All about Vintage Stamps Collection Articles | Stamps

By: J.Morgan

Vintage stamps are usually some of the more sought after stamps by most hobbyists and enthusiasts. A vintage stamp is defined as one that is 1) not being produced or circulated any longer and 2) cannot be used as actual postage. You can think of a vintage stamp as being retired.

That being said, different people have different specific definitions and classifications for what a vintage stamp really is. For example, vintage can change from country to country, meaning a 1970 stamp in Country A is vintage but in Country B it’s not.

Some dates are arbitrary for deciding whether or not something is truly a vintage stamp. But a great system to go by is based on the popularity and history of stamp collecting. The philatelic hobby was not always so popular or widespread. Therefore, many people classify vintage stamps as stamps that were made before the hobby became so common.

From there the popularity of vintage stamps and stamp collecting as a whole has grown immensely. Of course today the postal services of many different countries get in on the action by producing special limited time stamps or various themed stamps and reissues of stamps that were popular in their original run. Without ever being used, these special issues are often kept in pristine mint condition by many collectors.

But you don’t need to be a true stamp collector to take an interest in some different stamps. There is such a wide range of variety and today choice and representation, that non-collector’s can pick and choose their favorites and begin starting a collection just like that. Mint stamps aren’t the only ones collecting either of course, as many people will save the stamps used on the mail they receive when it catches their fancy.

The range of vintage stamps is huge, both in style, quality, rarity and the design they feature. And of course, not all vintage stamps were created (or have lasted) equally and so they are worth different amounts of money. Vintage stamps are classified both on age and rareness, which makes a good system to determine the value of a specific stamp. Rare misprints and uncanceled stamps represent some of the more expensive varieties.

You can find vintage stamps anywhere today, especially with the internet. Ask a few friends and family members, and all of the sudden you might be on your way to a full fledged vintage stamp collection before you even realize it. And that’s part of the fun, collecting vintage stamps can be as easy and rewarding as you want it to be, with no set limitations or rules.