Stamp Collecting


Stamp Collecting
BSA Supply No. 33296

The world's most popular hobby, stamp collecting is enjoyed by millions throughout the world. Through this hobby. you can experience history: postage stamps are like tiny windows that introduce the people of the world to the country's leaders, customs, history, products, and environment.

Requirements

  1. Do the following:
    1. Discuss how you can better understand people, places, institutions, history, and geography as a result of collecting stamps.
    2. Briefly describe some aspects of the history, growth, and development of the United States postal system. Tell how it is different from postal systems in other countries.
  2. Define topical stamp collecting. Name and describe three other types of stamp collections.
  3. Show at least ONE example of each of the following:
    1. Perforated and imperforate stamps
    2. Mint and used stamps
    3. Sheet, booklet, and coil stamps
    4. Numbers on plate block, booklet, or coil, or marginal markings
    5. Overprint and surcharge
    6. Metered mail
    7. Definitive, commemorative, semipostal, and airmail stamps
    8. Cancellation and postmark
    9. First day cover
    10. Postal stationery (aerogramme, stamped envelope, and postal card)
  4. Do the following:
    1. Demonstrate the use of ONE standard catalog for several different stamp issues. Explain why catalog value can vary from the corresponding purchase price.
    2. Explain the meaning of the term condition as used to describe a stamp. Show examples that illustrate the different factors that affect a stamp's value.
  5. Demonstrate the use of at least THREE of the following stamp collector's tools:
    1. Stamp tongs
    2. Water and tray
    3. Magnifiers
    4. Hinges and stamp mounts
    5. Perforation gauge
    6. Glassine envelopes and cover sleeves
    7. Watermark fluid
  6. Do the following:
    1. Show a stamp album and how to mount stamps with or without hinges. Show at least ONE page that displays several stamps.
    2. Discuss at least THREE ways you can help to preserve stamps, covers, and albums in first-class condition.
  7. Do at least TWO of the following:
    1. Design a stamp, cancellation, or cachet.
    2. Visit a post office, stamp club, or stamp show with an experienced collector. Explain what you saw and learned.
    3. Write a review of an interesting article from a stamp newspaper, magazine, book, or Web site (with your parent's permission).
    4. Research and report on a famous stamp-related personality or the history behind a particular stamp.
    5. Describe the steps taken to produce a stamp. Include the methods of printing, types of paper, perforation styles, and how they are gummed.
    6. Prepare a two- to three-page display involving stamps. Using ingenuity, as well as clippings, drawings, etc., tell a story about the stamps and how they relate to history, geography, or a favorite topic of yours.
  8. Mount and show, in a purchased or homemade album, ONE of the following:
    1. A collection of 250 or more different stamps from at least 15 countries.
    2. A collection of a stamp from each of 50 different countries, mounted on maps to show the location of each.
    3. A collection of 100 or more different stamps from either one country or a group of closely related countries.
    4. A collection of 75 or more different stamps on a single topic. (Some interesting topics are Scouting, birds, insects, the Olympics, sports, flowers, animals, ships, holidays, trains, famous people, space, and medicine). Stamps may be from different countries.
    5. A collection of postal items discovered in your mail by monitoring it over a period of 30 days. Include at least five different types listed in requirement 3.

Resources

Scouting Resources

Collections merit badge pamphlet

Books

Periodicals

Global Stamp News
P.O. Box 97
Sidney, OH 45365-0097
Linn's Stamp News
P.O. Box 29
Sidney, OH 45365-0029
Web site: http://www.linns.com

Mekeel's and Stamps Magazine
P.O. Box 5050
White Plains, NY 10602-5050
Scott Stamp Monthly
P.O. Box 828
Sidney, OH 45365-0828
Web site: http://scottonline.com/info_NEW.asp

Organizations and Web Sites

American Air Mail Society
P.O. Box 110 Mineola, NY 11501-0110
Web site: http://www.americanairmailsociety.org

American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors
Web site: http://www.aape.org

American First Day Cover Society
P.O. Box 16277
Tucson, AZ 85732-6277
Web site: http://www.afdcs.org

American Philatelic Society
American Philatelic Research Library
100 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Web site: http://www.stamps.org

American Stamp Dealers Association
3 School St.
Glen Cove, NY 11542-2517
Web site: http://www.asdaonline.com/asfree.htm

American Topical Association
P.O. Box 57
Arlington, TX 76004-0057
Web site: http://www.americantopicalassn.org

Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections
P.O. Box 1757
Lincolnton Station
New York, NY 10037-1757
Web site: http://esperstamps.org

Hall of Stamps (at the U.S. Postal Service headquarters)
475 L'Enfant Plaza
Washington, DC 20260-0001

