How Stamps Teach Us

Learning History and Geography From Your Stamp Collection

Besides stamps being a thing of art and beauty, there’s other educational benefits to being a stamp collector. As a bonus is you can learn from the hobby of philately a lot about geography and even more history. Your nature study and natural history are broadened and brightened. You learn about great people and great events of various countries, and to know what many of these countries produce in order to further their trade. You are never finished, and you never get tired. The longer you collect the more likely you are to find bargains well worth your while, and your collection will increase in value through the years.

Your stamp dealer will be delighted to help you. All stamp dealers I know take a keen delight in talking about their hobby or business, for to them all it is a hobby AS well as a business. They are as courteous and painstaking with any young person with a penny to spend as they are with the rich collector who comes in to spend big. They know what your money means to you, and what the hobby means to both of you. There is a wonderful bond in philately and this help to make it all the more enjoyable.
Another sideline has grown up in the hobby. When aeroplanes become safe and swift, air services have been arranged all over the world. So air stamps were designed by most countries, and many collectors specialise in these type of stamps. “Flown covers,” that is the whole envelope with its stamps and “By Air Mail” label, are eagerly sought after by some specialists.

The engrossing hobby of philately, once you begin to collect stamps for yourself you will find you are daily learning more. You will also find the desire to know growing strong within you. Then you will be able to read the stamp magazines, study the catalogues, and more than all these, study the stamps themselves, carefully, often under a good magnifying glass in order to find out all their romance and history.