As the migration to the Internet continues for all areas of life, stamp collectors can benefit to a greater extent than many. As collectors we know that knowledge is power; day to day more philatelic information makes it to the Internet and becomes available to us, contributing to our efforts to put together a noteworthy stamp collection. Here are a few sites you may want to visit in pursuit of that goal.
Stamp expertizing
The Internet has made
basic stamp expertizing easy, fast and cheap. While it was once true that expertizing cost a minimum of $20 and took weeks for turnaround, many stamps can now be
expertized in an afternoon and at a cost that doesn’t pinch your wallet till it screams.
Stamp dealers at your fingertips
The
great variety of stamp dealers and auction sites online has made stamp shopping incredibly easy. No longer do you have to wait for your favorite show or travel to you favorite dealer. Also gone is the need to adhere to set business hours. The Internet is open 24 hours a day.
Easy stamp evaluation
Do you really need a stamp catalog for valuing your stamps anymore? With a rudimentary knowledge of the stamp you are looking for and any number of
offerings of that stamp online you can get a realistic valuation without spending a penny on catalogs.
Ease of accessing philatelic knowledge base
More and more basic
stamp information is appearing on the Internet. Of course for specialized or obscure info there is no substitute for an actual
philatelic library like the National Philatelic Research Library at the American Philatelic Society in State College, PA. But if you are looking for basic or intermediate info, you can likely find it on the Internet.
Put a stamp you want on hold with bookmarking
Can’t afford that stamp that will fill a hole in your collection today, but next week you'll be good to go? Basic bookmarking can let you keep track of the stamps that you want to add to your collection. It also creates an instant archive of your acquisitions. (Just be carefull to save any onsite information before the page is taken down or altered.)
Variety of online stamp clubs
Every
stamp club from the largest to the smallest has migrated to the Internet by now, or is in the process of doing so. Start by reading a club’s forum to see if they “speak your language” re stamp collecting before you join.
Transparency of dealers
Word of mouth is swift and deadly on the Internet and any dealers not making the grade are known quickly. This has had the effect of making once questionable dealers clean up their act, giving collectors
better stamps and improved service. The days of the kitchen table stamp dealer working in the shadows are over, as the spotlight of the Internet is all-illuminating.
