- Filatelia - (from the Greek philein,
to like+ ateleía,
postmark) |
Philately
brings us an inexhaustible source of culture, as no other
variant of collecting Hobby. To be a collector, to have a
Stamps Collection or simply a group of stamps (Topical),
is to have a repository of the History and civilization
that precede us.
Collecting with affection and love and sometimes with
monetary sacrifice, is to contribute to increase our
knowledge, our culture and to preserve all this to our
successors.
However all the collectors begin in the same way,
gathering stamps. In the beginning I suggest that the
candidate to a Stamps Collector spends the possible
minimum to initiate its collection.
... so follow these
10 steps in : how to begin Collecting Stamps ...
|
- Ask to relatives and friends to keep for you all
their personal or professional mail stamps. It is
very important that the stamps are not pulled
out, but cut of the envelope or if possible the
entire envelope. Pay attention that stamps in
envelopes that look like to be very old, will not
have to be soaked off the envelope as we perhaps
are destroying a good Philatelic specimen.
- After having these stamps, you must soak the
papers off. Place them
face-down
in a bowl of warm water. After a while the paper
should float away. Pick them out using Stamp
tongs (tweezers specially made for the handling
of stamps). By handling stamps with tongs, the
collector keeps from damaging the collectibles.
Carefully
we have to wash the back of the stamp to
guarantee a total gum removal. If you have a
proper stamp drying book (if not then get one it
dries and presses the stamps.) Carefully lay the
stamps on the pages. Put the book under several
heavy books, this will press them when they dry. You can buy this drying book in any Stamps Shop.
If not then place them face up on blotting
paper, and press them between sheets of white
paper when dry. Comment: The self-adhesive stamps, very
common in the daily mail cannot be soaked off,
not even with water, correct is that you scissor
them near its margin, taking care of not to
damage it and keeps it thus exactly in the same
format (together with the piece of the envelope).
- Exam them for quality one by one - clean
postmarks, clean condition, not torn, not
wrinkled, all
perforations
intact. In the back not scraped and aminci.
Separate the no good from the good stamps.
-
To keep them, you must placed
into a storage device such as an printed album or
stockbook. (Stockbook - in some ways similar to
albums, except that these are
simple storage devices where stamps can
be placed in clear pockets on pages for easy
sorting and viewing). You can buy one in the
specialized commerce. Do not glue them in
notebooks.
-
Gather all the stamps you can
get, no matter the size, the format or the
appearance, nor if he is National or Foreign.
Even the ordinary stamps are specimens desired by
the foreign beginners, thus constituting an
excellent source of stamps for possible swaps or
exchange.
- Fulfilled these steps and repeating them some
times, at this point, the collector has begun to
focus on a particular "specialty".
Deciding if it goes to collect a specific topic
or a Country.
- It is very important for you to keep all the
stamps you can get, as long as they are in
perfect conditions, you can multiply them
 In case that you wish to specialise in a specific
Country, I advise to look into the Market the
respective Album printed Sheets. They are sold
annually, being pre-printed with the drawing of
the Stamps emissions.
You
can also have the option of Stamp Sheets with
mounts "hawid" included (vinyl or
plastic holders, clear on the front and with gum
on the back. Stamps are placed inside the mount
and them mounted into the album).
- Check the Internet home page of Afinsa
http://www.afinsa.com/.
There the collector will assemble some of the
tools one needs to pursue the Hobby.
- It is a good option to subscribe a
philatelic
Magazine, to associate with a Stamps club or a
philatelic association in your city or region.
Therefore will find other fellow collectors for
swap of ideas and stamps.
- Right! When you have done this contact me and I
will guide you through the next process!
|