Stamp collecting is not just about collecting stamps! You can collect anything—from envelopes, postal cards, letter sheets, labels, to postmarks and receipts upon delivery—so long as they are issued or produced by postal authorities. You need some basic philatelic knowledge to be able to pick philatelic items that suit you best. Simply being able to know what constitutes a philatelic item is the most basic skill of all. What counts? Which ones are worth collecting? A brief introduction follows:

1. The philatelic items people are most familiar with include postage stamps, souvenir sheets, postage labels, stamp booklets, postal cards, envelopes, and letter sheets. Apart from collecting officially issued philatelic items, collectors may also be attracted to design drafts, die proofs, and specimens used for promotional purposes.

2. Postmarks: Postal markings are markings stamped by postal authorities, whether noting cancellation, commemoration, landscapes, slogans, or censorship. Postmarks are collectible as well, and should be preserved on covers. They are meaningless once cut. Commemorative and landscape postmarks were originally purple in color. They were changed to red starting from March 1, 2022.

3. Labels: These refer to labels and receipts from mail-processing operations. The most common ones are labels for prompt delivery mail, Air Mail, registered mail, and speed post, as well as for receipt for parcels and for advice of delivery. If they are written or glued on an item of mail, they should be preserved as they are.

4. Indicia: In addition to postage stamps, indicia printed by a postage meter can also be collected.

All the philatelic items mentioned above are important materials for a collection. As for which to collect, it depends on the topic you choose. Generally speaking, any philatelic items that are relevant to your topic are appropriate.

“Relevant” does not mean “similar in image.” For example, if the topic of your collection is penguins, then you need not think that only philatelic items bearing images of penguins are appropriate. Rather, any stamps connected to penguins' distribution and habitat, their discoverers, food, and natural enemies are suitable, as are similarly relevant postmarks or other philatelic items.

Not all attractive looking materials are appropriate to be included in a collection. In competitive exhibitions, judges take points off for lack of philatelic knowledge if one includes materials that are inappropriate. The following should not be included:
1. Cinderella stamps: These look like postage stamps but are not issued by an actual government postal agency.
2. Any stamps that are not issued by a government-authorized agency. (Fig. 1.)
3. Picture postal cards without stamps and cancellations. (Fig. 2.)
4. Personal artwork on an envelope or postal card. (Fig. 3.)
5. Private ad label (Fig. 4.)

These kinds of items are fine to collect but are not suitable for exhibiting at competitive exhibitions.
A piece of advice: No matter how precious a philatelic item, don′t include it if it′s not relevant to your collection.