All about Stamp Collecting by Michael DuBasso

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Stamps that Traveled Around the World

Most likely the philatelists are the ones that know the answer to the question how many countries are on this planet. If you browse through Michael’s catalogs, you can list at least 700 countries and entities that existed or exist within 150 years since the first postage stamps appeared. One gets dizzy from all that. [...]

Fundamentals of Philately

How to Start At the beginning of entering into the world of philately you’ll need to firstly accept some recommendations and rules that enables and facilitate the creation of high-quality stamp collections. To this date there are printed millions of different stamps and each year this number increases by 12,000 new marks in world. Which [...]

Michael Dubasso - Stamp Collecting The Definitive Book

The Most Common Collectors’ passions

The sheer fun of collecting various items usually first becomes a habit, and then turns into a passion. Collectors take their hobby very seriously, but how could they not when there are many priceless collectors’ items. Although this might sound funny, because we all in elementary school collected album pictures, wrote down numbers we are [...]

Various types of postage stamps

By taking a view on the various issued postage stamps, it can be concluded that the stamps can be grouped into different categories. Further in the article is explained the division of marks according to four criteria, although there are other criteria’s too. The most important separation of stamps is according to their purpose and [...]

Philatelic legends

From the large number of issued postage stamps in the world, only ten generally known stamps can be really considered as legends. Some of them are extremely rare, others we can see fairly often, some have undisputed philatelic importance while others are questionable, but all these stamps are characterized with popularity that goes beyond philatelic [...]

About Philately

September 26th, 2012

michael dubasso

If you have a desire to become familiar with countries where you have never been, then you can create your own collection of postage stamps from those countries and get to know the secrets of the distant places

Philately – (philo – attraction or affinity for something, ateleia – exempt from duties and taxes) is the name given to those who like postage stamps, study and collect them, also collect envelopes, stamps and other postal materials.

In order to enter the magical world of philately, first of all it is necessary to adopt some common rules, be familiar with the basic concepts and methods that are essential for collecting postage stamps along with creation of collections.

Each postage stamp has its own material, historical or sentimental value. Therefore, there isn’t a postage stamp which is worthless, whether used or new, it has its own value.

Important thing when creating a collection is paying particular attention on the type of collection we want to create.

Since with postage stamps many various events are etched in history, and they convey messages about the natural beauties, sport results and everything else that surrounds us, one of the possible choices is to create a themed collection. Such collections are strictly related to a specific topic and all together create beautiful diversified unity that makes philately a very attractive hobby, simply because there isn’t an event that has not appeared on a postage stamp.

Stamps as a replacement to money

September 24th, 2012

michael dubasso

In the era of crisis and war, coins of small value were often lacking. Metals were priceless. They were primarily intended for the needs of the war, and paper money was in addition undervalued with inflation. Thus often were used alternate means of payment, which according to the method of issuing were called by various names such as: money out of necessity, Notgeld, vouchers, money orders, dots, coins, etc. It was used in almost all countries, governments, administrations or other government institutions. Most often paper money was printed with local characteristics, existing notes that were no longer in circulation were reprinted or sealed, but also other similar to money objects were manufactured, which took over the function of money in an area at some, usually short period. Given that the postage stamps are valuables, as well as all the others, but with original function of paying the postage services, they had correctly labeled value in particular currency, it was logical to use them for payments in the absence of adequate money.
During the year 1862 the Civil War was going on. Paper money had lost its value, because it had no cover in gold and silver stocks. The U.S. Congress on 17th July 1862 tried to solve this problem by bringing the law on which for payments less than $ 5 the stamps can be used. It is seen as an official announcement of stamps as a means of payment. However, the stamp is very impractical for such use; it can be easily damaged, and on the back side, which is coated with an adhesive layer sticks to fingers and wallets. Therefore, John Gault on 12th September 1862 patented the first capsule for stamps. He protected stamps by putting them into round capsules of brass sheet.

Stamps that Traveled Around the World

September 19th, 2012

michael dubasso

Most likely the philatelists are the ones that know the answer to the question how many countries are on this planet. If you browse through Michael’s catalogs, you can list at least 700 countries and entities that existed or exist within 150 years since the first postage stamps appeared. One gets dizzy from all that. Therefore philatelists predominantly stick to more specific areas, such as their own country, subject matter, certain periods, air mail … Only fanatics, like me, collect anything and everything, which is definitely a Sisyphean task! There are also other criteria for collecting. Some prefer unmarked postage stamps, other postage stamps that have traveled.

Unmarked postage stamps are usually more valuable, especially the editions that were used for the main purpose, i.e. mailings. And also the group of postage stamps which consists of editions which were canceled in order to nullify the nominal value, and as such were distributed to collectors and dealers. However, these postage stamps have not traveled! I would like to point out that the postage stamps which are marked are a lot more valuable than unmarked. This is most obvious with the war and inflation postage stamps.

There are also editions for desolate and exotic regions of Earth, from which came a very few postal letters. While we were young and overwhelmed by the idea of creating collections, from grandma’s casket, we were secretly pulling out bundles of old letters and postcards, tied with silk ribbons. Scissors were used and at the end we proudly dried our new, wet postage stamps.