International Machine Cancel Society
3097 Trobisher Ave.
Dublin, OH 43017-1652
Web site: http://www.machinecancel.org

Junior Philatelists of America
Central Office
P.O. Box 2625
Albany, OR 9732/P>

Museum of Postal History
127/131 N. Main St.
P.O. Box 9998
Delphos, OH 45833-9998
National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Web site: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu

Philatelic Foundation
70 W. 40th St., 15th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Web site: http://www.philatelicfoundation.org

Post Mark Collectors Club
7014 Woodland Oaks Drive
Magnolia, TX 77354-4898
Web site: http://www.postmarks.org

The Postal History Foundation
920 N. First Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719
Web site: http://www.postalhistoryfoundation.org

Postal History Society
8207 Daren Court
Pikesville, MD 21208-2211
Precancel Stamp Society
P.O. Box 4072
Missoula, MT 59806-4072
Web site: http://www.precancels.org

Scott Publishing Company
P.O. Box 828
Sidney, OH 45365-0828
Web site: http://www.scottonline.com

Scouts on Stamps Society International Inc.
P.O. Box 6228 Kennewick, WA 99336
Web site: http://www.sossi.org

Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History
Regis College
235 Wellesley St.
Weston, MA 02493
Web site: http://www.spellman.org

United Postal Stationery Society
Central Office
P.O. Box 3982
Chester, VA 23831
Web site: http://www.upss.org

Universal Ship Cancellation Society
747 Shard Court
Fremont, CA 94539-7419
Web site: http://www.uscs.org

The Washington Press
2 Vreeland Road
Florham Park, NJ 07932
Web site: http://www.washpress.com

Wineburgh Philatelic Research Library The University of Texas at Dallas
P.O. Box 830643 Richardson, TX 75083-0643
Web site: http://www.utdallas.edu /library/special/wprl.html

Foreign Postal Administrations
Australia Post
Web site: http://www.auspost.com.au

Austrian Post
Web site: http://www.post.at/english/index.html

La Poste
Web site: http://www.philately.post.be

Bulgarian Post
Web site: http://www.bgpost.bg /index.htm#Eng/index.htm

Canada Post
Web site: http://www.canadapost.ca

China Philatelic Information Network
Web site: http://www.cpi.com.cn/cpi-e/cpi-e.htm

Czech Post
Web site: http://archiv.radio.cz/postfila /index_e.html

Post Danmark (Denmark)
Web site: http://www.stamps.postdanmark.dk

La Poste (France)
Web site: http://www.laposte.fr

An Post (Ireland)
Web site: http://www.anpost.ie

Israel Postal Company Ltd.
Web site: http://www.postil.com

Poste Italiane (Italy)
Web site: http://www.poste.it/en

Japan Post
Web site: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english

Latvijas Pasts (Latvia)
Web site: http://www.pasts.lv/en

P & T Luxembourg
Web site: http://www.philately.lu

New Zealand Post
Web site: http://stamps.nzpost.co.nz

Norway Post
Web site: http://www.posten.no/Portal/English

Poczta Polska (Poland)
Web site: http://www.poczta-polska.pl /znaczki/en/index.php

Philatelic Center of French Polynesia
Web site: http://www.tahitiphilatelie.com

CTT Correios (Portugal)
Web site: http://www.ctt.pt

Singapore Post
Web site: http://www.singpost.com

Posta Slovenije (Slovenia)
Web site: http://www.posta.si /indexen.aspx?lang=EN

South Africa Post Office
Web site: http://www.sapo.co.za/comm /postofficeframe.html

Swiss Post (Switzerland)
Web site: http://www.swisspost.ch/en

Chunghwa Post (Taiwan)
Web site: http://www.post.gov.tw/post /internet/u_english/index.htm

United Kingdom Royal Mail
Web site: http://www.royalmail.com

United Nations Postal Administration
Web site: http://www.un.org/Depts/UNPA

Young collectors should also know that the United States Postal Service makes available a free "Introduction to Stamp Collecting" (publication 225). Visit your local post office or write to the U.S. Postal Service, Philatelic Sales Division, Box 449997, Kansas City, MO 64144-9997.

In addition, the U.S. Postal Service has a special program for first day covers. The USPS gives postal customers 30 days to obtain a first day of issue postmark by mail. Purchase the new stamp at a local post office, affix the stamp to an envelope addressed to yourself (or someone else you designate), and send it in a larger envelope to the USPS. (The address appears at the bottom of each stamp release; check with your local post office.) Individual first day covers can be ordered by writing to the USPS, Philatelic Sales Division, First Day Covers, P.O. Box 219424, Kansas City, MO 64121-9424; or call toll-free 800-STAMP-24; or visit the USPS Web site at http://shopusps.com


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