Stamps are Little Pieces of Art

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Every year postal authorities around the World accept and approve of artwork to be used as postage stamp designs.  In the United States, the first 50 years of stamp artwork was mostly the portraits of great American leaders.  Since these early days many a topic, landmark, and public awareness theme have adorned U.S. stamps.  Talented artists have created lasting images commemorating the beauty of national flora and fauna, the exploration of space and sea, and historic events that shape our nation.

As a young nation it should come as no surprise that one stamp art theme that persists alongside and within all others is Patriotism.  Stamp art honoring great actors and actresses may appeal to you while those depicting tropical fish may appeal to me.  But Patriotic graphics seem to appeal to us all.  The words of the Constitution, the colors of our flag, and the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty unite us as Americans.

William Butler Yeats said, “Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste.” I believe that stamp art proclaims to the World that while we are diverse in culture and beliefs, we are indeed United as Americans.

Related:  See our United We Stand U.S. Stamp Collection.

That Back to School Feeling

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One of my favorite times of the year, back when I was young and later as a parent, was Back to School time.  Sometimes I still get a hint of that feeling when perusing office supplies.  For me, it was the planning and organization of it all that I found exciting.  I’m guessing many a stamp collector shares this feeling.

stamp supplies are like school supplies …

For school there were pens, pencils, erasers, and rulers for the paper; paper and notebooks for the folders; folders for the binders; and binders for the backpack.  For stamp collections there are mounts, tongs, and magnifiers for the stamps;  stamps for the pages;  and stock pages and supplements for the binders or albums.  All this to organize your work by subject.

… and stamp collecting topics are like school subjects

And what do you do about 3 weeks into the new school year?  Re-Organize based on what you learned along the way, of course.  I believe my first stamp collection was comprised of somewhat random foreign stamps that merely appealed to me visually.  A short time later, I organized these into rough topical categories like animals and shapes like triangle stamps.  From there, I re-organized my stamps into Worldwide countries, eventually focusing on Mongolia and Mexico.  All the while, I kept expanding outside these first rough categories.

Do you get that back to school feeling when planning and organizing your stamp collection?  If so, do you stay within the bounds of an existing album?  Or do you let your collection and imagination build itself as you go?  Either way, the experts at Jamestown Stamp Company know how to help.  We’re here to spark your interest in new countries and topics as well as aid your focus on specific time periods or countries. Let us know what you like.  We’ll help you build the perfect stamp collection!

77 Years of Stamp Collectors’ Approval

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One of the questions most frequently asked by new business colleagues, new employees, and new customers alike is, “Why does Jamestown Stamp Company place so much focus on its approval service?”  It’s an understandable question.  The arrival of the Internet changed the way we purchase many items.  Things we used to buy from mail-order catalogs and over the phone are now just a few clicks away for most people.  While times have indeed changed, the relationship between the stamp dealer and the stamp collector has not.

merely selling stamps is not our passion

At Jamestown Stamp Company, we understand that the stamps on approval service may seem a bit foreign to new collectors.  We do our best to offer as many items as we can via our Web site and mailings to introduce collectors to both the hobby and the approval service.  As one of America’s oldest and most established stamp dealers, we see a HUGE number and variety of collectible postage stamps.  Not only would it be near impossible to list online every item that passes through our doors.  But merely selling stamps is not our passion.  Nor is it our focus.  We strive to serve to our customers exactly what they want for their stamp collections.

stamp approvals customers get the first look

Almost every other business is a first come first serve type business.  The stamp approvals service works differently.  When we acquire new stamps, our experts immediately seek those collectible  stamps that will appeal to their approvals customers.  When we acquire sufficient numbers of any one item or stamp set, we do list them online.  But only after our stamp approvals customers get the first look.  Serving our customers is what we do.  It’s our job and our passion.  The Stamp Collector’s Approval is what want most.  And we wouldn’t want it any other way.

What are Stamps on Approval?

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In his 1957 book, Standard Handbook of Stamp Collecting, Richard Cabeen describes the purchasing of stamps on approval as “one of the most important methods used in buying and selling stamps”.  In fact, Cabeen discusses stamps on approval first over all other methods of acquiring collectible stamps.  So, what are stamps “on approval” and why are they so important?

Most collectors do not live close to a stamp dealer.  Nor do they have access to huge numbers of U.S. and Worldwide stamps.  Even if they do live close to a stamp dealer, who can find time with today’s hectic pace of life?  Enter Approvals.  Stamp approvals bring the stamp dealer stock directly to your door.  The dealer mails you a quantity of stamps for you to view and hopefully approve.  You keep and purchase those stamps you like, or of which you approve, and mail the rest back to the dealer.

You can see why approvals are so important for seasoned stamp collectors.  But they are also great for those just beginning  the stamp collecting hobby since they can very quickly and easily view a number of collectible stamps they’d never otherwise see.

– James the Web guy

See Also:  77 Years of of Stamp Collectors’ Approval

Kids and Collecting Pt 2

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My friends tell me I’m stuck in the 80’s. Who decided parachute pants were “out” anyway? I can’t force myself to like something just because it’s popular. I also can’t stop liking what I like (or digging what I dig, if you will). As much as I have a hard time understanding it, it’s the same for the current generation.

I’ve tried to impress my daughter with topicals that seemed like young girl topics to me. When she wasn’t interested in flowers on stamps or horses on stamps, I thought perhaps the critics were right. Luckily though, I found that given a wide variety of stamps, my child was very much capable of developing her own taste in topics. In fact, much to my surprise, she was interested in country specific worldwide stamps since she was learning about certain countries in school. If you find yourself up against the same, give our Mixtures or Packets a try. Not only can you snag a large quantity of affordable stamps but you can do so online so you can keep on the parachute pants without worry of laughter.

