History of Philately

Stamps have always been a dependable means of raising funds for those in need or suffering. It started during the U.S.'s Civil War and is still going on today.

In earlier days the hobby was sold to stamp collectors through a combination of celebrity hoopla, a sense of history, journalistic chutzpah, and the old verity "give the public what it wants and you'll succeed." And as dealers sent their newsletters, journals and pricelists to their faithful customers, they created the philatelic Facebook of their day.

What is more important, using stamps to note history or to deliver the mail?

The people and places that affected stamp dealer Herman "Pat" Herst during the golden age of collecting are brought to life in this funny and informative collection.

A nearly unique airmail stamp was issued years before powered flight. It's purpose to frank mail carried on Samuel Archer King's balloon "Buffalo," which gave the stamp its name: The Buffalo Balloon Stamp. Today it is a first class rarity of aerophilately.

Blue Mauritius: The Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Stamps by Helen Morgan a history of how a stamp becomes one of the rarest and well known stamps in the world.

Take advantage of the many opportunities to see stamps you might not ever see and learn more about philately and postal history. The sites listed below are those of online galleries, museums and stamp exhibits. While some are parts of museums or other large organizations, many are done by ordinary stamp collectors.

Dag Hammarskjold Invert Issue

Veterans Day Gallery - U.S. philately that honors those who served

U.S. 1893 Columbian Exposition Stamps

A detailed look at the history of the United States Postal Service, from the earliest days of the nation to modern times.

The U.S. Postal Service has a long tradition of celebrating the Olympic Games on stamps. These issues cover a wide variety of sports but have in common unique designs and lots of color.

An introduction to the hobby of stamp collecting

Non-postage stamps that are a holiday tradition

The first postage stamp

Special stamps used by duck hunters

The idea that one must be very experienced in collecting to collect covers is a myth. Many intermediate collectors, after a good grounding in stamp collecting find it a natural thing to add covers to their philatelic pursuits.

We know what philately is. And we have a grasp of what the term cover means. But what about philatelic covers? Covers can be categorized as one of two general types: postal history, which are items that have actually traveled through the mail system; and philatelic covers, the covers that are produced or made specifically with elements that appeal to a collector. The most well known type of a ph…

All collectors have stamps that are special to them, for reasons that sometimes go beyond philatelic concerns. More than just another stamp in an album to us, they have a more personal connection or are of special interest because they are exemplary of our collection's overall theme. To learn more about such stamps, many of us begin with attending the first day of issue ceremonies.

Technology, while it makes much easier for both collector and dealer of stamps, there are some downsides.

Pictorial postmarks, available since the first that was issued from the Headsville West Virginia post office, then residing inside the National...

Lindbergh couldn't stop in every city in the U.S., but after his post-transatlantic flight tour, millions had seen him and he had been the main...

Here you will find the information to start a stamp collection on the right foot and continue it knowledgeably, getting the most pleasure possible...

Review of The Error World - An Affair with Stamps by Simon Garfield

There are stereotypes of stamp collectors, perpetuated by the media. Although there may be an element of truth to them, they are based on exaggeration. Examining what real collector types exist can give one a good picture of the stamp collecting world and what to expect when one becomes a part of it.

Buying gifts for the stamp collector can be extremely hard for the non-collector. They already have the basics like watermark detector, tongs and the other tools of the hobby. And you don't know what kind of stamps to buy for him. Here are suggestions for gifts that might not seem glamorous, but compared to the basics will be much appreciated by...

The Internet is a real boon for stamp collectors, allowing them to add to their knowledge of the hobby, purchase stamps with ease and connect with other collectors.

The best news stories for stamp collectors are that a new issue in their collecting area is about to be released. But there are some big stories that represent the trends in the world of philately that can have a broad effect on the hobby and most of its practitioners -- the stamp collectors. So without further ado, the following are a few of...

Stuck with Self-Stick Stamps

The topical and collector of worldwide stamps must have some set limits or drown in a deluge of each year's new issues In the sesquicentennial year of the Civil War there will be stamp issues to tempt the collector. The CW topicalist will want to add all of them to his collection. But is is a good idea to examine the legitimacy of these issues...

The USPS has just released a stamp to celebrate the centenary of president Ronald Reagan's birth. Along with first day cancels and covers available from the USPS there are other Reagan philatelic specialty items available to the collector.

