My love for collecting stamps started when I first saw my dad's stamp album. It began with collecting stamps from envelopes sent for greeting cards during Christmas and Chinese New Year. But the love faded in later years.
The next tryst came when I started a subscription for canceled first-day covers (FDC) with the Mumbai G.P.O (previously known as Bombay General Post Office). That also lasted for 3 years as was getting fed up with the number of issues on Indian personalities (mostly dead political ones). Last saw that the FDCs were in a yellowing state and the plastics I saved them in had an oily feel to them. Recently the plastics were replaced. (Update - Sold my 3 years collection of Indian First Day covers through a Philatelist friend - though did not get much value to me and hope it brings joy to the person who will acquire it. Reason - could not carry it me before moving to Canada).
I started my collection of Miniature sheets (MS) from India when I realized that the number of issues was small (it was less than 100 i.e. the 50s in 2007) in number. Hence easier to start again on a smaller list. Along the way, India Post released the Jasmine scented miniature sheet in 2008 which was unique though later got the Sandalwood scented MS (2006 issue) and Rose scented MS (2007 issue). (My collection for Indian Miniature Sheet is on hold - as need to get back to India to update my subscription to an International account with the Mumbai G.P.O).
Then the internet revolution took place in India and my interest in unique stamps took off. I had decided to stick to Miniature sheets only and keep off only odd-shaped ones. I also decided to keep off the Bhutan-issued ones as the 3D ones were in plenty and came back to Bhutan-issued stamps only because of the CD issues. Also avoided the triangle, round, and oval-shaped temptations though could not resist the heart-shaped and polygonal ones. (Update - could not resist picking up the round ones and odd-shaped ones on the way)
My start-up started with exhibitions held occasionally in Mumbai but really took off when Ebay.in started in India. Google also happened to be a source of vast information on unique philately stamps and miniature sheets being issued worldwide. (Update -Now my source has changed to Ebay.ca / Ebay.com along with Delcampe.net and HipStamp.com PostBleed.NL. Usually attend the local Canadian stamp exhibition in April/September.
Along the way, my knowledge was further enhanced on the internet, and helped me to continuously update myself on various classifications based on the number of issues in various categories. (I have kept it simple to 4 senses but then the vision blurs when there are multiple senses involved in an issue - even though Sight is the primary sense you could feel other senses becoming more prominent).
Update - Have become aware of various classifications of Joint Issues, various types of printing methods, and how some limited editions stamps are too expensive to acquire and some expensive silver/gold stamps are not for use as postage stamps last but not be forgotten my lesson on Souvenir Ceramic stamps. Bought some unique Ceramic stamps which were issued during World Stamp Exhibition in Thailand and found out that they were just refrigerator magnets. The replica of old stamps were of very good quality..only if they were of the postage kind...I would have been over-thrilled..but it sits in my collection as the souvenir kind.
Next lesson learned - in my collection of Stamps with wood chips for the 2005 Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, came across a stamp issued by the British Virgin Islands which was similar in design except it did not have the wood chips from the HMS Victory wood. Disappointment turned to Joy when I realized it to be unique also - The only stamp issued without a wood chip in the same joint issues. This realization of looking for unique stamps in another way came when the US Post re-issued the Miniature sheet on the Inverted Jenny - with the biplane right side up (rumor has it that only 100 sheets were printed).
Update 12 Jan 2020
The first agenda is an update on Unusual Stamp collecting for my blog
- Odd-shaped stamps/ Odd Shaped miniature sheets are no longer considered an unusual variety (I stopped collecting these a few years back considering monetary reasons first due to various issues by a far enormity of countries issuing these stamps and the huge frequency of issues. The odd-shaped stamps on my blog appear occasionally due to a lot ordered and some stamps having the odd-shaped with other uniqueness). Note this is a personal decision and persons interested in the category continue their passions. Let no one determine what best to collect. It's your decision finally.
- Stamps with thermography-printed dust are not considered unusual by some members of the Unusual Stamps collecting Community. This is also a personal decision issue as I do collect these stamps and it will appear on my blog because of the fine line between the stamps printed with thermographic particles and Stamp printed with types of rock dust (being it with sand particles/meteor dust/coal dust etc).
