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Many of today's collectors started collecting U.S. postage stamps as kids, often with a parent or family member. The US stamp collecting market has weakened in recent years, however, with many stamps and even entire collections trading below face value (so many copies of common stamps were printed that there's not enough demand to warrant a premium).

Rare or unusual U.S. stamps, however, are another story - there's a robust market for thos...

There are many ways to approach collecting U.S. stamps. Some collectors focus on a specific time period, like the 19th century. Others choose specific themes like airmail stamps or duck stamps. Some focus on specific formats like sheets, plate blocks, coils, or booklets. There are also a large number of collectors who focus on first day covers - stamps that were affixed to a special envelope and cancelled on the first day of issue.

As with many collectibles, rarity and condition are two key determinants of value. U.S. stamps can be either unused (never cancelled) or used, and there are collectors who focus on both varieties.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With U.S. Stamp Collector Bob Allen

Like many collectors, I collected when I was a child, and then I became interested again in the ‘90s. I think eBay and other Inter… [more]

An Interview With Postal History Collector Richard Frajola

I have a stamp collection, but I don’t consider myself a collector. I have a collection of my initials on stamps from Great Britai… [more]

An Interview with Smithsonian National Postal Museum Curator Cheryl Ganz

I’ve been a lifelong collector, even as a kid. There are just certain people for whom collecting seems to be part of their nature.… [more]

An Interview with John Hotchner on Philatelic Errors, Freaks, and Oddities

My father was a stamp collector, and I just took to it. He was perfectly happy to mentor me, so I began collecting at the age of f… [more]

Essays, The Stamp Designs That Also Ran

It was a shock to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing when a critic pointed out that the view of "Gatun Locks," which it had engr… [more]

Postally Used Works of Art

Paintings and sculpture galore have been reproduced on postage stamps, sort of an Everyman's art gallery. But this, of course, doe… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

1847USA

1847USA

Bob Allen's beautiful and well organized catalog of US stamps from 1847 to 1970 is a fantastic resource for all US … [read review or visit site]

PhilaMercury

PhilaMercury

Richard Frajola's incredibly rich database of over 11,000 U.S. and foreign 19th Century postal stamp covers. This s… [read review or visit site]

Post Office in Paradise

Post Office in Paradise

Post Office in Paradise showcases Hawaiian postal history from the years before Hawaii became a part of the United … [read review or visit site]

Alphabetilately

Alphabetilately

First shown in 2008 to celebrate the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's 15th anniversary, Alphabetilately is esse… [read review or visit site]

The Stamp Collecting Round-up

The Stamp Collecting Round-up

Don Schilling's long-running, in-depth blog on stamp collecting and postal operations. Schilling stays up on all th… [read review or visit site]

National Postal Museum

National Postal Museum

If you're into postal history or collectibles, check out the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. This extensive s… [read review or visit site]

Private Die Proprietary Stamps

Private Die Proprietary Stamps

Bob Hohertz's impressive database of U.S. Private Die Proprietary stamps from the Civil War and Spanish American Wa… [read review or visit site]

R. A. Siegel Auction Galleries

R. A. Siegel Auction Galleries

This auction house site offers an extensive online database of US stamp information. Includes PDF catalogs of past … [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: US Stamps

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Recent News: US Stamps

Source: Google News

St. Andrew students walk to 'Stamp Out Hunger'
WPDE, February 3rd

by Holly Morgan "All week long, we've been collecting money for the community kitchen and in order to demonstrate solidarity with the poor in our area, we're taking this walk today," St. Andrew Principal Molly Halasz said...Read more

Stamps can deliver first-class potential
Financial Times, February 2nd

By Peter Temple For any investor in collectables, the holy grail is a complete set of whatever they have chosen to collect. It could be coins of Charles I, pre-1917 Russian city bonds, or US postage stamps. What adds value is the fact that the number...Read more

Collector's Paradise At Long Beach Coin, Stamp Expo
Gazette Newspapers, January 31st

Collectors flock to these events, Gillio said, looking for very specific coins or stamps. "A guy might just collect silver dollars from a specific 10-year time period," he said. "People sort of shop to fill out their collections. I've been collecting...Read more

Eastern Star collecting used stamps
Keremeos Review, January 31st

This material had to be purchased from the cancer agency and we began collecting used stamps to pay for the gauze. This system has worked well for us over the years with the community responding very well to our request to harvest the stamps from their...Read more

Stamp collecting can be 'profitable' asserts AAA
openPR (press release), January 25th

(openPR) - Alternative investment advocacy group AAA has noted the increasing popularity of stamp collecting as a means of generating funds through a hobby. Boston, MA, USA, January 25, 2012 -- Stamp collecting is becoming increasingly popular as a...Read more

Stamp Collecting Can Be 'Profitable' Asserts AAA
SBWire (press release), January 25th

Alternative investment advocacy group AAA has noted the increasing popularity of stamp collecting as a means of generating funds through a hobby. Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/25/2012 -- Stamp collecting is becoming increasingly popular as a...Read more

Can stamp collecting deliver profits?
Telegraph.co.uk, January 20th

Along with an increasing number of British investors, they collect stamps. With uncertainty hanging over the stock market and with the Olympics, for which the Royal Mail has released a special set of collectable stamps, drawing near,...Read more

America's Welfare Queens Collect TARP Funds, Student Loans and Auto Bailouts ...
Huffington Post (blog), January 17th

(Insert anyone else who speaks a different tongue, has a slightly darker skin tone and wears funny clothing) who collects food stamps because they are too lazy to get a real job. But, before my conservative friends criticize me for playing the race...Read more

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