The Versatility Of Rubber Stamp Sets For Scrapbooking, Card-Making, and More

Are you fond of collecting and working with art rubber stamps? Would you like to own some more interesting and rare designed and themed rubber stamps? If your answer to both the questions is in the affirmative, collecting rubber stamp sets can be a great way to unleash your creativity, and add versatility to your projects.

Besides individual and theme rubber stamps, there are an amazing amount of rubber stamp sets available,from a number of rubber stamp companies, such as Close To My Heart, Stampin Up, and more. Popular rubber stamp sets include floral and contemporary design sets, animal and bird sets, season sets and a lot, lot more. Having a set with a particular theme gives you the ability to layer your stamps, and create a unique and distinctive look.

Some of the more popular sets are those which are card-themed, giving you the opportunity to create lovely cards with touching messages printed on them. Additional popular types are ready-made background rubber stamp sets for scrapbooking, including ancient paper-like rubber stamp sets, that provide a large background stamp that will fit the size of your scrapbook page, allowing you to decorate the inside to your heart's content.

Another popular type are ornamental stamp sets, which often include not only a set of decorative stamps, but also include colorful envelopes, which you can make yourself in minutes, and mailing labels, which you can customize to your preferences.

Stamp sets are incredibly versatile, as they can be used as a group, and broken up and used as individual stamps. If you have a specific project you're working on, such as cards, or a scrapbook, having a set will insure that your project has a unified theme, which will enhance the quality of your work, will still allowing for your own finishing touches. Good types of unified theme stamps to start off with include alphabet stamps, or large background stamps. Both of these sets can be used for a variety of applications.

Also, some of the large stamp sets are a great value, as you get many more stamps at a much lower price than you would get if you purchased them separately. With a few quality sets, you'll have the backbone for a great rubber stamp collection, which you can then customize with individual stamps. If you haven't already, you may want to consider investing in a few rubber stamp sets to round out your rubber stamping collection.

Amy Wells is a rubber stamping enthusiast. Find Rubber Stamping ideas, tips, how-to's and more at: http://www.squidoo.com/RubberStampingIdeas, you can find a variety of rubber stamp sets at: http://www.BuyRubberStamp.com.

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USPS Stamps Online

Why make a trip to your local post office when you can buy USPS stamps online, print your own stamps, and even request package pick up directly from your business or residence?

All you need are:

• a computer with Internet access
• a printer
• printer paper
• a metered weighing scale
• packing materials

In this era of self-service automation, we have self-service bank teller machines and self-service grocery checkout lanes. Now we have self-service postage and package delivery management.

Everything your postal workers behind the counter at your local post office would have done for you, you can now do yourself at home or at your office if you purchase and print USPS stamps online. You would never have to visit your post office ever again, not to buy stamps, not to have your shipments packaged and weighed, and certainly not to pay for custom postage or delivery options.

All you have to do is:

1. Package your shipment.
2. Weigh your package.
3. Log onto the Internet and input information about your shipment such as the sender and the recipient address, the weight of the package, the delivery method, and any delivery options (certified mail, delivery confirmation, or insurance).
4. You can choose a customized design for your stamp using a graphic or a photograph that you designed, or you can choose from stock stamp designs.
5. Pay for your postage online.
6. Print your stamps onto your printer. You can use adhesive printer labels or you can use regular paper, which you would cut out and paste onto your package. Or you can feed envelopes directly into your printer and have the shipping labels and stamps printed directly onto them.
7. Contact the USPS and request a local mail pickup from your location.

Buying and printing your own USPS stamps online is an excellent way to boost your productivity and save time.

Sign up for a 4-week risk-free trial and you can start to print your own postage online today!

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Best Sources For Purchasing Stamps

The hobby of collecting stamps has become the foundation of trust between collector and dealers all over the world. Philatelists conduct transactions by dealing with reputable dealers and individual collectors who have memberships in the American Philatelic Society and/or the American Stamp Dealers Association.

By working with members of these associations, collectors can rely on the authenticity of stamps they are purchasing. Collectors are offered peace of mind and that enables them to purchase stamps without too much worry. The primary source to purchase stamps is with dealers and collectors who belong to one or both of these two organizations to ensure the authenticity of your collection.

The Internet is another vital source of information for stamp collectors. You can do search for information on individual stamps by using key words, such as "stamp collecting", "philately" etc. If the Universal Resource Locator or URL is known of any dealer, then all that is needed is to key in the URL into your browser, which will bring up the dealer's website. Another way to search is through the American Philatelic Society website where you can find a list of dealers.

There are also a variety of auctions where you can purchase stamps at a price that is below their market value. Philatelists typically subscribe to auction catalogs to stay current on any stamps that they are interested in and to find out if any are going to soon be offered at auctions.

