Description

Postage stamps have evolved quite a bit since Great Britains 1840 Penny Black, the worlds first adhesive postage stamp. From simple designs featuring the monarch to works of art literally condensed to postage stamp size, hundreds of thousands of different stamps have been issued in the past 164 yearsand the great majority of them remain reasonably priced for collectors. With so many stamps to collect from so many countries, a philatelists choices are virtually unlimited--which can be both a blessing and a curse, especially if youre a newcomer to the art of stamp collecting.

Interested in starting a stamp collection, but not sure where to begin? This is the guide for you. Expert Richard Sine fills you in on everything you need to know about selecting, finding, buying, presenting and caring for stamps. An internationally recognized collector and author on stamp collecting (he used to write the New York Times stamp column) he also has much wisdom to impart to collectors whove been at it for a while. A gold mine of expert advice and guidance, Stamp Collecting For Dummies is on how to:

Start or diversify your collection
Decide what to collect
Catalog and organize your collection
Handle, protect, store, and display stamps
Identify rare and valuable stamps
Buy stamps online and through auction houses

Unlike most authors on the subject who tend to be pretty stuffyto put it politelyexpert Richard Sine focuses on the side of stamp collecting thats enjoyable, educational, and fun. With humor, tons of interesting anecdotes about stamps and the men and women who love them, and loads of insider tips, he covers all the bases, including: