How to Collect Japanese Stamps
Collecting stamps, otherwise known as philately, has been a popular hobby for centuries, and it's not likely to fade away until people stop mailing things. Anyone who has ever had to choose between several types of stamps at the post office knows that the variety of stamps can be overwhelming. Some people take the vast quantity and variety of stamps as a challenge. These stamp collectors even collect stamps from other countries such as Japan.
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Instructions
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Decide what type of Japanese stamps you want to collect. You may think that limiting your stamp collection to a single country will narrow it down, but within Japan there are countless types of stamps to gather. Some of the varieties include classic regular issues, special issues, topicals, postal stationery, postal history, specimen overprints, and forgeries. If you don't feel the need to narrow your collecting field, you can stick to collecting Japanese stamps in general.
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Take advantage of all opportunities to collect Japanese stamps. The obvious thing to do is visit Japan, but you can also use the Internet and commerce and trading sites like eBay. Look up any local, regional, or national philately organizations or trade shows where you can obtain Japanese stamps while meeting experienced and knowledgeable collectors. Talking to longtime stamp collectors about their hobby is invaluable in becoming a successful stamp collector.
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Organize your stamps meticulously. Keeping your stamps accessible and organized will not only make stamp collecting easier, it will also make it more enjoyable. Since collecting stamps is not an action-packed endeavor, it's important to take time and care when organizing and building your collection. Make sure each stamp is safely stored and labeled. This makes it easier to show off your stamps, which is a rewarding part of being a collector.
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Pursue the hard-to-get stamps. Tracking down a rare and classic stamp is the Holy Grail of stamp collecting. Japanese stamps have a long and rich tradition, and are known for being well-designed and well-produced, so you should have no shortage of stamps to seek.
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Tips & Warnings
Be patient. A good stamp collection takes years to build. Sometimes you just have to wait for the right opportunity to arrive.
Be wary of fake stamps and bad deals. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you double-check the authenticity of a stamp, especially an expensive one, before you purchase it. Just like any trade where valuable commodities are exchanged, there will be fakes.