Understanding the process of purchasing stamps at auctions will give any collector another avenue to purchase the stamps they need for their private collections. By joining area stamp clubs or a philatelic organization you will be able to accomplish this and at the same time become acquainted with other collectors having the same interest.

A number of affiliated organizations of the American Philatelic Society devote their time to stamps from particular countries, themes, and topics. One such organization is the United States Philatelic Classics Society that specializes in stamps of the 19th century within the United States. By maintaining a membership in one or more of these organizations many doors will open for you, which include obtaining valuable information on how to purchase stamps through trading with group members.

Periodicals are constantly being published that include stamp show schedules, which seem to be the most active market for purchasing stamps. These types of shows tend to be on a large scale and any collector should be able to locate reputable firms who specialize in dealing with philatelic material. Another valuable source for acquiring stamps for your collection is directly from the postal administrations of various countries, which can be found in publications such as a stamp almanac.

When you develop a better understanding of purchasing stamps from the market place, another way to obtain stamps is by running a classified ad in your local newspaper under either Stamps Wanted or Buying Stamps. You might be surprised at the number of people that are interested in selling their stamps. Collectors all over will sell their stamps to remove particular stamps from their collections or they will run an ad offering to sell their stamps. However, before searching for any stamp be sure you are acquainted with all purchasing methods.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about rare coins, stamp collections, and rare collectibles. Follow these links to find the best marketplace for: rare coins and acquiring stamps.

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The Commemorative Stamp

The commemorative stamp is created mainly to honour a special occasion, person or place. They are printed in very small quantities, sometimes only once, therefore ensuring their uniqueness and standard as an excellent collectors item.

Post services worldwide have several issues every year of various commemorative stamps and are used alongside standard issues. Stamp collectors everywhere are seeking to find unique, and sought after commemoratives.

Some Nice Commemorative Stamps include:

- Ronald Reagan & Mickey Mouse First Day Covers
- Greta Garbo Joint US/Sweden - First Day
- John Wayne First Day Covers
- New York Subway Commemorative Panel
- King George V and King George VI
- 1948 Olympics (4v)
- 1935 Jubilee (4v)
- 948 Liberation (2v)
- Columbian Exposition Issue-1893Trans-Mississippi Exposition Issue - 1898
- Pan-American Exposition Issue - 1901

You can also purchase complete commemorative stamps albums, where all the hard work is done for you, although maybe this takes the part of the fun away!

Other possibilities to increase you collection with fantastic and desirable stamps is to obtain collections from a certain period in time such as, The St. Vincent Postage Stamp Collection 1970 - 1981

Commemorative stamps date as far back as the 18th century with examples such as the 1860 17 cent stamp by New Brunswick, showing the Prince of Wales in hope of his visit. 1866 saw the 15 cent stamp in the United States depicting Abraham Lincoln. This stamp was strangely not officially declared as a memorial to him.

In the U.K the Jubilee was issued in 1887 commemorating the 50 year reign of Queen Victoria, and were projected as regular stamps.

Commemorative stamps may also be issued as a mint stamp, where it will not have been used and as a result, not cancelled. In most cases, this increases the value.

There are so many varieties of stamps to collect and including some great commemoratives in your collection adds colour and diversity.

It can be very difficult to find good quality and value for money commemorative stamps. For great advice and sources, please visit http://www.stampsalbum.com

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Stamp Collecting - Not Just for Kids

Starting a stamp collection can be a rewarding and fun hobby. Not just for kids anymore, stamp collecting – or philately – has become one of the world’s oldest and most popular forms of collecting. The advantages of stamp collecting include:

• Learning about stamps which have been issued by other countries of the world over the years

• Appreciating stamps as works of art – colourful, well-printed, and well-designed

• Understanding the purpose of the stamp – whether it is to commemorate famous people or events, flowers, railways, flags, or space and sport

Stamp Collection

Stamp collections can provide both entertainment and education. By learning about all the stamps which have been issued by the countries of the world, you can begin to understand another country’s geography and history. Stamps collection is also a practical way to learn the politics, religion, and everyday way of life in different parts of the world. Stamps also open a world of education in a country’s postal services and postal history, transport systems, and the significance of postmarks.

Want to Start Collecting?

Many stamp collectors have advice for those looking to get into the stamp collecting scene, however, the best advice to the novice is to buy the largest packet of whole-world stamps you can afford. Also, consider buying with this purchase, a medium-priced album and some ‘hinges’ to mount the stamps. By buying a large amount of stamps at first, you can then go through most of the stamps, identifying those which you don’t believe you can find in the stamp collectors catalogue for identifying purposes.

