STAMP COOL-Lecting 1-2-3!

Become a Stamp COOL-Lector! It's as Easy as 1-2-3!

TIPS FOR COLLECTING STAMPS

#1 Get some stamps!

You can get new stamps at any Post Office. Most Post Offices will have some of the cool stamps. You can also order stamps from the United States Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com by clicking on "BUY STAMPS," or call their toll-free phone number at 1 800 STAMP 24 (that's l-800-782-6724).

Another cool way to get stamps is to trade with your friends. For older stamps, ask your parents, grandparents, or neighbors for old letters, postcards, or unused stamps. Or go to a stamp dealer or check stamp collecting sites on the Internet. There are even stamp shows where people come from all over the country to add their collections.

#2 Get organized and display your collection.

Now that you've got stamps, what do you do with them? Put them on StamperSaver Cards And keep them in a cool album where you can show them off, For individual stamps or stamp panes, you can buy a stamp album or make your own, using a three-ring binder. But don't tape or glue your stamps-that destroys their value. instead, slip them into specially designed plastic pages with pockets, Or if your album has paper pages, use hinges or mounts.

#3 Get excited!

Like what you collect and collect what you like! Your stamp collection should express your own unique personality. You can collect stamps from all over the world or from just one country. Pick several topics like animal stamps, sport stamps, or stamps about history.

You can create a stamp collection about almost anything. Let the stamps be your guide!