In the course of your life, you will probably meet very few people who can say they have never collected anything in their life. But there are people, even when not deliberately collecting a particular object, who tend to have more than one of the same thing. Now this could be anything from tennis socks of different colors to books by a particular author.

So why do people collect stamps? The reasons aren�t any different for those who collect the previously mentioned things. Collecting defines a person�s personality, it�s a form of personal entertainment and enjoyment, it�s an opportunity to learn more about stamps and the countries that issue them. It provides like-minded collectors to build friendships and swap knowledge.

First the colors and image attract people, and then they begin to look closer at the stamp to see what it stands for. For example, if someone from France sees a Canadian stamp with a beaver or maple leaf as a design, the person receiving the letter might be tempted to find out more about beavers or the maple tree.

Stamp collecting also satisfies our desire for order, symmetry, and organization. Some people may start their stamp collection by tucking stamps into a shoebox, but there will come a time when those pieces will need to be organized. By collecting stamps, our organizational skills become finely honed. And the aesthetic rewards can also be emotionally satisfying.

Stamp collecting can open our eyes to foreign travel, and while we may not be able to physically travel to every country on earth in our lifetime, our stamp collection can show us lands and sites that we have not yet explored, and introduce us to a country�s flora and fauna, and other things.

Anyone who starts collecting stamps can proceed at his or her own pace and at their own whim. But stamp collecting or as it is officially known as philately, is and should be a disciplined field of study.

Of course there are standards and rules that guide the study of philately and there is a considerable amount of literature that documents the knowledge from long-time and sophisticated stamp collectors. Research continues and there is always new knowledge to be gained about stamps. No one will ever know everything about all the stamps in the world.

No one had to pay dearly to nurture a hobby such as stamp collecting. In fact, an expensive collection does not necessarily mean that it�s the most interesting or the most valuable type of collection.

Rather, it is the way the collector has organized his or her collection in an interesting manner because of their own knowledge and experience. Many prize-winning collections that have been declared �outstanding� at club shows often started out as inexpensive endeavors.

While a few collectors of stamps have an investment objective in mind, the real beauty of stamp collecting lies simply in the pure enjoyment of the hobby.

Think how much more there is to be gained if you just sat back and curled up on your sofa to admire your collection, or else to show your collection to friends and family. If you consider your collection to be a financial investment, then you are unlikely to familiarize yourself with evaluating the value of your collection, learning about stamp auctions, and finding the right stamp dealers.

Don�t get me wrong here, making money from one�s own collection is a fundamental right, but think of the may other possibilities open to you if you don�t limit your collecting goals to a profit motive only.

The real fun started, when post offices realized that stamp collectors could be a huge source of revenue. Given the production of numerous stamps in a given year, people branched out to �motif� collecting, instead of confining themselves to �country� collecting.

A few collectors have even embarked on collecting stamps to tell a story, or focus on a famous person�s biography, but this would entail an enormous amount of research.

The real joys of stamp collecting are reinforced because it is not an expensive hobby. In the first few months, collectors really don�t have to invest a cent, except to ask for used stamps from friends, family, and fellow workers.

People who were once collectors and who gave up the hobby are often pleased to give their collections away with the hope that it can be continued by the person receiving it. They have felt the joys of stamp collecting once so they would be only too eager to help out a beginning collector.

Stamp collectors will also find plenty of support from local stamp clubs, their neighborhood Post Office and the Internet. Stamp collecting is a widely discussed subject on the Internet. There are numerous forums and website available to further your knowledge of collecting stamps.