Bbc Article "The Real Reason To Collect Stamps"

A nice read on the stamp collecting hobby:

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20...llect-stamps

Great article! Thanks for posting it.

Yes, very nice to see an article like this about the hobby. I don't quite get this passage regarding quality issues, though:

"Quality is paramount. Generally, a mint stamp (one straight from the post office) will cost more than a used stamp. Mint stamps should be in mint condition, meaning no tears, folds or colour damage as well as an intact "stamp hinge" (the paper coating that guards the adhesive on the back)."

I didn't quite get that passage either. I think the writer may have meant "stamp mount".

These sort of things often happen when non-collectors try and write articles about our hobby. We are quick to pickup on them; the average non-collector reader doesn't.

Maybe the author is talking about self-adhesives, but even if this were the case it still doesn't make much sense.

I read articles like this with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, writing to "build your collection around a focus that interests you, whether it's cars or birds or your family's country of origin. This way stamps become a vehicle for learning about a broader subject in all its nuances" is great advice, but on the other hand there is a definite thread of greed running throughout the article. That the long term goal is to find that rare stamp for a few pennies, something that VERY few collectors ever do. So it's great to see publicity for the hobby, but it could have been done better.