Help A "Beginner" Out

I was an avid stamp collector when I was a kid and I've recently stumbled across my old collection. Now, looking through these stamps, my curiosity has been piqued. First of all, I have quite a few different stamps that are in blocks of four, with extra material and color bars or other printing notes attached. What are these? Also, any recommendations on how to get back into the hobby? I'm a little lost and overwhelmed at the moment. Are there any "investment" type stamps to keep an eye out for?

Thanks in advance.

Congratulations on stumbling back into the hobby. What a great way to re-start with an old collection.

The blocks of four stamps are just that, blocks of four. If you have numbers in the blocks margins then you possibly have plate numbered blocks.

You've made the best start back into the hobby here on the forum. There are a lot of very smart people here that can answer your questions. So ask away.....

Do you collect worldwide and U.S. stamps? What do you collect?

When you have a question about a stamp it is always helpful to post a picture of the stamp.

Again welcome to the forum.


Butch

We love pictures. Congats on getting back into your collection.

Don't worry about investments, just enjoy the hobby.
You can get a catalogue if you don't already have one and get prices from there.
But for now, enjoy the stamps and enjoy this great group of ours. We are also on Facebook !!

Welcome too !

Londonbus1.

If you don't want to purchase a catalog at this time be sure to go to your local library. They should have some available to check out or peruse in the reference section.

As for "investment" stamps it would really depend upon what you were collecting when you were younger & your budget. You might have some treasures lurking in your album. Then again everything could be common like the majority of most collections.

I collect for enjoyment, relaxation, and compulsion.

welcome you have come to the right place for information thats how I got started collecting. A year ago id have never thought id be collecting stamps today shocker to alot of people but im enjoying it.so good luck

I second stamperdude's suggestion of looking at the library for copies of the catalogs. There is no way I'd pay $60 or $80 each when I can have them free for essentially forever (many copies in my local system, yay!), and constantly updated. I find it is fun to just look through the worldwide catalogs to see the art type and topical focus of different countries. If you decide to collect foreign stamps, I'm sure you could find some particular countries or topics to your liking.

I wish I could find my childhood collection; I spent the better part of a day looking for it a couple of months ago.

Clark

Welcome back to the hobby!

There are lots of people here who know lots to help you. I have spent many hours just reading the old posts on here enjoying the pictures of stamps and covers and the information shared. I go by the old saying: The more you know the more you realize there is to know. And here is an excellent place to learn some more of most of what you might want to know about stamp collecting.

The 'printing marks' and 'coloured bars' (sorry, English as she is spoke in Canada, eh!(ay)) on your blocks of stamps are also known as Inscription Blocks (having information 'inscribed' upon them about who actually printed the stamps and designed them).

The coloured bars or dots or other rows of colour are sometimes known as Traffic Lights (Great Britain stamps) and are collectible just because they are there, or are attached to the stamps. Their purpose is to give the printers a reference and a check so they can tell that the stamps have been printed properly.

I like some of the Canada colour bars; the $5 Moose stamp block of 4 has moose hoof prints as the colour dots, I think the arctic duck and jellyfish stamps had a thermometer on the sheet as the colour dots, the idea being to blend a printers need into the design of the stamp sheet. It works and is really neat! It's like the moose was leaving his hoof prints in the cement sidewalk before the cement dried.

Go moose, go! Yay!

I think it makes the blocks or sheets more attractive and desirable and collectible.

As for investing I think the rarer the stamp and the stamps with the least copies available to the collectors seem to increase in value over time as more collectors want the dwindling amounts of the same supply. Buy cheap and sell dear, as the old saying goes.

Usually for me though, it was buy at whatever price because I Had to have it and then, when I realized I had spent too much on too many, sell for whatever price the market would give me. I am not a good investor, I am a good spender!

Lets see some pics of what you have and people could suggest ways to go from there. What is it you have now? Mostly blocks of different sorts? Old, new, mixed? What country(ies)? How is it stored now? How do you want to store it, or think you should? Questions, questions. Or, what are your questions? People here love to share their knowledge. Ask away!