Asian Stamps

Asian Stamps

How Can You Start a Collection of Asian Stamps?

Limiting yourself to just Asian stamps helps to keep a collection manageable and allows you to become an expert in the subject so you can hunt down bargains and easily identify rare and interesting stamps. A great way to start is to invest in a few stamp sets to build your inventory. As you become more familiar with Asian stamps, acquire a few incomplete sets, and then work to find each missing stamp to finish the set.

What Are the Most Interesting Asian Stamps?

Asia comprises many countries, including China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Chinese stamps are particularly interesting, charting the rich cultural heritage of the land since the first stamps came on the scene in 1878. Many of the Chinese stamps from the late 1960s onwards showcase Chinese emperors and artwork, making them fascinating collectibles. Chinese zodiac stamps are desirable and date back to 1980, with the Year of the Monkey stamp, which is one of the most highly prized contemporary Asian stamps even though the original print run was for 5 million units and the stamp is not rare.

How Should You Store Rare Stamps?

Most stamps are made from paper with a gummed back, and the gum is often in tension with the paper, making the construction prone to tearing. Protecting a stamp collection involves storing the stamps in a way that minimizes stress on the gum and protects the paper from moisture and other harmful elements, such as direct sunlight. An ideal solution is to store stamps in acid-free cardboard boxes in darkened rooms where the temperature is approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is around 55 percent. At British Library Philatelic Collections, the curators mount stamps in polyester mounts on conservation-quality album pages, which they then place in polyester protectors inside boxes with a waterproof covering.