How It All Began: A Very Brief History of Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting started as a childish pursuit that quickly caught the eye of adults. Britain issued the first postage stamp, the Penny Black, in 1840. It wasn't long before children and teens were collecting the novel colorful bits of paper.

Those children carried their fascination for stamps into their adult years, giving rise to a host of businesses dedicated to helping them pursue their hobby. Founded in 1856, Stanley Gibbons, Ltd. in London, England is the oldest continuously-operated business devoted to selling postage stamps and supplies. The first stamp albums were printed and sold in 1880 as the hobby spread around the world. Collectors began to study postage stamps and publish research papers on their production, design, plate flaws, etc. The study and collection of postage stamps is called philately.

In the 1920s, stamp collecting gained increasing appeal as an investment as the value of early stamps in good condition began to rise. Sales of these stamps for astronomical prices caught the imagination of the public. Recognizing the potential value of collecting stamps and hoping to strike philatelic gold, American collectors in the 1930s started stockpiling mint copies of US stamps. Their dreams of quick profit never materialized and today mint condition stamps from that era are still plentiful and available at near face value.

Though less popular today than in its heyday, stamp collecting draws an estimated 25 million hobbyists in the US alone and more than 200 million collectors worldwide. Millions of dollars worth of stamps and supplies are sold annually. There are 4,000 stamp shows and exhibitions in the US alone every year. Large international exhibits can attract in excess of 100,000 visitors a day.