Stamp Collecting As A Pastime

According to the authorities, the central idea of a pastime is 'that it is so positively agreeable that it lets time slip by unnoticed; as, to turn work into pastime.' And recreation is described as 'that sort of play or agreeable occupation which refreshes the tired person, making him as good as new.'

Stamp collectors may fairly claim that their hobby serves the double purpose of a pastime and a recreation. As a pastime, it certainly makes time pass most agreeably; for the true student of the postal issues of the world, it turns work into a pastime.

As a recreation, it is of such an engrossing character that it may be relied upon to afford the pleasant diversion from business worries that so many tired mental workers need nowadays. For nearly half a century it has maintained unbroken its hold as one of the most popular of all forms of relaxation, and its popularity extends to all classes and to all countries.

But this very devotion of stamp collectors to their hobby has puzzled and excited the uninitiated. The ordinary individual, especially the man who has no soul for a hobby of any kind, regards it as a passing fancy, a harmless craze, a fashion that must have its day and disappear, sooner or later. But the passing fancy has endured for nearly half a century, the harmless craze still serves its useful purpose, and the fashion has acquired such a permanence as to convince most people that it has come to stay.

Of all pastimes, and of all the forms of recreation, not one can claim more lifelong devotees than this same stamp collecting. And where is another pastime with such international ramifications? In every civilized country, in every city, and in every town of any importance, the wide world over, thoughtful men and women are to be found formed into sociable groups, or societies, quietly and pleasantly enjoying themselves in the harmless and enduring pursuit of stamp collecting.

There must be some reason for this popularity, this devotion of all classes to a pursuit, this unbroken record of progress. It cannot be satisfactorily accounted for as a passing fancy or fashion. It has too long stood the test of years to be so easily explained away. Fancies and fashions come and go, but stamp collecting flourishes from decade to decade.

Princes and peers, merchants and members of Parliament, solicitors and barristers, schoolboys and octogenarians, all follow this postal Pied Piper of Hamelin, 'Grave old plodders, gay young friskers, Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,' all bent upon the pursuit of this pleasure-yielding hobby.

Author Resource:- For more on arts, culture, pastimes and hobbies visit : arts and culture
Article From ArticleSlide.com

Ben Franklin - The First Person Honored on a US Stamp

When I first got into "serious" stamp collecting, I already knew what I wanted to collect - topicals. Space exploration on stamps, ships and marine exploration on stamps, aviation, mountain climbers, adventurous topics. As a result, I never really knew much about the beginnings of United States stamps - or any stamps for that matter, except the Penny Black, of course. What reader of mysteries, particularly those written in England, would not know of the Penny Black (first issued in 1840) and how rare and valuable it was. Quite a few murder mysteries hinged on some unscrupulous person acquiring that little stamp!

Yesterday, I was browsing through the bookshelves of my local library, and came across a book called The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, 32nd edition (current to 2005). It's an 8 X 11, comb-bound book, with full-color, glossy pages, which lists every US stamp ever issued - whether it comes perforated, unperforated or both, what colors it comes in, and any errors associated with it.

I thought to myself... I've got a lot of stamps, but I've never done a systematic study to make sure I've got every US stamp ever issued that suits each of my topics.

So I took the book home, and went through it, and made a list of the stamps I was missing. Quite a few, as it turned out. (Most of my stamps are the colorful ones that Palau and those types of places put out.)

I enjoyed going through the book, page by page, starting with 1903 (since that was the year of the Wright Brother's first flight) and when I got to the end, I was armed not only with a list of additions to my current topicals, but also a few more topics I'd start collecting! (These books are dangerous!)

Then, out of curiosity, I decided to find out... what did the first United States stamp look like.

And I was surprised to see that the first US stamp ever issued was not one of George Washington, but rather one of Benjamin Franklin. On July 1, 1847, according to the book. (A George Washington stamp was also issued, with a 10 cents value, fitting since the Franklin stamp was a 5 center.)

Why on earth did Benjamin Franklin make it ahead of George Washington, I wondered.

Well, I turned to that handy dandy resource, Wikipedia, which told me t hat Benjamin Franklin had been appointed the first Postmaster General of the "soon-to-be" independent American colonies. This occurred on July 26, 1775, when Franklin was 68 years old.

