I: Stamps

Beginning philatelists typically approach the hobby simply by purchasing newly released stamps or “soaking, drying and flattening” used stamps cut from envelopes. Yet around the world, particularly among those who specialize in stamps of certain themes, there are many other philatelic items well worth collecting. For instance, although the margins of stamps are not designed for postal use, they are nonetheless collectable. The traffic lights in the shapes of the Chinese zodiac animals on the margins of the fourth cycle of “New Year's Greeting Postage Stamps” (Fig. 1) are but one example. The butterflies that are surprisingly found on the backside of some self-adhesive stamps from Sierra Leone in Africa are another (Fig. 2). These features broaden the horizons of collecting for philatelists.

II: Postmarks

Postmarks are collectible as well. They mostly consist of philatelic datemarks, temporary post office datemarks, commemorative postmarks, and landscape postmarks. Some collectors focus on the shapes of postmarks, which may be circular, square, rectangular, or even in the shape of a butterfly. Figure 1 shows a rectangular slogan postmark for ROCPEX Taipei ‘78. Others may put more emphasis on the meanings of postmarks, such as the various marks denoting a variety of cancellations for different purposes. Figure 2 shows a temporary post office datemark commemorating the 1995 general assembly of the Chinese Taipei Thematic Society (a philatelic organization). Still others may collect postmarks from specific locales, including postmarks with old place names, such as Takow (today's Kaohsiung) and Bangka (today's Wanhua). They can thus track how geographic names have evolved in Taiwan. Figure 3 shows Republic of Formosa postmarks. Figure 4 shows a postmark from Jinguashi.

III: Covers

An addressed cover with intact stamps and clear postmarks and cancellations is often a lot more valuable than a first-day cover in the eyes of philatelists. Cover collectors typically base their collections around the significance of the covers. For example, the stamps on a registered cover from the Qing Dynasty or the first year of the Republic of China (Fig. 1) display the postage of their eras. Providing details about life in those times, these postmarks record the processing of items of mail and the times needed to reach destinations. What's more, postal units often stamped slogan marks on the covers. Figure 2 is a cover with the slogan mark “UN for TAIWAN, PEACE FOREVER.” When mails are returned, there are also return postmarks, which offer even more information. Cover collectors often take a path progressing from simply collecting stamps, to collecting postmarks, to collecting and researching covers.

IV: Maximum Cards

Often from a temporary post office or a place related to the subject matter, a maximum card (otherwise known as a maxicard, maxi-card, or MC) is a picture postcard with a stamp affixed on the picture side and tied by a cancellation. The designs of the postcard and the stamp are similar or related, and the cancellation bears an image or words related to the postcard. Some examples of official maximum cards are Chunghwa Post's “Qing Dynasty Blue and White Porcelain Watering Pot” (Fig. 1), “Ancient Chinese Painting A Hundred Deer” (Fig. 2), and “Lucky Tiger” (Fig. 3). Other public or private groups or individual artists can also design and issue maximum cards (Fig. 4). The beauty of maximum cards lies in the harmony and concordance of the postage stamp, postcard and cancellation.

After deciding upon a direction for collecting, next comes organizing the collection. As long as one follows the proper steps, it is not hard to create a stamp collection. The needed materials and basic steps are as follows:

Apart from the all-important philatelic items of your choosing, you will need some plain A4-size white cardstock (with or without ruled quadrille lines), pens, stamp mounts to protect and show off the stamps (ideally with black backing), double-sided tape (to affix the philatelic items on the cardstock), clear page protectors (to protect the exhibit pages), and a utility knife or scissors (to cut stamp mounts), as well as books and periodicals for reference.

I: Determining a Subject

A stamp collection is a story told through philatelic materials. Like when writing an essay, each collection first needs a subject. Too broad a subject may involve so many philatelic items that comprehensiveness becomes challenging. Too narrow or unusual a subject may make it difficult to find enough related philatelic items. Therefore, it is best to take stock of what you have before picking a subject that is both relevant and appropriate in scope.

II: Creating a Title Page (First Page)

Place the title in large font on the cardstock, preferably centered, with a brief description explaining the theme and scope. About 20 words is sufficient. If there is enough space on the page, you can add an attractive philatelic item or artwork. Since these are seen first, both the title and the description need to look neat, and the philatelic items and artwork have to be pleasingly eye-catching.

III: Creating a Plan Page

The plan page of a collection is much like the table of contents of a book. The purpose is to inform viewers how the collection plans to tell its story—how it will unfold and what chapters will be included. There must be consistency between the plan and the title, and the chapters should be arranged in a logical manner. To help viewers navigate your collection, chapters (1, 2, 3, etc.) and sub-chapters (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.) should be numbered on the plan page. What's more, the philatelic items in each sub-chapter should be described with a subheading. The remaining pages will then fall into place accordingly. Generally speaking, topical collections for a competition must have a separate plan page, whereas other types of collections may optionally include the plans (both the content and the order) on the title page.

Just as there are different genres in writing, different structures are used to design stamp collections. The following are most common:
1) Event-related structure: This type is great for depicting events such as national or international sporting events, philatelic exhibitions, etc.
2) Scientific structure: This type involves adopting a scientific, taxonomic, or systematic structure to organize philatelic items on animals or plants; or exploring the functions of the subject in accordance with life experiences in different chapters.
3) Time-related structure: If the purpose of the collection is to show history, this would be a great choice. For example, if you want to introduce the commemorative postmarks of a certain region in the past decade, you can display them chronologically.
4) Story structure: Using philatelic items to tell a story creatively is an approach that has been adopted frequently in recent years. For instance, some youngsters use philatelic items to create lively and fun “Happy Summer Break”collections based on the scenic spots they have visited, the food they have enjoyed, and the stories they have heard over the summer.

Every juggler has his own tricks. There are no hard and fast rules on how to present a stamp collection. It all depends on the interests and creativity of individual philatelists. To encourage philatelists to rack their brains and design unique collections, creativity is explicitly cited as a judging criterion in competitive philatelic collections.

IV: Other Pages

At the front of a collection, the plan page should dictate the development of other collection pages. Once the plan page is put together, the other pages can just follow the plan. Each page should include its chapter number, title, and subheading. The chapter and subchapter on each page must be consistent with the plan page. The arrangement of your philatelic material should be balanced. It is best to include both stamps and addressed covers or postcards, with a brief description of each item. It is best to use mint stamps. If you want to feature used stamps, then do so for the entire collection.

V: The Composition of a Stamp Collection

Once all the pages are created according to the plan, you have built a stamp collection. The scope of the collection is determined by how many frames you have. A frame refers to an exhibit display frame. Each frame can accommodate 16 exhibit pages. A wide range of collection sizes are permitted, but beginners usually have three to five frames. To build a good collection, you must have a good understanding of the subject chosen. Therefore, aside from collecting philatelic material, you also need to gather information, including both philatelic knowledge and topical expertise. This knowledge can be gleaned from newspapers, magazines, books, television and daily life.