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Stamp collecting preferences can be varied, each of them as interesting and gratifying as the other. One such collecting interest is oddities.

Now what are oddities? Stamps that are unconventional because of some unusual feature are called oddities. They may be rarities that are flawed in any way; by errors of omission or commission. These usually are the grossly anomalous stamps, whose existence and mortality are of public knowledge and record. For instance the famous INVERTED HEAD of India.

OR they may be odd by virtue of their weird shapes or unusual materials used like clay, or non-conformist attributes like perfume.

RARETIES
Stamp oddities with major errors in production, occurred during the process of designing or printing are usually withdrawn the moment it comes to the notice of the stamp issuing authority. So there are usually limited stamps in circulation. They are thus much sought after by collectors, and are pricey. Though the catalogues do list prices, the prices of such rarities are determined by the number of known specimens available in the world and the kind of rarity, condition of stamp notwithstanding. Such errors can occur as flaws in design, colour, perforation, use of paper, or caused by a fault or otherwise, in the printing process.

Often stamps with minor errors, like colour varieties or freaks, variation in perforations and printing, continue to be in circulation. Such stamps are also in demand by collectors, though they are not as expensive, because of the larger numbers in circulation. However, philatelists all over, with their fascination for oddities in any form, continue to propound and collect even the slightest of oddity with a minor colour shift. Thanks to them, these vignettes of history shall remain.

The other kind of oddities, the more avant-garde collecting interest; are the odd-shaped stamps like the Mickey Mouse' stamps of U.S. and 'coffee mug' stamp of New Zealand (2005). Usually, such stamps are sought in their mint condition, i.e. original pristine condition. Such stamps are rarely seen postally used or affixed on an envelope, because they are passed on by dealers to the possession of collectors. In fact, such is the fascination for these stamps that many countries issue such non-conformist stamps in limited numbers chiefly for philatelic interest as well as to generate revenue for the issuing authority.

Learn more about this author, Sangeeta Deogawanka.
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