Stamp Collecting
Ranked #14,603 in DIY, #613,627 overall | Donates to Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Briefmarken (Stamps)
Stamp Collecting
Stamp collecting (briefmarken) is one of the most popular hobbies worldwide, attracting over 20 million collectors in the United States alone! Stamps are one of the easiest investments to store and preserve, more so than jewelry or art. What started out as an inexpensive trade item for British children, has exploded into a global madness, with auctions, organizations, societies, festivals and magazines dedicated to the subject.
Proper stamp collecting requires some "gear," much like any noteworthy hobby. For instance, collectors should purchase online or hardcover stamp albums or stockbooks to hold their collection. To affix the stamps in the album, collectors will also need peel-able stamp hinges (small rectangular piece of paper coated with a sticky gum) and metal stamp tongs. To carefully examine the stamps (every philatelist's favorite pastime!), collectors will need a magnifying glass, at minimum, but can also get a perforation gauge, color guide and watermark detector for more in-depth looking! People who like to collect stamps will also find a host of literature, catalogs and magazines to help them cultivate their hobby.
What do people look for when collecting stamps? This depends, of course, on personal preference. Some people collect themes, artwork or stamps from countries they like, just to have a collection of some sort to show off to friends and family or pass down to future generations. Maybe there's someone who collects Star Wars, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and other pop-culture stamps. Or there could be another collector who specializes in war-time stamps from around the world. Others look out for exceedingly rare prints that are worth a great deal of money.
Generally anything before 1900 and in good condition, will be worth a good sum. The first United States postage stamps -- the five-cent Franklin and the ten-cent Washington (unused) sold for $1,400 and $28,000, respectively. Britain's first official adhesive stamp ("Penny Black") sold as used postage stamps in an auction for $200 in the year 2000 -- and unused for $3,000! Also, errors, misprints and flukes are naturally the most coveted. For instance, the "Inverted Jenny" is a US postage stamp from 1918 featuring a photo of a Curtiss JN-4 airplane where the plane was mistakenly printed upside-down! Only 100 were ever printed and a block of four just sold at an auction for $2.7 Million! Similarly, the "Treskilling Yellow" stamp from Sweden was misprinted in the wrong color, placing its value at over $2 Million.
Stamp collecting is a bit like collecting art in that it requires an eye for detail and exemplifies personal taste. It can be rewarding and profitable to trade stamps in auctions or dip into international conventions with like-minded collectors. Philately, as it's called, has become one of the most nostalgic (but popular) hobbies amid a world of dizzying technological advances and faster communication.
Stamp collecting (briefmarken) is one of the most popular hobbies worldwide, attracting over 20 million collectors in the United States alone! Stamps are one of the easiest investments to store and preserve, more so than jewelry or art. What started out as an inexpensive trade item for British children, has exploded into a global madness, with auctions, organizations, societies, festivals and magazines dedicated to the subject.
Proper stamp collecting requires some "gear," much like any noteworthy hobby. For instance, collectors should purchase online or hardcover stamp albums or stockbooks to hold their collection. To affix the stamps in the album, collectors will also need peel-able stamp hinges (small rectangular piece of paper coated with a sticky gum) and metal stamp tongs. To carefully examine the stamps (every philatelist's favorite pastime!), collectors will need a magnifying glass, at minimum, but can also get a perforation gauge, color guide and watermark detector for more in-depth looking! People who like to collect stamps will also find a host of literature, catalogs and magazines to help them cultivate their hobby.
What do people look for when collecting stamps? This depends, of course, on personal preference. Some people collect themes, artwork or stamps from countries they like, just to have a collection of some sort to show off to friends and family or pass down to future generations. Maybe there's someone who collects Star Wars, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and other pop-culture stamps. Or there could be another collector who specializes in war-time stamps from around the world. Others look out for exceedingly rare prints that are worth a great deal of money.
Generally anything before 1900 and in good condition, will be worth a good sum. The first United States postage stamps -- the five-cent Franklin and the ten-cent Washington (unused) sold for $1,400 and $28,000, respectively. Britain's first official adhesive stamp ("Penny Black") sold as used postage stamps in an auction for $200 in the year 2000 -- and unused for $3,000! Also, errors, misprints and flukes are naturally the most coveted. For instance, the "Inverted Jenny" is a US postage stamp from 1918 featuring a photo of a Curtiss JN-4 airplane where the plane was mistakenly printed upside-down! Only 100 were ever printed and a block of four just sold at an auction for $2.7 Million! Similarly, the "Treskilling Yellow" stamp from Sweden was misprinted in the wrong color, placing its value at over $2 Million.
Stamp collecting is a bit like collecting art in that it requires an eye for detail and exemplifies personal taste. It can be rewarding and profitable to trade stamps in auctions or dip into international conventions with like-minded collectors. Philately, as it's called, has become one of the most nostalgic (but popular) hobbies amid a world of dizzying technological advances and faster communication.
