Stamp Collecting 101: Books for Beginners
Interested in getting into stamp collecting, but unsure where to start? Look no further! Our library staff has put together this list of introductory books that will help jump-start your collecting journey. All of these books are available to anyone in Canada through our catalogue, if you are interested in checking anything out, please don’t hesitate to email us!
If you would prefer to start with digital resources, we recommend checking out our Digital Resources Hub. You can filter the results by the tag “beginner” to find plenty of sites to help get you started.
Another beginner-friendly recommendation is to peruse recent stamp magazines online. Check out Canadian Stamp News for recent updates on Canadian philately, or search relevant hashtags on your social media apps of choice.
Get Started Stamp Collecting for Canadian Kids by Elizabeth Macleod (1996)
Don’t rule this book out just because it is geared towards children. It is well-illustrated and provides clear information on how to get your start in the hobby. This compact book provides information on the parts of a stamp, the tools to use, and how to take care of stamps with clear diagrams and infographics. It also introduces concepts that will prompt the reader get curious about more niche philatelic topics.
Guide to Stamp Collecting by Janet Klug (2008)
This Smithsonian Institution publication is a beautifully crafted volume with digestible information and phenomenal illustrations. This book provides a brief history of stamps and mail as well as information on how to start your stamp collection or how to get into postal history collecting. In many ways, this guide is an expanded and more detailed version of the previous book on this list. Even seasoned collectors will learn something while flipping through this work.
The International Guide to Stamps and Stamp Collecting by Douglas and Mary Patrick (1962)
This volume contains a wealth of information, arranged in an accessible “question and answer” format. This book will go further in-depth than some of the others on this list, but does so in a concise way that allows for quick reference with a handy table of contents and index. Written by Toronto philatelic legends Douglas and Mary Patrick, this book has a lot to offer for anyone with the stamp bug – from newbies to experienced collectors.
Mosaic of Canada on Postage Stamps by Nick and Helma Mika (1967)
A beautiful book that is perfect for the history buff who is getting curious about philately. This book illustrates Canadian history with stunning prints of Canadian stamps and tons of fun facts. This book allows you to appreciate the beauty and detail that is inherent to classic Canadian stamp design.
Adventures in Topical Stamp Collecting (2nd edition) by George Griffenhagen and Jerome Husak (1997)
Topical collecting, or collecting stamps which depict a particular theme, is one of the most common “on-ramps” into stamp collecting. Who doesn’t want a stamp album full of pictures of their favourite topic, like hockey or domestic cats? This book provides a simple and clear introduction to topical collecting. This svelte volume is also great for anyone wanting to dip their toes into exhibiting as it provides explanation of how to write up, present, and exhibit your topical collection.
The Scott Catalogues are the definitive reference works for stamp collectors. Each year, Scott releases a new set of catalogues which are organized alphabetically by country and provide values and details on stamps from around the world. A great exercise for when you are first getting interested in collecting is to skim the introduction of a Scott Catalogue which contains great information on how stamps are catalogued, watermarked, priced, etc. Then flip through and explore the stamps from one country - what do you notice about how that country represents itself on stamps? Are any of the stamps particularly valuable, and can you tell why? Most public libraries will have a set of the Scott Catalogues on their shelves, and of course our library always has the two most recent years of the Catalogue in stock and ready for use!
Stamp Collecting for Dummies by Richard L. Sine (2001)
This is the most comprehensive guide on this list, and is written in beginner-friendly terms. While the book has a U.S. focus, it provides solid basic knowledge that will serve collectors from around the world well. This book contains a section which focuses on the monetary value of your collection, and while we do not recommend getting into collecting “for the money,” this section can be a useful reference if you become a more serious collector and begin purchasing higher-value stamps. The copy we have in our library was annotated by one of our experts, giving it an extra layer of value for the reader.
— Natalie Mitchell
Library Manager, Greene Foundation