Philately 101: a beginner’s guide to stamp collecting
Philately, the formal name for stamp collecting, began the moment the Penny Black went on sale in 1840. This beginner’s guide covers where the hobby came from, the main types of stamp you will meet, why stamps carry real cultural weight, how rarities such as the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta became genuine investments, and the simple tools needed to start a themed collection of your own.
2026-08-28
One day 185 years ago two stamps became Penny Black history
On the first day of the world’s first universal national postal service, a single letter was sent with two of the pioneering Penny Blacks affixed to the envelope. Now, the […]
2025-05-15
Penny Red “stamp that shouldn’t exist” set to spark £650,000 collector frenzy
This stamp should have been destroyed. Somehow it has survived to become one of the treasures of world philately. It’s yours, if you have £650,000 to spend.
