s publishers like Stanley Gibbons made a business out of this advent.
Collecting specialties section, topicals sentence
Many collectors limit their collecting to particular countries, certain time periods or particular subjects (called "topicals") like birds or aircraft.
Rare stamps section, British Guiana 1c magenta sentence
British Guiana 1c magenta is the world's most famous and valuable rare stamp.
View the Source Learn about Stamps and Postal History (American Philatelic Society)
Learn about Stamps and Postal History section, flexibility sentence
Few hobbies match the flexibility of stamp collecting.
Learn about Stamps and Postal History section, skills sentence
It does not require any special skills or great wealth.
View the SourceCoin Collecting (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Coin Collecting, Investment paragraph, comparison with stampsQuote, Associated With: Coin Collecting, Investment paragraph, comparison with stamps
Another frequent reason for purchasing coins is as an investment. As with stamps, precious metals, or other commodities, coin prices vary based on supply and demand.
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