21.10.17

Philately Is An Extremely Detail Oriented Study Of Rare Postage Stamps

By Douglas Howard


Philately is a word that is used in the study about post stamps. It should be noted though that Philatelists are not necessarily collectors. Most people take up collection just for the fun of it while being oblivious to certain crucial aspects such as the country of origin and history which determine the value of the stamp. They only look to having a collection according the theme they select. Philatelists, unlike them are not necessarily collectors. They could do it, but their major purpose is the study of rare postage stamps so as to know more about them.

Some are very old, and others have errors or have been released in a small number. Here are a couple of examples of expensive and rare post stamps. The Penny Black is an English postage stamp and is the first of its kind in the entire world. It was designed by Rowland Hill, and it is a portrait of Queen Victoria.

The historical context which defines the appearance of this stamp is the reformation of the postal system. The Penny Black was valued at only 1 penny back then. Today, things have changed, and its value has grown immensely. An example of an extremely rare and valuable US postage stamp is the Franklin Z-Grill. It bears the portrait of Benjamin Franklin, made with a z-grill, which is visible on the back of the stamp.

People that indulge in stamp collecting observe the rise in prices of rare seals. Some stamp collectors also indulge in Philatelic investment. Rare seals are tangible investments and are portable. Collections of rare seals are an attractive alternative to art and precious metals.

You need to have real knowledge about this domain, as to immediately tell if you are looking at an expensive, valuable piece or a reproduction that is not worth a large sum of money. Thus, it can be said that in most cases, you need the help of an expert to separate real treasures from fake ones. In this regard, interested clients can ask for the services of trustworthy stamp collecting agencies.

Grading Factors- Grading focuses on the various factors such as if the stamp is canceled, image position, density and size of cancellation, the condition of perforations, color quality or color fading, repairs and damages and many others. Enthusiastic collectors usually use this grading system to determine the value of their collection.

Philately is an extremely detail oriented field of study; one has to have a good eye for some of the tiniest detail that can be found on seal. Even someone who is just a casual collector would benefit from just some of the basic knowledge about philately.

Finding the right collector is an action that should be based on thorough research, so discover the aspects that matter most in this business and start your quest. Even though profit may not come immediately, at one point or another, it will! Just hold your horses.




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