Stamp collectors spend hours looking for errors. It seems that laughing at people's mistakes is a favorite human pastime. The same theory goes for stamp collecting. Collectors have a great time when they do spot an error.

And because errors are not something you see everyday owing to automated stamp manufacturing, when errors do occur, the stamps can fetch a fortune. For instance, the US and Canada have stamps with the center part upside down.

While some errors will not fetch you a huge amount of money in auctions or stamp clubs, they are still interesting to most collectors. A good source of collecting entertainment would be the Canadian “Admirals” issues of 1911-1925.

They are not really errors, but they do have minute differences.

Color errors are also common. When a color is left out in the printing, this constitutes an error. So the next time you buy stamps, look at them more closely.
Perforations may also contain errors. Many stamps have perfs running right through the middle.

Stamp collecting does not end with the basic terminology. As you become more sophisticated in the activity, you may be motivated to begin visiting stamp dealers and stamp shows.

You will be meeting some symbols - usually a symbol such as an “asterisk” or acronym (two to three letters) that are used by stamp dealers.

Used and unused stamps have symbols: “0” for used; “*” for unused, and “**” for unused, never unhinged. These symbols don't have any mystery to them. When a stamp is cancelled (post office puts a mark on the stamp), then it is considered used. If it wasn't cancelled, then the stamp is unused.