Sources of Stamps

To keep your stamp collection moving along, there are several different types of stamps and locations to pursue:

• Persuade your friends to save your stamps from those letters mailed to them from abroad

• You can buy stamps from the UK Post – several times a year, the UK Post will issue special stamps for those interested in collecting

• There are several stamp magazines where you can see and meet other collectors

• Review the online stamp collecting websites for forums and discussion on where to get the latest stamp collection tips

Stamp Collecting and Increasing Worth

Over the years, as stamps age and their rarity increase, the worth of the stamp can increase tenfold. The condition of the stamp is vitally important to its worth. Nothing detracts more from the value of a stamp than a crease, tear, or heavy postmark. Damaged stamps are generally considered useless and worthless, so be wary of your collection when adding stamps.

If you are looking to make the most of your stamp collection, have unused stamps in their original gum as issued by the post office. Also, the ideal postmark is light and clear, as heavy postmarks decrease the value of the stamp by large amounts.

If you are already realizing that there is much more to stamp collecting then first thought, you are right! Stamp collecting can be extremely rewarding if you take the time to pursue it as a serious hobby. Consider learning more about your planet and start your stamp collection today.

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Creating the Best Personal Postage Stamps

Personal postage stamps have become exceedingly popular in the last several years. They are easy to create online or at a non-Internet store. There are many uses for personal postage stamps and virtually everyone seems to be enjoying these for their mailings. Here are some tips for creating the best personal postage stamps.

Select a Theme

Select a theme for your personal postage stamps. If you are celebrating a certain occasion, you will want the theme of the stamps to match the occasion. For example, if you are sending out baby shower invitations then you would want your stamps to have a baby theme to them. You wouldn’t want someone milking a cow for the stamps on your baby shower invitations.

Select a Photo

You can browse through your photos on your personal computer or even find non-copyright photos on the Internet to use for your personal postage stamps. Do not take photos that someone else owns. You will want to use public domain photos or your own photos.
Choose between two and five photos that go with the theme you selected. This will give you freedom to experiment to find out which photo looks the best for your mailings.

Crop Your Photo

Remember that the photos are going to be small. You do not need all of the background items in the picture. To show off the photo the best, open it in a photo editing program on your computer and crop the focal point of the photo. Save the new image to use on the online shops for personal postage stamps.

Now is a good time to check the photo for blurs or minor blemishes and fix those. You will also get a feel for how it will look as a small image and decide which one of the several you selected is going to work best for your mailings.

Upload Your Photo

Once you have selected and cropped the best photo for your theme, it is time to upload the photo. This will be the perfect time to see how it is going to look.

Select a Border

Stamps look nicer if they have a border. Make sure to pick out a border that compliments the theme and the colors that will be used for the stamps.

Separate Value Area

Make certain to choose a company that will print the value of the stamp separately from the personal postage stamps. You do not want the stamp value on top of your picture or crowding the photo in the space provided to print.

Quality Ink

You will have the best personal postage stamps that are printed with quality ink. Select an ink that will not easily bleed and ruin the picture.

Quality Paper

Just as the ink is important, the paper quality is also very important. Printing your personal postage stamps on sheets of low quality paper will ruin them. Even though you want to try and save money, do not cut corners on the quality of materials you use for these stamps.

Receive discount personal postage stamps for free. Tons of articles, news, reviews, and incentivized discounts for personal photo stampsand online stamps alike.

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A Stamp Collecting Album Brings Order To Your Collection

Once you have decided to take up stamp collecting, it is usually a good idea to think about where you are going to keep your stamps. If you don't want to leave them lying around, an album may be the ideal place to store your collection, meaning it can be viewed at any time but also ensures the stamps are being kept safe.

There are various kinds of albums available and what one is right for you depends on what your needs are. A free-form album is one that allows the collector to place their stamps in any order with no topics or headings to guide them. This type of album is perfect for the collector who hasn't decided on a particular genre to collect or wishes an amount of freedom. This can add a degree of creativity to a collection as the free-form album can be arranged to suit your needs and whims. Arranging stamps by chronological order is one thing but perhaps you would rather arrange them by color or in a completely random manner and a free-form album allows this.

There are also albums available that are set out with markers and individual spaces for stamps to be placed. This is the idea album for people collecting a specific field or type of stamps and can be a great help when working out what stamps are needed to complete your collection. If a person was collecting stamps from a specific decade of American history, the album would have pages for each year of the decade and then perhaps specific spaces for the stamps issued that year for the collector to place into the album. This level of regimented layout may be ideal for a novice or child collector as it will inform them of the amount of stamps available in that period and can point them in the right direction. This type of stamp collecting album may be limited and very specific to a particular genre or type of stamp but if this is what the collector is buying, then it fits their needs expertly.

Stamp collecting albums are a vital addition to any serious collector's arsenal and the sight of a completed stamp collecting album is one of the best for any collector. Whether it's the free-form stamp collecting album or the more structured type, there is a stamp collecting album available to suit every need.

You can learn more about stamp collecting, the history and the fun of this hobby. Find out more about stamp collecting as a hobby at this website ==> http://www.stampcollectinghobby.net

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