The Compleat Philatelist by Herman Herst

George Washington Carver, a much honored black man of great achievement, was one of the first black Americans, after Booker T. Washington to be honored with a postage stamp. In his time, his impact of agriculture, especially in the U.S. south was pronounced. His place in black history is at the forefront and his influence on later generations is...

The collecting of postal and philatelic covers can give one an added perspective on the stamps that he collects. After all, stamps primary function is to carry the mail. A casual inspection of postal history shows stamps at work in their practical purpose; to move the mails. That the results, called covers also can have an intrinsic beauty and...

If you have hours to fill when you're out of school this summer, consider taking up stamp collecting. It's easy to start a collection, while many philatelic activities are open to active stamp collectors, including visits to postal museums, partcipating in first day cover ceremonies, going to stamp shows large and small, joining a club and...

What would one dealer from the classic era of stamp and cover collecting think of the current trend practiced by some of creating artisanal cachets and charging big bucks for them. Although Herman Herst was of the generation of first day cover collectors who enjoyed covers made by Artcraft, Fleetwood, Anderson and many others, the new kids...

Be ready for changes in stamp collecting styles. New types of stamps can mean different ways to collect, as well as the need for different tools to store and enjoy your stamps and covers. Keeping up with current trends in stamp collecting makes sure you enjoy your hobby to the maximum.

The exotic middle east countries including Fujiera, Kuwait, Yemen, Ajman, Afganistan, Oman have issued stamps that many collectors cast a wary eye upon, when they are not ignoring them entirely. While these stamps from the so-called Sand Dunes do have their place in the philatelic world -- mostly in cheap packets and to beef up bulk packages...

Amelia Earhart, known as The First Lady of the Air, was also the first lady of the airmail. She carried collector covers on her flights and was a collector and exhibitor in her own right. She has been commemorated on stamps worldwide, and many are still fascinated with her story and her disappearance.

Civil War Buffs that are also stamp collectors are looking at a lot of action in the next several years as the United States -- and many other stamp-issuing entities of the world -- will mark the sesquicentennial of the War Between the States with a flood of philatelic items.

Reginald Bray of London, England may have been the world's greatest postal prankster, but he was also a collector of unique philatelic items of his own making, autographs and postmarks. He was one of the few individuals who could say that he mailed himself and was delivered by the British Post Office.

Slogan cancellation collecting, once a popular area, was helped out by Moe Luff, a cover dealer who cataloged U.S. slogans. His numbering system is still in use today.

Women came a long way in gaining postal recognition for their work and achievements, and now, especially in the U.S., they are as well represented on stamps and covers as men.

With the glory days of airmail behind it, collectors are waiting to see if a new era of space exploration, travel and possible colonization will engender an astropost serving those living in space stations and beyond. Well before that, of course, will be flights that will be commemorated with stamps and special covers, privately issued, that...

From the time when his campaign covers were in the mail, to Civil War patriotics, to the 15 cent memorial stamp after his death, to the many postal tributes the USPS has bestowed on him, Abe Lincoln is the man, as far as stamp collectors are concerned.

Certain stamps issued by the USPS have met with resistance, if not disdain, for reasons of religion, politics, design and featuring controversial personalities. It is impossible to please everyone and there is usually a stamp in current use that causes deep feelings of dislike in some.

A list of a number of stories important to the world of stamp collecting in 2011.

Some thoughts about the future of philately at the end of the year 2011.

Will the USPS close the historic B Free Franklin post office in Philadelphia as a cost cutting measure?

Where once collectors explored the world through covers carried by adventurers, the adventure now in stamp collecting is finding how to bring back the excitement.

The sense of romance of mail once carried by railroad and highway is not lost on stamp collectors.

Technology has threatened the profitability of the mail system since the telegraph. Now the Internet and other technological advances are causing stamp collectors to wonder if stamps will be around for much longer.

Visit the exotic locales of the world without even leaving your comfy chair. All you need as a traveling companion is a worldwide stamp collection.

Max Kronstein became an authority on philatelic flight from balloons and zeppelins to the Space Shuttle in a life that spanned nearly a century.

Stamps can contribute to the welfare and well-being of many living things.

A book covering the history of air mail and the collection of it, known as aerophiltately.

Monsieur Herpin coined the word philately more than 100 years ago so stamp collecting might have a fancy title for itself. There are other words unique to the hobby not so elegant. In fact, they can be downright scary.