by William Bosch

Created on: March 24, 2009

Stamp collecting: it is more than a hobby. It's an adventure!

Many people seem to consider the world of stamp collecting to be boring and not worth the time or the effort. But those of us who do enjoy the hobby know its potential rewards. Stamp collecting is a hobby that can connect a student with pieces of history. It is a hobby where little pieces of art can be saved and treasured for future generations to enjoy. It can become something of interest to stir the collector's imagination to become creative in other areas as well. But it can also be like playing the lottery: you never know when you might come across a treasure that someone else let slip by!

I started stamp collecting as a child. My father collected stamps, and when he allowed me the privilege of seeing what he had collected over the years, I was transfixed with images from around the world. The colors and topics were what first attracted me. Who could resist the animal stamps, or the vibrant colors of those featuring fish or birds? When man landed on the moon and space exploration became the topic of certain stamps, collecting those stamps that featured pioneers in space exploration had new meaning and made it even more interesting.

When a child can begin such a hobby at a young age, it can benefit their education. Education attempts to promote the value of well-rounded studies. Some students have difficulty with certain subjects. But when I collected stamps, history became more important because I was able to tie in something from a hobby that was tangible to my studies, making the subject more interesting. As a result my grades improved. That may not work for everybody, but isn't it worth a shot?

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on a collection to reap benefits. Simple inexpensive packets for generic worldwide collections can get a student started. Of course, more serious collectors can spend upwards of thousands of dollars on a single stamp in pristine condition. But it isn't necessary to spend a lot be able to enjoy the hobby.

There's also nothing like going to a garage sale or estate sale and coming across an unwanted stamp collection, or buying unsearched "grab bags" of stamps that had never been gone through for identification purposes. You never know what you might find! I recall several times when I have spent maybe a dollar or two on a box of someone's unwanted stamps only to find several stamps of topical interest, or stamps worth several dollars individually. You might even find what you might consider junk, a stamp that had been printed wrong only to find out later that such an error could be worth almost $100!

Don't let other people tell you that stamp collecting is boring. It can be fun, and it is an incredible way to have some fun on a rainy day. It is a hobby that can be very worthwhile to look into!

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