Fundamentals of Philately

September 14th, 2012

michael dubasso

How to Start

At the beginning of entering into the world of philately you’ll need to firstly accept some recommendations and rules that enables and facilitate the creation of high-quality stamp collections. To this date there are printed millions of different stamps and each year this number increases by 12,000 new marks in world.

Which Stamps should be collected

Each stamp has a value, whether it be stamped (canceled) or without seals (Undone). On what you have to focus on is what collection you wan to create. You can instantly decide to create a general collection of stamps form specific country that are suspended or Undone. The second option is much broader create themed collections are then related only to a particular topic because Philately covers all spheres of social life and every philatelist according to his wishes can choose a theme or several of them.

Sorting of Stamps

As Michael Dubasso said above a value have stamps with a seal and stamps without it, but this is also a good start for their first classification. In one album arrange canceled in second un canceled stamps. After that, within this album sort stamps by country and by states as well as by eventual series and units that you can recognize. This procedure applies for un canceled stamps too. In both cases, in the beginning you don’t have to adhere to some special rules of classification as you have the freedom to be creative and make it your own classification by some seeing of the whole or any part of your collection.

The Most Common Collectors’ passions

September 12th, 2012

michael dubasso

The sheer fun of collecting various items usually first becomes a habit, and then turns into a passion. Collectors take their hobby very seriously, but how could they not when there are many priceless collectors’ items.

Although this might sound funny, because we all in elementary school collected album pictures, wrote down numbers we are missing on a paper, exchanging duplicates, collectors of “serious” items exchange addresses, phone numbers, e-mails so they share experiences, exchanging items or purchase them one from the other. The list could, of course, be much longer, but with these examples I’ll trying graps the surface of most common collectibles, from the very expensive, available only to the very rich and very rare people, to an ordinary collection of photos.

Philately

Philatelists, as you probably know deal with collecting stamps. In the past this hobby was much more widespread, every second household had its little album (worth it or not, does not matter), and today the most numerous societies are precisely philatelic societies.

The most valuable among stamps are of course, those issued a jubilee in honor of someone, and those are the pride of the collector. The stamps have to be stored in albums because, as unmounted photo can be destroyed, an unprotected stamp becomes worn and loses value. If you collect them, on the Internet you will have no problem finding a soul mate who is dealing with this hobby and share experiences.

Various types of postage stamps

September 7th, 2012

michael dubasso

By taking a view on the various issued postage stamps, it can be concluded that the stamps can be grouped into different categories. Further in the article is explained the division of marks according to four criteria, although there are other criteria’s too. The most important separation of stamps is according to their purpose and type of traffic for which they are used, because in this way the stamps are characterized in catalogs. Regardless of the intensity of dealing with philately the knowledge of the following terms in the philatelic world is unavoidable.

Form of postage stamps
Usage of stamps
The type of traffic for which the stamp is used
The material of which the stamp is made

Division of postage stamps by type

During the period of classical philately the postage stamps were issued in a uniform rectangular and square shape. The advent of modern printing machines enabled the introduction of a higher dose of creativity by adding variety of colors on postage stamps, the logical sequence was more frequent use of diverse forms of postage stamps. Thus, it’s relatively common to encounter triangular, round, various angular and irregular shapes. Stamps can also vary significantly with its size.

Stamp breakdown by application

a) Franko stamps – these marks are used for payment of postage in advance, ie before the consignment is dispatchedThiese stamps are most often encountered on the envelopes and are exactly the ones with most massive releases.

b) Porto stamps – used to pay postage on delivery. These are items which were not franked or where there is insufficient stamp value. Then the postage is paid by the recipients, twice the amount of the regular postage.

c) Special stamps – types of special stamps:

Packet – used to help pay postage for sending packages and similar shipments

Telegraph – used to charge telegraph fees.

Train – along with the packet stamps there are train stamps are postage stamps used for other rail shipments.

Philatelic legends

September 6th, 2012

michael dubasso

From the large number of issued postage stamps in the world, only ten generally known stamps can be really considered as legends. Some of them are extremely rare, others we can see fairly often, some have undisputed philatelic importance while others are questionable, but all these stamps are characterized with popularity that goes beyond philatelic population and have become part of Our general culture. Along with the Stamps Usually go stories that often have romantic character. Let’s take a look at the legends of our hobby.

The popular “Penny Black” became a legend as the first stamp that was ever issued. This stamp resulted from the large postal reform in 1837. Proposed by Sir Rowland Hill, and the goal was easier and cheaper handling of postal items. Till then the postage was charging depending on the distance and weight. To make matters worse, the recipient had to pay the postage fee and due to the high amount her recipients often refused to pay the required amount. The collection of the postage fee was often object of fraud not only by the sender or the recipient, but also by the postal officials. Hill in 1837 proposed uniform fee of 1 penny to any destination in England and postage in advance by the sender, which would be confirmed by pasting stamps, as evidence that the postage is paid. His proposal was approved by the parliament in 1839th and the reform was implemented in the spring of next year. The first postage stamp with the image of Queen Victoria was printed in sheets of 240 pieces (20 rows of 12 stamps that in the bottom corner were marked with letters, so that it is easily possible to determine the position of the stamp into the ark: for example,