STAMP COLLECTING CAN BE "KID'S STUFF" AND A LOT MORE!

While many social commentators have bemoaned the end of stamp collecting due to a lack of interest by a younger generation, there are recent indications of a resurgence of the hobby.  Why?  Maybe a hobby that doesn't have a digital footprint, passwords, audio and video adjustments, or computer savvy requirements is appealing to both young children and adults seeking "the quiet pastime" that results in the exploration of world geography, diverse cultures, and international affairs.

Ever since the introduction of the first adhesive postage stamp, The Penny Black, in the early 19th Century, collectors throughout the world have enthusiastically embraced a hobby that has enticed collectors of all ages to seek out rare, unusual, and exotic stamps.

Today, a beginning collector has a wealth of resources to assist his/her introduction to the world of stamp collecting. The American Philatelic Society (www.stamps.org), has a special unit dedicated to young new collectors.  

Our recommendation  for the young beginning collector is to start with the basics: a good beginner's stamp album, a nice inexpensive mixture of worldwide stamps, and a decent magnifying glass to help you read very very small print on stamps.  As you sort through your first assortment of stamps,  you may quickly develop preferences guiding you  to where your collection will focus. Today, it is practically impossible to collect the entire world, but you can focus on specific geographic regions  (e.g. South America, the Caribbean, Antarctica, Eastern or Western Europe) or seek out popular topics such as birds, flowers, endangered animals, or space exploration.

It's always a good idea to have a world atlas by your side while you sort through stamps.  If an atlas is not readily available, a good unabridged dictionary will provide you with the proper pronunciation of a foreign country along with it's location, population, and land mass.  Stamps reveal a great deal about the character, history, and aspirations of nations.  Whether celebrating achievements in the arts, medical breakthroughs, historic events, or venerating the heroes of a nation, stamps can provide you with  avenues of discovery that are more insightful that any generic guide book.

We invite you to visit our site to view the most current themes and trends in the stamp world.  Whether your preference is for more serious worldwide themes  (e.g. Global Warming, Human Rights, Eradicating Poverty) or the whimsical and fanciful (e.g. video games, comics, James Bond), you can explore the vast array of newly issued stamps.    County Stamp welcomes the new collector to the world of stamp collecting and sincerely hopes to encourage and support your interests in discovering a fascinating universe of the world's most varied, attractive, and captivating stamps.