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The hobby of stamp collecting is not just the accumulation of postage stamps but also other related items. It might also include the packages and envelopes that have been sent through the mail, with stamps attached to them. Stamps are an added source of revenue for the postal service through collectors. It's estimated that there are... more »
Perhaps you first became interested in stamp collecting as a child, but never knew how to get started. Or maybe you have a drawer full of stamps that you've stashed away in a desk and now you'd really like to get into the hobby of stamp collecting. With a few tips and ideas for stamp collecting for beginners, you can start your new hobby. more »
Collecting comic books can be an exciting hobby for both young and more mature enthusiasts. Whether you are seeking to make a investment toward the future, or just enjoy having a large stack of comic books of your very own, there are many reasons to become involved in this hobby. more »
Coin collecting can be a fun hobby for all ages. Do not be fooled, coin collecting is not just for the rich. Coin collecting is collecting coins. This means you can collect foreign coins, or American coins, or American nickels or any variation. You may find a particular niche interesting and would like to know about. Research it and... more »
Coin collecting, or numismatics, is a popular hobby that has origins dating back to the widespread use of coins as currency; prior to the advent of banks, money had to be stored in one's own home. There are now millions of coin collectors all around the world. Interest in coin collecting in the United States has been stimulated by the... more »
Learn the basics of antique collecting along with resources for finding antiques to compliment...
Collecting comic books is serious business; learn how to start a comic book collection, find...
Do you know how much your vintage GI Joe is worth? Do you know what to look for as you search...
An antique is an old and collectible item. Antiques are often sought often because of their...
The study and collection of coins is called numismatics. Coin collectors are amateur numismatists. It has been a popular hobby for hundreds of... more »
Walking for miles, scoping white sand, to find just the right seashell is therapeutic for some. Others dive into the ocean to find their buried... more »
Free stamp collecting software is an important tool for any stamp collector, whether beginner or seasoned professional. This type of software... more »
Rock collecting can be a good solo hobby, but it's more fun when you join other collectors! You can connect with other collectors via trade shows,... more »
Coin collecting albums are a popular way for numismatists and amateur coin collectors to display and preserve their coin collections. Coin... more »
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world. Others focus on a subtopic within their area of interest, perhaps 19th century postage stamps, milk bottle labels from Sussex, or Mongolian harnesses and tack.
The items collectors collect may be antique, or simply collectible. Antiques are collectible items at least 100 years old; collectibles are less than antique, and may even be new. Collectors and dealers may use the word vintage to describe older collectibles. Most collectibles are man-made commercial items, but some private collectors collect natural objects such as birds eggs, butterflies, rocks, and seashells.
Collecting is a practice with a very old cultural history. The Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty collected books from all over the known world at the Library of Alexandria. The Medici family, at Renaissance Florence, was the first effort to collect art as private patronage, this way artists could be free for the first time from the money given by the Church and Kings; this citizenship tradition continues today with the work of private art collectors. Many of the worlds popular museums - from the in New York City to the in Madrid or the in Mexico City - have collections formed by the generous collectors that donated them to be seen by the general public.
Beginning a collection
Some novice collectors start purchasing items that appeal to them, and then slowly work at acquiring knowledge about how to build a collection. Others (more cautious or studious types) want to develop some background in the field before starting to buy items. The term antique generally refers to items made at least 100 years ago or more. In some fields, such as antique cars, the time frame is less stringent — 25 years read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collecting
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