5. GET EXCITED: The Fun

Like what you collect and collect what you like!

Once you learn the how-tos, your stamp collection should express your own unique personality. You can collect stamps with weird shapes, gorgeous stamps, old stamps, animal stamps, or only stamps about history. Pick several topics. You can combine stamps with other things in your album, too, such as drawings and writing. Using loose-leaf pages lets you rearrange and replace parts of your collection whenever you want to.

Another fun way to collect stamps is to create a First Day Cover collection. These are stamped envelopes canceled with the special First Day of Issue postmark.

Be sure to call 1 800 stamp 24 (1-800-782-6724) to get your free copy of USA Philatelic Catalog.