A BNAPS Tutorial for New Collectors - Part 1
There are three portions of this website that could interest new collectors. We suggest that you view them one at a time completely, to avoid getting tangled in the links.For those with more specialized interests, we suggest looking HERE
Tutorial Condition ratings FAQs and Facts
TUTORIAL Stamp collecting, or "philately", is one of those timeless hobbies that might have been enjoyed by your grandfather, and could be a future pastime for your grand-daughter. It does have its own terminology and even jargon, so we try to define terms as we come to them.
Part of the fun of stamp collecting is that you are pretty much in charge of what you want to have in your collection. And the possibilities are endless !! There are those who save stamps as an investment. The pros and cons of that are not discussed here. The emphasis in these pages is on the sheer enjoyment of developing a hobby that can be enjoyable for you, your family and your friends.
Some of you will enjoy the camaraderie of a stamp club. BNAPS is a society that provides both technical and social contributions to your hobby, if you choose to pursue those. You will likely find local stamp clubs, as well as regional BNAPS groups, where collectors meet to discuss, trade and collectively pursue the hobby.
These pages are designed to increase your pleasure as you pursue the hobby of philately. However, you should be aware that some activities with stamps and envelopes such as soaking stamps off envelopes, using chemicals for watermark detection, cleaning stamps and envelopes and mounting stamps on pages with stamp hinges contain some risk for damaging stamps. Before attempting any of these activities you will want to discuss how to do them with others in your local stamp club or your local stamp dealer.
What equipment and materials do you need? Here are some suggestions:
An album is essential - loose stamps do not wear well. The kind of album depends on what you wish to collect and how well you wish to display your collection. For example, if you want to collect covers, you need an album that differs from a stamp album. Some albums even show pictures of the stamps, but if you plan to ever get into some of the variations of stamps, you might find that not all varieties are shown. Consult your local stamp dealer, members of your local stamp club, or anyone who is already a collector.
A current stamp catalogue is pretty much a necessity, as it will show you in colour the issues of the country or countries you collect. You might need more than one catalogue if you decide to collect several countries. To get a feeling for it, borrow a catalogue or look in your public library. Catalogues give an estimated value of stamps, so if you are looking at a 1996 catalogue, you won't find recent issues and the values will be out of date.
Tweezers are important, though not essential. If you try philately and decide to stick with it, you will buy tweezers - guaranteed! Select tweezers that will be gentle with your stamps.
A magnifying glass can be very useful. If you decide to collect earlier issues that are known to have plate flaws, etc., you will need a glass - perhaps a 10x. Again, consult, consult, consult.
Hinges might be needed if you plan to mount used stamps in a regular kind of album.
Some albums enable you to mount stamps without hinges. You might wish to avoid using hinges to mount mint stamps (the ones that have never been used and still have gum on the back), as the gum will be disturbed, and the value of the stamp decreased.
As you explore the wonderful complexities of stamps, particularly earlier issues, you will find that some varieties are related to "watermarks". These are images in the paper used to print stamps. Usually, a watermark will identify the maker of the paper. To see watermarks, you will need a special tray and some fluid. Be sure to ask for help with this, as the fluid could be flammable and dangerous for children.
Some issues have been coated with fluorescent material. Fluorescent tagging was introduced to enable the Post Office to use automatic cancelling equipment. An ultra-violet light is needed to detect this. However, this need not be on your "essential" list.
To help you decide what to collect, here are some ideas for the kind of collection you might start. You can start several different kinds, if you want - as we said, its all up to you.COUNTRIES
Many new collectors choose to collect modern stamps from their own country. These stamps are readily available and are somewhat familiar. However, one of the basic appeals of philately is that all countries produce stamps, and there is a certain element of intrigue in getting to know about something that is "foreign".
Perhaps your family came to Canada from France, via the USA. You could easily begin a collection of 3 countries, having ties to each. There may be family still living in France and the USA who will save their stamps and send them to you.
Many new collectors have friends in other countries who also collect stamps. A pen pal in New Zealand could trade stamps with you, each having better access to the stamps of her/his own country. The Internet is a fast-growing means for people meeting and making friendships. If you are an adult, you don't need warnings from us about the potential hazards of Internet friendships, but if you are not an adult, we recommend that you consult our advice on our Kids website.
SPORTS, BIRDS, FLOWERS, ANIMALS, BUTTERFLIES, SPACE CRAFT, ETC.
Some people like to collect stamps of maybe any one country, or several countries, but which are all of the same subject, or topic. Sometimes these collections are called "topicals". These can be a lot of fun, and also an inexpensive way of getting to know about the stamps of many countries.
Take birds, for example. There are thousands of different stamps showing birds. Space craft are not so common, but there are still many stamps showing those. Sports is another topic shown on the stamps of all countries.
Sometimes you can find very exciting "extras" for your collection
As we continue to describe the kinds of stamps and postal history that are collected, we will have to explain some basics of stamp production. Stamps are usually printed by the Post Office in sheets containing many stamps. The side of a stamp showing the image is called the "face", and the back is called the "back". Sometimes there are 100 or more stamps on a sheet. In past days, all the stamps on a sheet were usually the same. In recent years, there can be several different stamps on the same sheet.Sheets often have a strip of paper around the edge, called selvage. Sometimes, the Post Office also printed some information along the outside edges. This could be the name of the printing company that printed the stamps. It could be the number of the "plate" that was used to print the stamps. All of this can interest collectors.
The tutorial continues.
