Dear Comrades,
Philately continues to be a favourite hobby despite the fact that
letters are not posted as frequently as in the past. Here are some
highlights about collecting stamps that may inspire you to begin!
In the era of e-mails and SMSs, here's one hobby that you might find
challenging and interesting at the same time — philately. If you think
it's boring, then you are wrong. Have you seen the variety of stamps
that are available? There are stamps of leaders, famous personalities,
mythology, culture, festivals, art, spices, places, history, animals,
birds, insects, important days… Imagine these categories in a global
context, and the variety you have is astounding!
Start by looking at the stamps on the letters you get. Ask your friends
and relatives, in India and abroad, to be on the look out for stamps as
well. You can even rope in your parents to help you by asking them to
spread the word. Plus, pay a visit to your local post office to check
out the stamps on offer and keep yourself updated on the happenings in
the philatelic circle by contacting the local philately clubs. If you
have friends who are also into stamp collecting, try trading with them.
That'll add a competitive and challenging twist to our hobby.
Look out for definitive issues which are regular issue stamps used for
common postal purposes. They are kept in circulation for many years
unlike commemorative stamps which are specially issued in honour of a
person or event. They are valuable for stamp collectors as they are kept
in circulation only for a limited period and are limited in number.
Extremely valuable are stamps with errors or misprints on them like the
famous Inverted Jenny issued in May 10, 1918 in the U.S. One hundred
stamps had the image of an airplane printed upside-down. Since only one
of the 100 has been ever found, it is one of the most valuable stamps
ever.
In India, the Inverted Head Four Annas stamp issued in 1854 is a famous
rare stamp because, as the name suggests, it was printed upside down.
In fact, it was the most expensive Indian stamp until overtaken by the
1948 Gandhi stamp. The 1948 Mahatma Gandhi stamp was over-printed as
“Service”, meaning it was meant only for official use by the Government
departments. With only 100 printed, it is the world's least printed
stamp. There are only 18 of it known to exist making it extremely rare.
Now what do you do with them? The best thing is to buy a stamp album
meant for organising stamps or create one of your own. Take a plain book
and stick your stamps in the book. If you do not wish to stick them,
create hinges where the stamps can be inserted. Organise them however
you wish: shape, size, country, value, theme or country. To preserve
them, place a transparent sheet over each page and stick it around the
sides the page.
Take it off
To remove stamps from an envelope is simple. Cut out the stamp from the
envelope, leaving a border around it for easy removal. Place it in a
dish with water and let it soak for a while. Remove the stamp using
tongs or with your hand. Let it dry between two pieces of paper napkins
and place a flat, heavy object like a book over it to flatten it out.
Get wise
Many look at stamps as an investment. Every stamp has a value and you
can get the help of a philatelist to value your collection or learn
about it.
Rare stamps like the Inverted Jenny carry big price tags. These stamps
are so precious that during the Nazi reign, the German Jews apparently
escaped the country with rare stamps sewed to their garments so that
they could use it to finance their new life elsewhere.
A first
Stamp collectors are also usually on the look out for first day covers. A
first day cover is a set that comprises an envelope, a postage stamp
and a post mark (cancellation - specially designed for the occasion) of
the date of the stamp's ‘first day of issue' and is put on sale on the
first day of issue of the stamp. Two years ago, Young World witnessed
the release of its own first day cover marking the supplement's 20th
anniversary. It was released by the Postmaster General, Chennai City
Region, M.S. Ramanujan, and was received by N. Ram, then
Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, at a function held to mark the occasion.
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kids/article3417749.ece
