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Topical or thematic stamp collecting is a fast-growing area in the philatelic world. It offers the collector an opportunity to expand beyond the country collecting experience. Topical or thematic collecting can bring countless hours of pleasure to the beginning stamp collector or experienced philatelist. You can devote as little or as much time or money to your collection as you wish. In addition, as your collection evolves and grows you will be thrilled by he many twists and turns it can lead you to.
If you have n interest or
hobby it is available on postage stamps, covers, cancellations or other
philatelic-related material. A philatelist can start a collection for the sure
enjoyment of the topic, to learn more about a topic (educational) or stumble
onto an interest by accident. it is always a
personal choice. For instance, I am a
collector of four themes: windmills on stamps (I fell in love with them while I
was an 
exchange student in the Netherlands in
the computer), and lighthouses (I love
the ocean, the coast, lighthouses and their lore Most recently I have
become interested in the topic of volcanoes as I have always had a
fascination
with geology.
The scope of your collection
can be entirely up to you. Take in to consideration how wide or small a
topic is before you begin your collection. Will it be thousands of
stamps or just a few? Will
your topic be so specialized it will too time consuming to locate philatelic
material in that topic? Topics can also be narrowed
down if you wish not to collect the entire field. Science is a very broad
field with thousands of stamps. I have viewed very detailed web
sties dedicated to this topic. This subject can be divided into the areas of astronomy and
cosmology, biology, chemistry,
geology, physics, mathematics, among others. How about making it more
unique? How about collecting
one person and his or her
accomplishments. The stamp at the left depicts Alexander Fleming
(1881-1955) who was a
Scottish bacteriologist and
physician. This Gabonese
stamp commemorates the 50th anniversary of his discovery of
antibiotics. This stamp could be found in the themes of science, biology,
physicians, famous Scots, medical history, famous persons, among
others.
Don't limit your collection to just postage stamps. As alluded to earlier topical collections allow the collector to go beyond usual country stamp page album format. Besides stamps, include in your collection when appropriate first day covers (FDCs), topical postmarks, single sheets, and even postal cards can be added to your collection along with a description of the philatelic item as you wish. Be careful not to have a dark or smeared cancellation on a stamp if you display a used item in your collection. To the right is a postal card that fits quite neatly into my collection of lighthouses. I saw this a couple of years ago and it was one of those items I just had to have.
If you are displaying your collection in competition it is against Federation Internationale de Philatelie (FIP) rules to display both used and mint (not postmarked) stamps together. Thematics Queensland has an excellent page with guidelines for exhibiting.
Present your collection in the best way suitable to meet your needs. It can be elaborate to simple. I keep my collections in Vario stock pages as I tend to add items to my collection fairly frequently and move my stamps around as I acquire new ones. Quite often, I take the binders to the local stamp club to show other collectors my latest gems. I know other collectors who have put their collections together to tell stories or histories, so their collections are "locked down." Their stamps or covers are permanently hinged on pages they have designed themselves. Another collector in town has authored over a dozen books on physicians on stamps. It is very detailed and beautifully displayed. In addition, he has put together a slide show presenting the highlights of his collection. The members of the local Bakersfield Stamp Club were spellbound.
Where do you begin? Your local stamp dealer or other collectors in your local stamp club can be a resource for you. Also check out the ads in stamp collecting publications, such as Linns Stamp News or the Stamp Collector. Also the American Topical Association is an excellent resource for collectors as they have publications available to members. They also have an excellent web site with information regarding specialized units for collectors as well as checklists. Also many stamp dealers on the Internet have stamps listed by topic for collectors as well. Many have scanned images of their stamps so you have an idea of what the stamp looks like before you buy it. A quick search on a major search engine by typing in "topical stamps" will bring up many dealers or collector web sites. Other thematic organizations can also be helpful as well.
Visit other collectors web sites located under topics on the homepage to view their collections, large and small, checklists, and enjoy learning about many topics from collectors around the world. Also consider getting involved with virtual stamp collector clubs and discussion groups. Check out e-Groups Topicals group where members can receive e-mails individually or in a daily format. It's free! Also check out the topical stamp collector clubs at Yahoo Clubs. It is another great way to send instant messages, get to know other collectors across the time zones quickly and make friends and help one another. Let the Internet be the jumping off point into a lifelong journeys into topical or thematic stamp collecting.
Sarah Perelli-Minetti
Topicals on Stamps
Revised 21, December, 2000
Bakersfield, California USA
Copy write @2000 Sarah Perelli-Minetti, Topicals on Stamps