Philately: the hobby

Philately is the collecting and study of postage stamps and everything connected with the post: envelopes (covers), postmarks, postcards, postal rates and routes. The word was coined in France in 1864 from Greek words meaning "love of" and "exempt from tax" — a stamp showed that delivery had already been paid.

Some collectors enjoy the design and colour of stamps. Others study how they were printed, or trace how letters travelled. Many do both. There is no single right way to collect: the best collection is the one you enjoy building.

Country collecting

Collect the stamps of one country — often India — issue by issue. Many collectors start here because the stamps are easy to find and catalogues list every issue.

Thematic (topical) collecting

Choose a subject — birds, railways, cricket, Mahatma Gandhi, space — and collect stamps and covers from any country that tell its story. Thematic exhibits are popular with beginners and younger collectors.

Postal history

Study how mail moved: routes, rates, postmarks and censorship. A postal history collection is made of covers and documents rather than loose stamps.

First day covers

Envelopes bearing a new stamp, cancelled on its first day of issue, usually with a special postmark. India Post issues an official first day cover for each new stamp.

Postal stationery

Postcards, inland letter cards, envelopes and aerogrammes with the postage printed on them.

Special covers and cancellations

Covers released for events such as exhibitions or anniversaries, often with a pictorial cancellation used for a single day.

Other areas

Revenue stamps, Indian princely states (convention and feudatory states), meter marks, picture postcards and cinderellas (stamp-like labels without postal value).

1. Start with what you have. Save stamps from your family's post, and ask relatives and friends to keep theirs.
2. Choose a focus. A country, a theme or a period keeps your collection manageable and gives it a story.
3. Get the basic tools. Tongs, a stockbook and a magnifier are enough to begin.
4. Remove stamps carefully. Soak used stamps off paper in lukewarm water, then dry them face-down between sheets of blotting paper.
5. Learn to identify stamps. A catalogue tells you the issue date, value and varieties of each stamp.
6. Open a philatelic deposit account. India Post lets collectors receive new commemorative stamps by subscribing at a philatelic bureau.
7. Join a club. Meeting other collectors is the fastest way to learn — and the most fun.

Handling

Always use stamp tongs rather than fingers: skin oils stain paper and bend perforations. Keep food and drink away from your albums.

Storage

Store albums upright, like books, in a cool, dry room away from direct sunlight. Gujarat's monsoon humidity is the biggest risk: silica gel packets in the cupboard help, and you should check albums for foxing (brown spots) and stuck stamps after the rains.

Mounting

Use acid-free album pages and hingeless mounts for mint stamps; hinges reduce the value of unused stamps. Never use sticky tape or glue.

Basic tools

• Tongs with spade or rounded tips.
• Stockbook with glassine or clear strips.
• Magnifier (5x–10x) to see printing details.
• Perforation gauge to measure perforations.
• Watermark tray and fluid to see watermarks.
• Catalogue for your country or theme.