- 3D Holographic stamps with minor parts of the hologram is also not unusual. Also on my agenda to collect. With malice towards none, please feel free to collect what you wish, only that these will not be updated on my blog. Once again it's a personal choice.
- Private issues by some countries. Recently we had a spate of wood sheets with stamps issued as a private issue by some African Countries which were issued to a dealer in China, with few numbers and high demand, these private issues were priced high. As a personal choice, I will be purchasing these private wooden issues unless issued by the actual postal authorities. Again as a personal choice I will be continuing to collect the privately issued Stamps with Crystals (for those in the Know - private stamps issued by Liechtenstein) as part of a subscription service and these will be updated on my blog.
- Glow in the Dark under UV. Some stamps which have the Postal Logo or Serial Numbers seen under glow in the dark with UV light are already not updated on my blog as I do not collect these stamps but the ones with other special features are collected by me and updated on my blog. Do message me if I miss something, as the number also is increasing, and difficult to track each and every issue.
- Stamps with Augmented Reality. As a personal choice I have stopped collecting this category as the AR link associated with these stamps is no longer working and the number of stamps issued by one country is just enough to buy the YEARBOOK at the end but then the AR link associated with these stamps disappear and hence the beauty of these stamps are lost.
- Stamps made of Gold. As a personal choice, I have stopped collecting this category as I personally feel these stamps are too expensive to be used as stamps and if someone does use these stamps for postage, there is no guarantee the sender will ever receive them. I have a weak spot for Stamps made of Silver which I will continue to collect. So it is a personal choice and stamps made of Gold will no longer be updated on my blog.
Update 01 January 2023
Stopped updating Crypto Stamps on my blog as of a personal opinion that they do not fall into the category of unusual stamps anymore (Please do not stop yourself if you continue to collect this category)
I do collect Crypto stamps as part of my collection.
Remember let no one tell you what to collect. If you have the means please go full ahead. No one is telling you to stop enjoying what you so desire.
Will probably start blabbering about my collection soon...
Sharing my Links used
WNS Stamps - http://www.wnsstamps.post/en
Armenia - https://www.haypost.am/en/Philatelia https://www.stamps.am/all-issues
Austria - https://onlineshop.post.at/onlineshop/
Belgium - https://eshop.bpost.be/nl/philately/postzegels?page=1
Faroe Islands - https://en.stamps.fo/
Finland Posti - https://verkkokauppa.posti.fi/PublishedService?theme=9&frontpage=true
France - https://www.laposte.fr/pp/c/timbres Crypto - https://nftimbre.com/en
Guernsey - https://www.guernseystamps.com/
Hongkong -
https://www.hongkongpoststamps.hk/eng/stamps/latest_stamp_issues/index.htm
Hungary - https://eshop.posta.hu/storefront/shop.ep
Isle of Man - https://www.iompost.com/
Japan - http://yushu.or.jp/english/e_sdate/
Jersey - https://www.jerseystamps.com/
Luxembourg - https://www.postphilately.lu/
Macau - https://philately.ctt.gov.mo/
Monaco - https://www.oetp-monaco.com/
Mongolia - https://mongolstamps.com/
Netherland - https://collectclub.postnl.nl/postzegels/postzegeluitgiften.html
New Caledonia - https://caledoscope.opt.nc/en
Palestine Post - https://secure50.securewebsession.eu/palstamps.eu/
Phillipines - https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/stamp-releases.php
Portugal - http://www.ctt.pt/femce/category.jspx?shopCode=LOJV&categoryCode=3002&showAll=1
South Korea - http://www.koreastamp.go.kr/
http://koreastamp.epost.go.kr/sp/eg/speg0301.jsp
Spain - https://filatelia.correos.es/es/es/rincon-correos/filatelia/productos/sellos
Ukraine Post - https://postcardsua.com/collections/stamps
USA - https://store.usps.com/store
Uruguay - https://www.stamps.uy.post/
Vanuatu - https://www.vanuatupost.vu/philately/stamps
Other Stamps Vendors
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