Philately as a Hobby

Samantha Loj S. Batara (1999)

Mariano Marcos State University

Kudos to the man who first thought of the gummed labels placed as postage on letters.
The tiny bits of paper bearing certain amounts and illustrations can take a mail from one
corner of the earth to the other through the network of post offices. Postages can be
carefully detached from used envelopes. Collecting them gives hobbyists so much fun.

Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Millions of collectors
spend their time peeling off adhesive postage stamps from incoming mail. They mount
the used stamps on the pages of specially made albums for stamps. They join stamp
collecting clubs and exchange portions of their precious collections. They study postage
stamps and related items such as stamped envelopes postmarked by the post offices of
origin. This hobby is known as philately, a coined Greek word meaning, literally, “love
of what is free of further tax.”

Its being inexpensive is one of the attractions of collecting stamps. It is easy to start a
collection. One can build a collection without any expense. It is simply asking friends to
hand down envelopes of incoming mail from both within and outside the country.
Otherwise many just throw away their envelopes after opening and reading their letters,
with the stamps still attached anyway.

A collector can learn much from stamps. They are records of history, geography, politics,
art, culture, and many other aspects of civilization. In fact, many philatelists have become
interested in topical collecting. They acquire stamps according to certain themes or the
subjects illustrated. Among the wide range of pictorials on stamps are devoted to art and
music, dances, sports, aviation, birds, flowers, literature, industry, ships, and
telecommunications.

Stamps from abroad can tell much about the countries they come from. They portray the
beautiful sceneries, the heroes, the environment, the flora and fauna, the culture and the
practices in the issuing countries. Stamps create better understanding among people who
try to learn facts from each other. They provide knowledge of other people’s beliefs,
surroundings and ways of life.

Making philately as a hobby is a worthwhile endeavor. It occupies the collector on

something that pays. To some it alleviates stress. Its exchange starts and keeps
friendships. It gives fun and it may also bring in some fund. Certain old commemorative
stamps may command a good price.

Such are some of the greatest pleasures in philately.