Research Can Make Collecting Fun and Help You To!

By Mike Maniurski - Founder of MJM Covers & Postcards.

I collect and sell covers/stamps on eBay and constantly use the Internet to verify dates and find out about the history associated with various collectibles. Not confirming dates can lead to painful lessons. It's one thing to say Inauguration Cover of FDR 1st inauguration and present a cover with a date over that March 4th, 1933. If the date is after 1933 - IT'S NOT AN INAUGURAL COVER. Unethical or uninformer sellers will do this.  A seller with a good reputation won't pull a deceptive practice.

The Universal Ship Cancellation Society does an excellent job in giving a ships history, but a lot of submarine naval covers and recent ships are not mentioned in the 1997 Universal Ship Cancellation Catalogue.  Perhaps you have a few covers, but don't want to join. Simply type the hull # of the ship and results will appear when searching.  Two sites that are excellent are Wikpedia and Free Dictionary.

I use Wikpedia on a frequent basis to confirm launchings, commissionings, etc.  Also, great is the history Wikpedia gives about where a ship was, personnel, etc.

My point is the Internet can make your collecting experience enjoyable.  It's one thing to acquire things, but knowing the history and finding out facts and make that collectible even more enjoyable.