— James the Web guy

Stamp Soaking

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So, you’ve saved a few hundred envelopes with stamps or purchased a stamp mixture. Now how do you get them off that paper? It may sound odd to first timers but you simply let them soak in cool to room temperature water for 5-10 minutes. But first, be certain that the envelope itself isn’t a First Day Cover or have some other historical or personal significance. If it does, it’s better to archive the whole envelope. While so much is made of safe handling, it seems plain wrong to dump your stamps in water. While very few stamps have ink that runs after being doused, current US stamps do not.

Once you’re sure you wish to remove the stamps from their paper select a container large enough to give your stamps plenty of room to soak. Selecting too small a container or using too little water will make the gum (or glue) concentration in the water damage your stamps. So, use plenty of cool to room temperature water. Once the stamps have soaked for 5 to 10 minutes, carefully remove them, one by one, from the water and peel the paper from the stamp. Then place the stamp face down on a blotter or newspaper. When using newspaper, use only news print with low-rub ink. If your hands are black after reading the paper, it’s not low rub.

Once all your stamps have shed their paper and face down on the blotter, give them time to dry. When they have dried, they’re ready to be placed in an album, stock card, or other enclosure.

— James the Web guy

Kids and Collecting Part 3

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Anyone half interested in collecting stamps has heard the talk of today’s kids not being interested in stamps. Perhaps there’s a shred of truth to that. But that same truth can be applied to most items that kids collect. Are rocks exciting? They can be, I suppose. But the point is that rocks don’t have to have images of the latest cartoon characters or the latest boy band for a child to pick it up and put it in his pocket. Nor do they have to be rare and valuable. The fact that they are common and easily found makes looking for a different one all that much more meaningful. These same factors still apply to stamps. So, why aren’t more kids collecting stamps these days?

One contributing factor is certainly the fact that much of any given day’s mail is metered mail (printed rather than stamped). Another is that busy parents are less likely to ask post office clerk to view the varieties available. Instead, we use a machine, the Web, or just ask for a book of stamps. It looks like both of those reasons are related more to adults than factors controllable by children. And on a rainy day, which requires less effort on the part of the parent: dragging out the stamp collection and answering questions; or, handing them the remote?

So, where’s our defense as parents? I’m a parent too. All of the above are also related to time…a commodity that continues to dwindle with each new generation. For our kids to learn to take time to collect stamps, we have to do the same. It’s actually a refreshing thought. Take an hour or so the next time you have a chance. Upon your child’s first glance at a pile of stamps, the likely first question will be, “which one is your favorite”? From that moment forward, collecting stamps may be one of those few loves you and your child share for years to come.

— James the Web guy

Finding Rare Postage Stamps

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Is it even possible to find rare postage stamps these days? One of the things that I feel makes this hobby so exciting is the possibility of finding a true treasure. Think about it. Unlike most other collectibles, postage stamps–while on a letter–were often tucked safely away. While many collectibles are stored away safely, letters of significance were and are often protected for later review whether the owner collected stamps or not. Non collectors generally disregard the stamp entirely. This means that while the entire letter or postcard may be preserved, the owner would have no idea what stamp was on it.

Ever hear of the story of the woman who placed an ad to accumulate used stamps for wallpaper? This was soon after the first stamps were issued in England. Most of the big headline type stamps were preserved as known collectibles. Imagine what’s still out there, perhaps in a relative’s attic, that remains unaccounted for.

I remember when metal detectors were all the rage. Unless something was discovered relatively quickly, most metal detectors collected dust for the rest of their lives. But when searching for stamps on old mail, even when the search produces few real treasures, you still enjoy the trip back through history.

— James the Web guy

Stamp Cancel Marks

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We were soaking off some stamps the other day and noticed that some of the stamps had large, almost defacing cancel marks on them. Obviously, their purpose is to mark the stamp as having been used. But one would think that postal service would do their best not to destroy any aesthetic value of the stamp(s).

We’re not talking about just one or two stamps either. It seems that most of the stamps from Christmas letters had this problem. I don’t mean to harp on the postal workers. Certainly, they have plenty to do without worrying about lightly canceling stamps. But with all the technology available today, it would seem that less destructive ways of canceling stamps would exist. Do we really need large black marks to prevent the possibility of someone reusing postage stamps? I’ve heard that some offices are using spray on cancels but have yet to see any in my little town.

— James the Web guy

Sports and Stamps

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No, I’m not talking about Sports on Stamps topicals. I’m talking about teamwork. It’s basketball season so let’s talk basketball. The NBA is gearing up for the playoffs and we’re knee deep in March Madness. Contrary to what commercials and media hype would have us believe, championship teams are built from a group…not just a single marquis player. Sure, marquis players get all the hype. But alone, they do not win championships.

The same goes for your stamp collection. Unless the goal is to simply keep up with the Jonses, build your collection as a whole and for yourself. Some scoff at postage stamps from certain countries or certain topics. But this is not a hobby restricted to those who believe their tastes are elite.

Don’t get me wrong. Championship teams have stars and so should your collection. But if you have only a handful of prize stamp issues, this won’t be much of a hobby. Feel free to explore countries you’ve never heard of and cannot pronounce. Also, building a championship pro team requires being budget minded. Don’t be afraid to buy a few bargain packets.

— James the Web guy