Collecting the "Oldies"

Perhaps I must be a hopeless romantic but I love the Pre-1900 issues of most every country. Their beauty and the fact that they have survived for so many years is amazing. Just think about it! These issues have been surviving in stock books, albums, and any other place that collectors store their treasures for well in excess of 100 years.

The collectors that were active at the time when these issues were considered "new issues" did not have any of the modern collecting tools that we are so lucky to have. As a result, they had certain practices that would not be acceptable today.

As an example, one of the major supplier of albums, Lallier and others, produced album pages that contained squares for the stamps that were in most cases smaller than the stamp itself or they used boxes which were the actual shape of the stamp design. Both of these practices encouraged collectors to cut the stamp to the size that would fit the square or the specific shape in the album. Today, examples of these stamps can beound quite routinely and are considered inferior copies. Good examples of this are India, Scott 6 and Tasmania, Scott 14. But if you are like me, copies such as these still allow us to collect them and enjoy the beauty of the stamp itself.

Another condition which is commonly found in these early issues is "pinholes". Always described as a defect, they exist for a very explainable reason. You see, early stamp dealers did not have the benefit of glassines, Vario stock cards, and etc. with which to display their stock. They actually pinned them to a cork bulletin board to display them for sale. An utterly disgusting practice but quite practical for the times. To me, this condition just adds some nostalgia to the stamp. It allows you to dream and ponder about how many times this ancient item has been traded among dealers or collectors.

The availability of the Scott Classic Stamp Catalogue, allows a collector to have a catalog for these early issues without having to buy a complete of them. The wide availability of blank album pages and computer generated album pages and stock books allows a very flexible system for arranging his or her collection.

Another widely believed myth is that collecting the Pre-1900 issues must be very expensive. There are many of the issues that can be obtained for less than $5-$10 each. This type of material is widely available on many of the popular internet sites for stamps.

I believe that this type of collecting is much more exciting than building a massive collection of the prevalent new issues. Many of these early issues can be found with obvious faults such as tears, massive thins, and staining. Stamp with these conditions should prevent them from becoming a part of your collection. Last but not least, let us not follow our old time collector friends and glue them onto the album page. Be sure to use a good quality of stamp hinge.

My love of nostalgia encourages me to collect these old relics with great interest and appreciation. I hope that this information has been helpful in arousing your interest in these older issues.

Be sure to visit me at www.curtisgiddingstampstore.com