History of United States Postage Stamps
The History of United States Postage Stamps
The history of United States postage stamps is full of wars, printing innovations, price changes and culture. What could be a better source of patriotic pride than owning one of the first Ben Franklin stamps or an early George Washington?
While the pony express had been delivering letters for over fifty years, the first American postal service was formally granted by King William and Queen Mary in 1692. The American Revolution was fought to ensure that there was "no taxation without representation," thus paving the way for US postage stamps. Benjamin Franklin was one of the first postmasters and created the United States Postal Service as we know it, in Philadelphia 1775. Early postal symbols ranged from the Roman god Mercury to a running pony to the modern day eagle.
Local provisional United States postage stamps issued from 1845 to 1846, before the Stamp Act was enforced, are some of the most coveted items, with the Millbury Massachusetts stamp fetching $130,000!
The 5-cent red brown Benjamin Franklin was the first of the official US postage stamps for sale in New York City and Boston. The second was the 10-cent black George Washington (which currently sells for around $1,400 used and $28,000 unused)! Stamp values decreased over the next few years and remained stable for nearly a century. Blue 1-cent Ben Franklins became a collector favorite when production errors led to new, noticeable plate variations in the prints. These innovative stamps can range from $100 to $200,000 in collection circles.
The Civil War had the North issuing 1,750,000,000 copies of the rose-colored 3¢ United States postage stamps, which have survived to present day and sell for $2-$3 a piece. However, certain accidental variations (found in "pigeon blood pink") can sell for $3,000 and up. During the Civil War, Southern towns put out some of their own crude stamps (like Athens, Georgia or Jetersville, Virginia or Knoxville, Tennessee -- to name a few). Confederate "Rebel" provisional stamps can go for $1,000 to $15,000 these days.
From the 1860s - 1870s, ten styles of "grills" were designed to emboss used stamps and combat illegal stamp reuse. One cent "Z-Grill" US postage stamps from 1868 recently sold for $935,000 to stamp dealers. Later, one of the Z-Grills was traded for a block of Inverted Jenny stamps (worth $3 million).
In 1893, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the America, US postage stamps were issued, depicting some of Columbus's high seas adventures, some for as much as $5 (which was a LOT in 1893!). Today, these colorful collectibles sell for $1,500 to $12,500, depending on the condition.
Generally, the US postage stamps issued after 1900 aren't worth a whole lot on the market yet. However, during the Great Depression, most people could no longer spend their money on stamps and less than 8% of those issued during that time were sold, so they remain the smallest U.S. issue of the 20th century.
Sometimes it really pays to look behind that fireplace or through your grandparent's old letters! United States postage stamps survived the toughest times and anyone holding onto items from the 1800s owns a small piece of history. Can you really place a value on that?
The history of United States postage stamps is full of wars, printing innovations, price changes and culture. What could be a better source of patriotic pride than owning one of the first Ben Franklin stamps or an early George Washington?
While the pony express had been delivering letters for over fifty years, the first American postal service was formally granted by King William and Queen Mary in 1692. The American Revolution was fought to ensure that there was "no taxation without representation," thus paving the way for US postage stamps. Benjamin Franklin was one of the first postmasters and created the United States Postal Service as we know it, in Philadelphia 1775. Early postal symbols ranged from the Roman god Mercury to a running pony to the modern day eagle.
Local provisional United States postage stamps issued from 1845 to 1846, before the Stamp Act was enforced, are some of the most coveted items, with the Millbury Massachusetts stamp fetching $130,000!
The 5-cent red brown Benjamin Franklin was the first of the official US postage stamps for sale in New York City and Boston. The second was the 10-cent black George Washington (which currently sells for around $1,400 used and $28,000 unused)! Stamp values decreased over the next few years and remained stable for nearly a century. Blue 1-cent Ben Franklins became a collector favorite when production errors led to new, noticeable plate variations in the prints. These innovative stamps can range from $100 to $200,000 in collection circles.
The Civil War had the North issuing 1,750,000,000 copies of the rose-colored 3¢ United States postage stamps, which have survived to present day and sell for $2-$3 a piece. However, certain accidental variations (found in "pigeon blood pink") can sell for $3,000 and up. During the Civil War, Southern towns put out some of their own crude stamps (like Athens, Georgia or Jetersville, Virginia or Knoxville, Tennessee -- to name a few). Confederate "Rebel" provisional stamps can go for $1,000 to $15,000 these days.
From the 1860s - 1870s, ten styles of "grills" were designed to emboss used stamps and combat illegal stamp reuse. One cent "Z-Grill" US postage stamps from 1868 recently sold for $935,000 to stamp dealers. Later, one of the Z-Grills was traded for a block of Inverted Jenny stamps (worth $3 million).
In 1893, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the America, US postage stamps were issued, depicting some of Columbus's high seas adventures, some for as much as $5 (which was a LOT in 1893!). Today, these colorful collectibles sell for $1,500 to $12,500, depending on the condition.
