Why Stamps?
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Why Stamps Indeed!
Basically, each one of us has an inborn desire to collect things. By collecting different kinds of stamps, we find ourselves enjoying the hobby while at the same time meeting new friends. Collecting stamps helps us to relax and be relieved of stress while others collect stamps as an investment. As a whole, stamp collecting enables philatelists (another word for stamp collectors) to enjoy the hobby and have lots of fun and excitement.
People usually ask what is a stamp? I usually tell them that a postage stamp is a small piece of paper, distinctively imprinted on the face and usually gummed at the back, issued by a government for a specific price or rate and required to be affixed to a letter, parcel, document or commodity subject to duty as evidence that the prescribed fee or postage for carrying or delivering that mail from the sender to the addressee has been paid.
Stamps are acquired by collectors in different ways:
a) FROM YOUR OWN LETTERS. The letters that you receive, friendly or otherwise are a good source of stamps for your collection. If you have penpals, arrangements may be made so that only stamps with philatelic value may be used in your correspondence.
b) FROM NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. You can ask the stamps from these people. You must be on the lookout for a potential stamp contact.
c) FROM OFFICES. Most offices discard the envelopes of the mails they receive right after opening them. Ask the person in charge of incoming mails to save the stamps for you.
d) THROUGH EXCHANGES. In the course of your stamp collecting, most likely you will acquire duplicates. Exchange them with fellow collectors. Do not throw away those duplicates. Exchange may be done on a one on one basis, or in any manner agreeable to both parties. The Cebu Stamp Club Inc. regular meeting is the best place to conduct your stamp exchanges. Also, CSCI has list of international stamp exchange sites where you can send and receive stamps from collectors in different countries.
e) BUYING FROM DEALERS. You can also acquire stamps by buying packets on topicals or countries. You can purchase stamp packets during the regular meetings of CSCI.
f) BUYING FROM POST OFFICES. Philippine mint stamps are sold at the Philatelic Section of most post offices of the Philippine Postal Corporation, while stamps from different countries may be bought through the different Postal Administrations offering them. CSCI has a list of Postal Administrations where you can order your new issues from selected countries.
g) STAMP AUCTIONS. You can acquire hard to find stamps at the stamp auctions of the Cebu Stamp Club, Inc.
So what are you waiting for? Get hook into the hobby and enjoy the pleasures of stamp collecting.
