One of the joys of stamp collecting is that it is very personal. Individual collectors may have very different approaches to this hobby. Some people are interested in finding rare, valuable stamps, whilst others enjoy collecting stamps from all over the world. It is quite common to group stamps by country, but an enjoyable alternative is to create a thematic stamp collection.
Starting a Thematic Stamp Collection
When you start stamp collecting you may wish to focus on one particular topic or area of interest and to group your stamps according to the pictures shown on them. Before you select your theme, you may wish to look through a number of stamp catalogues and think about which topic would be best for you. Animals, plants and birds appear on stamps from all over the world, so one of these might be an appropriate theme for your collection. Other suggestions might be transport, buildings, sport or Christmas stamps.
Buying and Collecting Stamps
Many stationer's shops sell large bags of stamps which are already grouped by theme. This might be a good way to start your thematic collection. However, you can also buy bags of world stamps and then sort them to find any images that fit your chosen topic. Internet sites and some charities also sell bags of assorted stamps. Encourage your friends to look out for stamps on your theme and if you have chosen to collect Christmas stamps you should be able to add to your collection, for free, every December.
Organizing a Thematic Stamp Collection
Once you have chosen which kind of images to collect then you will need to think about how to organize them. You can arrange your stamps in a traditional stamp album, with hinges, or in a stamp stockbook. Stockbooks are easy to use as they have plastic pockets in them so that you can move your stamps as your collection develops.
When you are planning your album remember that most thematic topics can be broken down into smaller groups. For example a collection of stamps based on nature could be broken down into groups such as birds, fish, reptiles and mammals. This is a good way to organize your collection. Once you have decided on how to divide your subject then you can start to create pages for each of your new, smaller categories.
Another way to organize a thematic stamp collection is to use each page to tell a story. For example, if your collection was based around images of transport, then one page could illustrate the development of cars over time. You would begin with images of the first ever cars and then move on towards modern vehicles. Don't forget to leave plenty of space on each page so that you can build and develop your collection.
Special Interest Stamps
Perhaps you could base your thematic stamp collection on your own special interest. For example, If you enjoy sport, you could collect sporting stamps from all over the world or Olympic stamps.
Creating a thematic stamp collection can be both enjoyable and educational. You could explore and develop your theme further by adding notes around the stamp collection to explain more about your chosen topic.
Source
Judy Allen, Stamps and Stamp Collecting, Tiger Books International,
Susannah White - Susannah White lives in Gloucestershire, England where she works in education. She has an M.A degree in Writing For ...
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