| Stamp collecting, one of the most popular hobbies | | | | similar to the stamps of the previous decade, |
| in the world, is an activity that involves the | | | | these too would become of great value in the |
| gathering and organizing of postage stamps and | | | | future. But perhaps because of the high availability |
| other related items such as covers, that is, | | | | of such stamps, the "rarity" factor was lost and |
| packages or envelopes with stamps pasted on | | | | to this day, stamps from the 30's are still available |
| them. | | | | at very affordable rates. |
| The first stamp ever to be issued was of a | | | | The hobby of stamp collecting has also evolved |
| portrait of a young Queen Victoria in 1840 Britain, | | | | into a much serious and organized activity |
| called "One Penny Black". By the 1860s, the | | | | regarding postage stamps, called philately, which is |
| activity of collecting stamps was already beginning | | | | the study of postage stamps. |
| to become a popular pursuit, particularly for | | | | Rare postage stamps are perhaps one of the |
| children. | | | | easiest to store and the most transferable |
| Further on into the 1800's, it was named | | | | investments, and are hence an ideal substitute to |
| "timbromania", that is, "stamp madness". The | | | | collecting artwork or precious jewelry. |
| activity gained a huge following in Britain and | | | | With the advent of numerous technological |
| eventually all over Europe and its colonies, so | | | | advances such as email and SMS that are |
| much so that businesses with the sole purpose of | | | | gradually making postal service rather obsolete, |
| providing services for stamp collectors began to | | | | the creation and use of postage stamps have |
| come about. These companies often sold stamps | | | | naturally also decreased dramatically, making it |
| as well as supplies related to stamp collecting, | | | | seem as if the hobby of stamp collecting might |
| such as stamp albums, in which the collected | | | | soon become obsolete as well. This may not be |
| postage stamps are neatly stored. | | | | entirely true, however. To begin with, most |
| In the United States, it was the rise in value of | | | | stamp collectors are often interested in rare, old |
| the postage stamps issued in the 1920s that | | | | postage stamps, as opposed to new ones, so the |
| provided much publicity and heightened interest on | | | | decrease in the usage of postage stamps won't |
| stamp collecting. By the 1930s numerous stamp | | | | affect the hobby too much. Perhaps some things |
| collectors began to collect postage stamp issues | | | | never change, and stamp collecting, it seems, is, |
| of that decade by the hundreds, in the hope that, | | | | for now at least, here to stay. |