I’ve decided to start collecting stamps… What now?

Stamp Collecting is a great way switch off from the day to day hustle and bustle and harks back to a simpler time; hand-written letters, pen pals, postcards, snail mail – the joy of receiving something in the post! Many modern stamp collectors cite its mindfulness benefits and a calming influence on their lives.

But once you have decided to become a stamp collector, where do you start? In a previous blog, titled ‘Starting a Stamp Collection’  we mentioned the idea of picking a theme and only collecting what you are interested in (or you could collect all the latest UK Royal Mail stamp releases) And that’s the reason we have categories on our website to make things easier!

However, this blog is looking in more detail at point number 2: Which specific stamp items or packages you want to collect, so what are the options?

First Day Covers
Collector Sheets
Fan Sheets
Mini Sheets
Stamp Cards

First Day Covers

A First day Cover is an envelope design with a full set of stamps and a postmark to commemorate the first day of issue. So it’s clear you were first in line for all the latest stamp releases! We have a VLOG to explain this in more detail. If you want to collect FDCs, you will also have a choice of envelope designs; either Royal Mail’s own design, or exclusive Cotswold or Stuart variations.

Collector’s Sheet

A Collector’s Sheet is all of the stamps in a set, much like a First Day Cover, although the stamps are built into an A4 poster design – perfect for filing in an album, or framing to create unique artwork.

Fan Sheets

Similar to a Collector’s Sheet, the Fan Sheets are A4 sized and feature exclusive poster artwork with a few different stamp designs -perfect for the avid collector!

Mini Sheets 

Released along side the ‘normal’ stamp release (to go on a FDC) the mini sheets are a special additional stamps, printed on a mini sheet which includes a bit of additional detail. Can you spot the four stamps on this Peppa Pig example?

Stamp Cards

These are postcards, essentially! Each has a ‘blown up’ of each of the stamps in the release (usually 8-10) plus the stamps from the mini sheet, too!

So which will you choose! It all depends on whether you want to keep your treasured collection in a drawer, in an album, or displayed for the world to see. Everyone has their own preferences and that’s the best thing about your new stamp collection – it’s yours to do with whatever you want! Why not kick-start your collection with some retro FDCs reduced to £5. Happy collecting!