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"I purchased
a grand old "IMPERIAL POSTAGE STAMP ALBUM" beautifully bound with gold-
leaf pages it has a space for every stamp issued from 1840 to 1923. Because
it's such a wide area I can always find something affordable for my collection.
I've probably got some stamps on every page now; my latest addition is
a range of Jamaican stamps..."
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Most of us enter the hobby as children grabbing
every stamp coming through the letter box or buying packets of cheap stamps
from the local stamp shop. For the adult beginner, the approach will
be radically different. The chances are that most of us
who are discovering the tremendous advantages of stamps (arguably the
best antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life) will buy them from Internet sites and mail bid catalogues.
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Straightaway,
we realise that our old schoolboy collection of everything
and anything resembling a stamp, regardless of its condition, is
not the way to proceed. In fact we very quickly
realise that although it would be great fun to build a general collection, some form of specialisation could be more rewarding.
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To begin with it is necessary to set the parameters of what to collect, how about the issues of one country? or perhaps a well-defined
area. An obvious choice would be the stamps of your own country, for these
are the ones that are most readily available, certainly the current issues.
This approach is also a practical one if you decided, either now or at
some future date, to expand and diversify, taking not only postage stamps
but also postal stationery (pre-stamped postcards, envelopes & aerograms) or getting into the study of postmarks and postal history (postal markings on old envelopes).
Although the choice of collecting subject is a result of many different
emotional forces you may find our auction site useful to see how
extensive the choice can be and then check out the Foundation Collection
page to see where we offer our comprehensive starter collections. On the next page we've got a few frequently asked questions (FAQ'S) which you may find useful as well.
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