Like any collectible, the philatelic world has its champions - the rarest, the highest price paid at auction. Some of these have long and interesting histories apart from the price paid.
1840 One Penny Black
The first issued stamps, One Penny Blacks, are not extraordinarily rare. Yet one sold over 15 years ago at auction for over [...]

Stamp collecting has grown in just over 150 years from a hobby for children to a worldwide phenomenon for collectors and investors. Today, thousands of collectors spend time and money to obtain everything from a mundane 1840 One Penny Black for a few dollars to the $2.2 million 1855 Tre Skilling Banco Yellow.
But whether rare [...]

Very early in his or her collecting efforts every stamp collector will need the guidance of several sources of information. Fellow collectors are helpful and there are many forums where helpful tips and enthusiasm can be shared. Dealers can help in the education process, and most are knowledgeable and honest. But the indispensable source of [...]

Many enthusiastic philatelist has reached a lull in collecting at some point. The affordable gems are coming less frequently and growing out of your price range. To keep the momentum going, you can start looking for the unusual. Perfins are one of those great oddities that can flesh out a collection.
Perfins are stamps, invented in [...]

Determining the value of a stamp can be a complex affair. It’s made more so by the existence of forgeries.
The motives for producing counterfeit stamps is no doubt very much the same as for forging currency: to increase the value of a piece of paper otherwise worth much less. The methods are often ingenious, since [...]

How best to secure a stamp to a display medium is an ongoing debate. Hinges were used traditionally and many stamps have their value affected - up or down - by the size and nature of the ‘hinge marks’ on them. Mounts have come into common use over the last 30 years.
For decades hinges were [...]

Most stamps collected have been used as postage. Unlike uncirculated coins, that’s part of what makes them valuable, since they then acquire a history and often interesting cancellation or other marks.
But once they form part of a collection they are most often separated from the envelope or package they were adhered to. The most common [...]

Most people who pursue stamp collecting became seriously interested at a young age. They noticed a foreign stamp or read an article about some of the million dollar stamps that have been discovered in an odd location. They get intrigued by the history behind these miniature works of art. Eventually, they became more than avid [...]

Collecting stamps is a never ending source of interest. You can collect for a lifetime and still be on the hunt for that rare gem, that odd bit of history that is captured by a stamp. Along the way, you may have a lull where the good ones just aren’t coming along at a price [...]

Once you’ve learned to prepare your stamps by careful soaking or other methods, you’ll want to store them safely and stylishly. There are dozens of different items to choose from. Choices range from simple glassine envelopes placed on stockpages in three-ring binders to dehumidifying cabinets and safes.
For ordinary stamps, a simple shoebox might serve as [...]