Where to begin? Keep it simple collect what you like,because like all things they can get out of control real fast. It is not always about the price,sure it would be nice to have a million dollar collection,but you need to be real.This is a rewarding pastime as you may find a treasure or two.I recomend picking a topic, theme, country,ect... then start .The possibilities are endless you can choose mint , used,or both.All you need is time and patience .Now once you have picked your topic you can begin,I recomend looking for a stamp club or group in your local area,now if thats not possible you can try to start one,as the rewards of a club are trading partners to pass off duplication as well as the knowledge you will gain as well as some great friends.

So if you are still reading and not sleeping I will get you started.

I personally use stockbooks to keep my stamps in as I dislike the whole hinge concept,not to say there is anything wrong with using them,but in my start I had a world album and used them. Over time they get loose and the stamps fall out and it can get ugly.

Next is the handling of stamps tongs are perfect because they keep all oils and dirt that get on your fingers.

E BAY is my favorite place to purchase stamps as you can get a fair price and find it all no bickering with dealers at shows over prices.Because everything is generally sold at catalog price but with E-BAY there are many sellers who start out at penny listings as well as.99cents,and yes there are expensive listings as well.

So ponder on this andI hope this helps someone as we all were novices at some point.