Stamp collecting is an age-old hobby that holds the interest of millions of people the world over. Stamp collecting began in the 1840s when the first stamps were issued. Stamp madness, or timbromania swept through Europe and spread worldwide. Stamp collecting is not as popular as it once was, but there are still an estimated 25 million people in the US alone and over 200 million around the world who still collect.
It is not hard to get started in the infamous art of stamp collecting, nor is it overly expensive. There are a few must have items needed to begin: tweezer-like tongs to handle stamps, a magnifying glass, a stamp album, and of course, the stamps.
The first thing to decide is what type of stamps you wish to collect. Many people collect new stamps and just as many collect used ones; it is all a matter of personal preference. If collecting new stamps, there are thousands of Internet sites selling stamps, there are dealers all over the world that sell them, and there are even stamp auctions. If collecting used stamps, most people will save stamps off of their mail and also save the stamps off of all their friends and families mail. One of the cheapest ways...