Wikipedia didn't bother to tell me what the American post office used in place of from 1775 to 1844...if I remember my history correctly, people gave letters to the post, and when they got to their destination - that person would pay for it.

Anyway, since Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General, it makes sense that he'd be honored with the very first stamp, issued on July 1, 1847, as I've already mentioned, when the United States was 73 years old (if one judges its birth as July 4, 1776). (I've always wondered why the birth of the US was not considered to be 1783 - when the Revolutionary War officially ended and the United States officially became a new nation?!)

Anyway, the United States was not the second country to start using postage stamps, or even the third.

After England, the next country to adopt the practice was Switzerland, in 1843. The third country to use the postage stamp was Brazil, also in 1843. In 1845, a few forward-thinking postmasters in the US issued their own stamps, but they weren't official - those came iwth the 1847 stamps featuring Franklin and Washington.

Who...or what...was the next person, place or thing to be honored on a US stamp?

Person - Thomas Jefferson, in 1851. Andrew Jackson was next, between 1861 and 1867 (the Postal Service doesn't give the exact year, but I can't think why Jackson would get a stamp before 1865.) Lincoln would be put on a stamp for the first time in 1867.

The first non-President or non-notable was a "Post horse and rider", in 1869, for 2 cents, and a locomotive, for 3 cents. A shield and eagle would follow.

Then..there's the S.S. Adriatic, also issued in 1869.

What is that ship, and why was it deemed worthy of being placed on a postage stamp so early in the game? Well...that's the topic for another article.

Barbara Peterson Visit You Fly Girl: Women in Aviation Ezine Visit OmnivoreInk: Freelance editing, research and writing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Peterson

10 Really Low-Cost Ways to Start Your Stamp Collection

Stamp collecting doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. You can enjoy collecting stamps with limited financial resources. Here are 10 really low-cost ways to start stamp collecting. 1. Ask your friends to use commemorative stamps on their mail when they write to you. Commemorative stamps are generally larger than regular stamps and are issued to honor famous people, places, or events. Because commemorative stamps are usually issued in lesser quantities than common smaller stamps, they are of much more interest to collectors. Tell your friends that you are a stamp collector and ask them to request commemorative stamps at the post office. 2. When you send away for offers that require postage or self-addressed, stamped envelopes, use commemorative stamps. You'll get them back when the envelopes are returned to you. 3. Ask your neighbors, friends, and relatives to save their used stamps for you. You'll find that most people will be happy to save their stamps for you when they learn that you are a collector. 4. If you know someone who gets letters from other countries, ask them to save those stamps. Always be on the lookout for potentially good stamp contacts, and don't be afraid to ask them to go through their mail for you before they throw away all the envelopes. 5. Ask friends and family to save the envelopes from their office mail for you. Many businesses get a lot of foreign mail and regularly throw away stamps that have interest and value to a collector. 6. Ask your parents if they have any old letters with stamps on the envelopes. Don't peel the stamp off the envelope. This will cause thin spots or tears, both of which ruin a stamp's appearance and lessen its value to collectors. Always tear off the envelope corner so that there is paper all around the stamp, and make sure that all of the perforations are undamaged. 7. If you know other stamp collectors, ask them if they have duplicates that they are willing to give or sell to you. Many collectors have thousands of duplicates and they are often willing to help get new philatelists get started by giving them stamps or by selling them packets of stamps much more cheaply than can be purchased in stores or by mail. 8. Look for free stamps advertised by stamp companies. Free stamps are often offered along with "approvals," an assortment of other stamps that you must either buy or return. This can be a convenient way to buy stamps. Note, however, that you usually have to pay the return postage if you return the approval stamps. 9. Check out stamp clubs in your area. Clubs may offer stamps as prizes, or have inexpensive stamps you can afford to buy. Some stamp clubs sponsor junior clubs the local community center, YMCA, or schools. 10. Consider starting a stamp club if one doesn't already exist in your area. It only takes four or five other stamp collectors who are interested in getting together to learn about and trade stamps and ideas. With free stamps and a few inexpensive accessories, such as a small album and a package of stamp hinges, even collectors with little money can have a great time. So, what are you waiting for? Start collecting stamps today!

Author Resource:- Joan Yankowitz publishes the popular consumer and business Kwik eGuides. Instantly download the How to Start Stamp Collecting KwikeGuide.

Article From ArticleshmArticle.com

When snail mail ment something

Some of us reading this may not realize that before email, there was just the United State Post Office delivering our precious mail thru rain, sleet, snow and dogs with bad attitudes. And even if it took them 50 years (yep, it really happened) they would deliver you're mail to whomever was still alive by then. Well, the post office still delivers mail, but now we have options … yes, I'm talking about email, which has revolutionized the way we send and receive mail. Lets look at the differences between old and new ... 1. Stamps No need for those with email of course. If you've ever tried to mail several letters, you probably remember the awful taste of the stamps (does anybody remember those special flavor stamps like "Beef Stew"?) and the envelopes. Nor do you any longer suffer through those nasty little tongue paper cuts from the envelopes. Plus, if you needed more than a couple of stamps, you got them in rolls. Take the first stamp off and *Boing* ... a string of stamps! Much worse than map folding. 2. Spam Well, there isn't much improvement there. Even during snailmail's heyday there was spam. In fact, my parents used to send me to the mailbox and sort out the Sears, Magazine offers, JC Penny's and other spam from the regular mail. I was kinda like a homemade "Spam" filter and all the ads were thrown in the garbage ... Mostly .. there may have been a few that found their way into my room. 3. Composing a Letter Before email we had to write out our letters with a pen or pencil and several pieces of paper. Ever had a pen leak all over you're fingers and the letter? And it always seemed to happen when you were just about finished. That was about the worse thing that could happen, except for the deep grooves in you're fingers from clenching the pencil for a few hours. Now we can type our letter out and correct them with out the steaked eraser marks and correction fluid (unless you use it on you're monitor screen), and the worse thing is getting carpel tunnel or frustrated trying to find the right keys. 4. Speed of Delivery As a kid, I had to write a letter, lick the stamp and envelope, run out to the mailbox, and the letter would sit there until the mailman (later "Femailman") picked it up in the afternoon. Then I got to anticipate a return letter for days, weeks or even months! This may have been a good thing to teach patience, but it sucked later when I needed my Income Tax Return. Now I compose my letter, and send it to the recipient who can read it at his/her leisure almost instantly. It is obvious to me that email is far superior to snailmail in many diferent ways .. but one thing still hasn't changed ... you can send your email really fast, but you can STILL wait day, weeks or even months for a reply!
Author Resource:- Jan Michaels can be found at: Free Heaven or Articles Heaven You may use this article in your opt-in newsletter, blog or at your site as long as it is reproduced as above.
Article From ArticleshmArticle.com

US STAMPS FAMOUS AMERICANS 859-893 FULL SHEETS

FAMOUS AMERICANS ISSUES 0F 1940

THESE ARE FULL SHEETS JUST AS THEY CAME FROM THE MINT

THEY HAVE BEEN IN MY POSSESSION SINCE 1949 HELD IN BANK VAULT

This link gives you access to ebay and all ebay items in this category

French Stamps : Insight Into the Stamps of France

Author: Jérôme Dufresnes

French Stamps: Historical Background

The first postage stamp was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1840 by Rowland Hill and James Chalmers. This stamp, the penny black, had a face value of a penny and revolutionized the postal system in that it was now up to the sender to bear the cost of postage and not the recipient as had been the case until then. Because it was now so cheap to send letters, even by 1840 a penny was not a lot of money, the change prompted an almost instant increase in the amount of mail. Other countries took notice and reformed their own postal system, amongst which Brazil in 1843, the United States in 1847 and France in 1849.

While the same change was proposed as soon as 1837 in France, it took nine years for the postal administration to change, following the 1848 revolution and the impetus of Arago. The first French stamp featured Ceres, the Roman divinity for agriculture and had a face value of 20 centimes or cents. The drawing of Ceres is from Jean Jacques Barre. The Ceres stamp was enough to pay for an envelope up to 7.5 grams to be sent anywhere in France. Shortly after was released a 40 centimes stamp color orange for bigger envelopes and a vermilion red 1 Franc stamp. However, the color of the 1 Franc stamp was too similar to the 40 centimes stamp and people were confusing them. This lead to a change in color for the 1F stamp from vermilion red to deep carmine. Today, the vermilion red 40 centimes stamp is the rarest of French stamps.

