Philately can be an extremely fascinating and exciting hobby. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life. Contrary to popular belief, stamp collecting does not require people to have loads and loads of money to spend. All you need to have is a genuine interest and love for stamps and the patience and instinct of a killer shopaholic!

STEP #1 WHAT TYPE OF STAMPS DO YOU WANT

Although there's no explicit rule written about having a specialization in stamps, it's always better for a person to have a favorite type of stamp as it would give your collection meaning and direction.

When you attach emotional value to your collection, you'll be more motivated in finding new additions for your hobby. It will also give shape and life to your collection as you'll be in the say in the future "My collection is mostly about...because..." Still, it's also nice if you do have several stamps to represent other types and make your collection well-rounded.

Stamps can be classified according to different kinds but there are two classifications that you should concentrate on the most: type and condition.

There are three types of stamps: definitive, which are the small regular stamps that we're used to seeing, commemorative, which are stamps that are produced in honor of an historical or celebrated event or figure and lastly, special stamps that are even bigger than commemorative stamps and contain pictures that revolve on themes like Christmas and love.

Stamps can be found in three conditions as well: used, unused and mint. When stamps are said to be in mint condition, this basically means that the stamp on your hands has never been used and has retained its original form or beauty even though many years have already passed.

STEP #2 WHERE TO BUY YOUR STAMPS

There are many places to choose from and where you can purchase your stamps. If you try searching the Internet, you'll see that there are a number of online auctions that offer rare and collectible stamps for bidding. Some companies also distribute catalogues which feature different sets of stamps. If you browse the classifieds of your local paper, you'll no doubt be able to see as well ads that offer to buy or sell stamps.

The sky is virtually the limit when it comes to purchasing stamps but do keep in mind that there's no need to spend every time you wish to add on to your collection. With just a little charm, you'll be able to obtain lots of stamps by paying nary a cent! How? It's quite simple! All you have to do is approach your parents, friends, relatives and acquaintances and let them know that you're starting a new hobby. When they realize that you're into stamp collecting, they'll be dropping by once in a while to give you stamps - things they have no use of but you obviously value!

STEP #3 WHERE TO KEEP YOUR STAMPS

Now that you have a reasonable number of stamps to form a collection, it's time to sort them out. Focus first on used stamps that you would have to remove bits of paper and the like to reclaim their original appearance. When all of your stamps are completely free of excess material, categorize them according to your preferences. It could be in alphabetical order or according to their themes. Lastly, place them in an album and that's it - you now have a stamp collection to boast of!