Generally, the US postage stamps issued after 1900 aren't worth a whole lot on the market yet. However, during the Great Depression, most people could no longer spend their money on stamps and less than 8% of those issued during that time were sold, so they remain the smallest U.S. issue of the 20th century.
Sometimes it really pays to look behind that fireplace or through your grandparent's old letters! United States postage stamps survived the toughest times and anyone holding onto items from the 1800s owns a small piece of history. Can you really place a value on that?
Stamp Collecting Books
Beginner's Stamp Collecting Fun Kit: Everything You Need to Start a Fun and Fascinating Hobby
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/10/2009) 
Guide to Stamp Collecting (Collector's Series)
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/10/2009)
Stamp Collecting for Dummies
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
stamp collecting on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Stamps (Briefmarken) Resources
- Briefmarken
- Stamps (in German Briefmarken)
- Stamps
- Purchase stamps
- Briefmarken Verkaufen
- Selling Stamps (Germany)
Stamp Collecting Poll
Loading poll. Please Wait...
New YouTube vids
Ibeginwithanidea blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBriefmarken Danzig (stamps) history
Danzig
Wer an der Ostsee Urlaub macht, sollte sich auch einmal die ehemalige Hansestadt Danzig ansehen. Die Stadt bietet ihren Besuchern viel zu sehen und zu erleben. Die langjährige Geschichte der Stadt blieb bis Heute erhalten, viele der Sehenswürdigkeiten sprechen Bände. Die Hafenstadt war im 16. und 17 Jahrhundert eine Stadt mit einer nicht unbedeutenden Macht. Um diese Macht zu symbolisieren, wurde der Artushof erbaut. Zwei steinerne Löwen bewachen den Eingang zu den Gewölben. Auch das Innere des Hofs lässt bei vielen Besuchern den Atem anhalten, sobald sie den von 4 Granitsäulen getragene riesigen, 10 Meter hohen Kamin sehen. Bei einem Feuer 1841 wurde der Hof zum Großteil zerstört. Nach dem Brand wurde der Artushof im neugotischen Stil wieder aufgebaut.
Der Artushof gehört genau so zu der Geschichte Danzigs, wie ihre Briefmarken, die bei Sammlern sehr begehrt sind. Als 1920 Danzig die ersten eigenen Briefmarken herausgab, lebten davon viele Briefmarkenhändler. Auch die Sammler fingen an, sich für die Marken aus Danzig zu interessieren. Heute sind die Marken, die aus der Zeit zwischen 1920 und 1939 stammen, begehrte Sammelobjekte. Viele der insgesamt 400 Briefmarken, die in Danzig erschienen sind nur noch vereinzelt zu finden. Diese Tatsache hebt nicht nur ihren Wert, sondern auch die Neugier vieler Sammler. Im Ankauf werden von Briefmarkenhändlern z.T. sehr hohe Ankaufspreise bewilligt.
Wer an der Ostsee Urlaub macht, sollte sich auch einmal die ehemalige Hansestadt Danzig ansehen. Die Stadt bietet ihren Besuchern viel zu sehen und zu erleben. Die langjährige Geschichte der Stadt blieb bis Heute erhalten, viele der Sehenswürdigkeiten sprechen Bände. Die Hafenstadt war im 16. und 17 Jahrhundert eine Stadt mit einer nicht unbedeutenden Macht. Um diese Macht zu symbolisieren, wurde der Artushof erbaut. Zwei steinerne Löwen bewachen den Eingang zu den Gewölben. Auch das Innere des Hofs lässt bei vielen Besuchern den Atem anhalten, sobald sie den von 4 Granitsäulen getragene riesigen, 10 Meter hohen Kamin sehen. Bei einem Feuer 1841 wurde der Hof zum Großteil zerstört. Nach dem Brand wurde der Artushof im neugotischen Stil wieder aufgebaut.
Der Artushof gehört genau so zu der Geschichte Danzigs, wie ihre Briefmarken, die bei Sammlern sehr begehrt sind. Als 1920 Danzig die ersten eigenen Briefmarken herausgab, lebten davon viele Briefmarkenhändler. Auch die Sammler fingen an, sich für die Marken aus Danzig zu interessieren. Heute sind die Marken, die aus der Zeit zwischen 1920 und 1939 stammen, begehrte Sammelobjekte. Viele der insgesamt 400 Briefmarken, die in Danzig erschienen sind nur noch vereinzelt zu finden. Diese Tatsache hebt nicht nur ihren Wert, sondern auch die Neugier vieler Sammler. Im Ankauf werden von Briefmarkenhändlern z.T. sehr hohe Ankaufspreise bewilligt.
by talking-book-store
My name is Alan Twigg and this is a picture of me with my wife Susanne and my two children Tom and Lea.
Together with my great partner, James O'Nions,... (more)
Together with my great partner, James O'Nions,... (more)
