Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting, or philately, is one of the oldest organized hobbies in the world. Collectors gather stamps by theme, country, era, or postal history, and many find as much enjoyment in the research as in the collecting itself.

Start by saving stamps from your own mail, then decide on a focus area (a country, a theme like wildlife, or a time period) to keep the collection manageable. A basic stamp album and a pair of tongs (to avoid handling stamps with bare fingers) are the only tools you really need to begin.