Which stamps are best to collect

[ffidrac]

I am new to stamp collecting and have decided to collect sets from 1960 to the present.
I was just wondering what type of stamps are best to collect?
Unused or used stamps?
with used stamps is it better to remove them from the paper of leave them on?
what is the best album to use? I find the hinges fidly
thanks in advance

[philactica]

Mint never hinged.
Used on Envelope with good clear cancellation. surplus or common items can be washed off.
Note stamps on envelope that have gone through the mailing system which have good clear cancels/postmark is becoming increasingly scarce - collect on cover first. Keep them dry avoid fishmoths.
Never hinge stamps - we have progressed in the 21st century - use a stockbook for mint or use just plain old envelopes to sort your USED.

[dojam1]

in my opinion DONT remove from envelope and collecting older ones may be harder but it is way more exciting when you find something cool. Also depending on where you are from and where you family live decide on where the stamps should be from. For example, my collection was started by a neighbour who had family in new zealand giving me the collection. MOst of my stamps date from 1910-1980 as that was when her family was writing to her most. Using that sort of info, decide wat to collect!

[VFU]

Doesn't it depend why you are collecting? Are you collecting as an investment or mainly as an enjoyable hobby (or a combination of the two)? Personally I think it's best to collect only what appeals rather than religiously collecting every issue from a country or era. I personally have steered toward older issues in recent years as I find modern stamps uninspiring, and new issues almost valueless! I'd say collect what you enjoy.

[philactica]

Hi VFU,

I do agree with you but think about this hypothesis.

All living things live and thrive in FEAR !
Plants can only show us by wilting due to disease or moisture loss. All other living things - animals, insects, insects live and thrive because of fear.
The pesty fly will try to dodge your swatter swipe, the cockroach is out of harm's way at night and mammals size up their opponent and run away when threatened.

Like the squirrel we humans have fine-tuned collecting things. Why - because of FEAR.
We collect to have something MORE than the next human because of FEAR of having less than any other. With time it becomes pleasing due to human ingenuity and proudly proclaim stamp collecting a hobby.
Hay - not every one has a penny black !!

The pleasure in our leisure part started off when young and COLLECTED what others did not have.
Now add more human ingenuity whe we get older we realise some VALUE in what we have collected and FEAR makes us protect this like a cave man. We like to show our collection, we try to define the very reason why we collected and to add to all this we find VALUE in relation to our FEAR in losing such a lifetime of collecting, it need not be only stamps I hasten to say. Think of how hazardous collecting wives has become which is now almost obsoleted in the sensible world, if the latter were to exist.

Then again like Goethe remarked - "I am a human being - here (on earth) I can be one!"

Enjoy your hobby !

[Kustard]

Wow, interesting replies!!! Every person on this forum has their own reasons for collecting, and choices as to what to collect...these are sometimes linked!!!

I started collecting when I was 13 because Cornish winters are cold and boring. I collected anything I could get...except GB because I thought our stamps were boring!!!
21 years later, my collection has grown ridiculously. I always collect used stamps as that's what I prefer. I will keep a mint copy of a stamp until I find a used copy though. I also HATE any CTO. I like stamps to have gone through the postal system.

I will not have diddly hinges in my house because they destroy stamps. Some old stamps have 4 or 5 hinges on them when I find them and it's awful. My worldwide collection are in albums in hagner or prinz stocksheets. I also have many stockbooks of oddities.

My main focus now is GB and South Africa. All of these are in stamp mounts, on album pages. I bought a cd of WW album pages so I could print what I needed, and edited any I wanted to suit me. I then bought prinz files strips to attach the pages but they were so expensive so I ended up creating my own with some 180gsm card and double sided sticky tape. I am so pleased with the result. Proves anyone can have a nicely displayed collection on a budget.

I've gone off track here, but I'm trying to say, collect what you want. My collection is for me and me alone to look at and love. The value of it will matter to my sons when I die, but is irrelevant to me. It's just lots of shelves of beauty and organisation to me. Lol.

[philactica]

Hi Kustard,

>>double sided sticky tape.<<

That can become very sticky, sorry tricky. Carefull the sticky does not ooze out over time sticking to everything else - not recommended. Like selfadhesive stamps, they do ooze off and stick to album pages, such are best put in thin cellophane.

Erich

[Kustard]

Don't worry, the sticky tape in nowhere near the stamps. It holds my file strips on the edge of the a4 pages so I don't need to punch holes in my pages. If I get time later, I'll post a photo to show you what I mean. X