French Stamps Today

Stamp collecting is the number one hobby in France with more than two million people practicing it. Exotic islands, botanic, birds, stamp sheets, specimens or air post stamps are popular themes amongst French stamps collectors. Like in other countries, the value of French stamps is often determined by some type of unusual feature some stamps are known to exhibit. This is true for old and new stamps alike. For example, the 1989 stamp commemorating the Revolution designed by Folon is worth less than a euro, but if the signature of Folon is lacking the value of the stamp jumps to 180 euros. Similarly, if the face value of the stamp issued in 2004 commemorating the entente cordiale between France and England is lacking, the stamp can be worth 300 euros and up.

How old a stamp is also plays a big role in its valuation. There are three main periods in the history of the French stamp: the classic period from 1840 to 1900 ; the semi modern period, from 1900 to 1939 and the modern period from 1939 onwards. Stamps from the classical period are highly valued, especially the vermilion red 1 franc featuring Ceres from 1849-1850, which costs 90 000 euros new and 20 000 euros used. A bloc of four of such stamps sold for 820 000 euros at auction because one of the stamps was "tête-bêche", printed upside down.

About the Author:

Mathieu Deprez is the webmaster of DeciDeca.com, an online store selling many a french stamp, france postage stamps, or timbres oblitérés as they are known in French.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - French Stamps : Insight Into the Stamps of France

A Stamp Called the Inverted Jenny

If you collect stamps, there is no doubt that you want the Inverted Jenny as part of your collection. This is a postage stamp issued in the US on May 10, 1918. The design of the stamp was supposed to contain a picture of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane. Through a mistake in the printing process, the image of the airplane was accidentally placed on the stamp upside down. The error was the most highly prized mistake in stamp printing history. Since only about 100 of these stamps are still in existence, it is extremely rare and valuable.

How did this mistake happen? During the 1910 decade, the postal system of the United States went through many experiments to find ways of making mail delivery faster. One of the ways it came up with was by air and the Curtiss Jenny was one of the planes used for carrying mail. The postal system wanted a new stamp for its airmail and decided that a depiction of the plane used for the mail routes was the perfect one to use. It was in a rush to make these stamps available to post offices with engraving starting on May 4 and printing starting on May 10.

The stamp contained two colours and with the technology available in the early part of the 20th century, this meant that the stamp had to be printed twice. When the sheets of stamps were fed through the printing press a second time, they were placed upside down and so the plane was upside down on the final result. These stamps were printed in sheets of 100 instead of the usual 400. Three sheets were discovered and destroyed, but one sheet of 100 stamps escaped detection and was released. This is the sheet of stamps that still survives to this day.

The mistake was made public and stamp collectors rushed to the post office to buy the new stamp hoping they would be lucky enough to find one. It was W.T. Robey who was the lucky collector who purchased the full sheet of stamps when he went to make an ordinary purchase at his local post office. He asked to see more sheets of the stamps, but there were no other misprints in the batch. Once he announced his find, he did receive visits from postal inspectors and he had to hide the stamps. He later sold the sheet to a dealer in Philadelphia named Eugene Klein for $1500. Klein sold the stamps to Colonel H.R. Green for a considerable profit. The price was $20,000.

Green decided to break up the stamps into blocks and sell each one separately. He even had one placed in a locket as a gift for his wife. If you want to buy one of these blocks of stamps today, you will have to shell out a lot of money. A center block costs about $600,000.

In the US election of 2006, election workers in Florida found one of these stamps affixed to a mail in ballot. Since there was no return address or no identification on the ballot, the ballot was disqualified and the workers had no hint as to who the sender could have been. This means that it is possible there are more Inverted Jennies out there than was previously thought.

For more information on the Inverted Jenny,the Penny Black stamp and other famous postal stamps visit http://www.FamousStamps.org

This link gives you access to ebay and all ebay items in this category