Low-Cost Ways to Start Your Stamp Collection
Stamp collecting doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. You can enjoy collecting stamps with limited financial resources. Here are 10 really low-cost ways to start stamp collecting. 1. Ask your friends to use commemorative stamps on their mail when they write to you. Commemorative stamps are generally larger than regular stamps and are issued to honor famous people, places, or events. Because commemorative stamps are usually issued in lesser quantities than common smaller stamps, they are of much more interest to collectors. Tell your friends that you are a stamp collector and ask them to request commemorative stamps at the post office. 2. When you send away for offers that require postage or self-addressed, stamped envelopes, use commemorative stamps. You’ll get them back when the envelopes are returned to you. 3. Ask your neighbors, friends, and relatives to save their used stamps for you. You’ll find that most people will be happy to save their stamps for you when they learn that you are a collector. 4. If you know someone who gets letters from other countries, ask them to save those stamps. Always be on the lookout for potentially good stamp contacts, and don’t be afraid to ask them to go through their mail for you before they throw away all the envelopes. 5. Ask...
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Creating Rubber Stamps: Not All Methods Created Equal
Whether you’re a rubber stamp rookie, dabbler, or seasoned veteran, you’ve undoubtedly wondered how to make your own rubber stamp. When creating a custom rubber stamp, there are many methods that can be used. You’ll learn the pros and cons of several different stamp-producing methods. If you’re serious about creating high quality rubber stamps, the best technology to use is a laser engraver. Though they may cost thousands of dollars, many high-end engravers can create a stamp as precise as 1000 dpi. Laser engravers are optimal for high productivity and quality rubber stamps, and items like graphics or small text are easily achieved. Laser engravers are less messy than other rubber stamp-making methods, and advanced alignment technology creates little waste. Laser engravers are not labor intensive; hundreds of stamps can be programmed to engrave at once. The speed of engraving for one square inch of rubber stamp is approximately 60 seconds. While this may seem slow, a laser engraver will make deeply engraved “cut lines” while it is etching. A cut line engraves so deeply that no actual cutting or special scissors are necessary for the rubber; simply push on the etched item when the engraving is complete. These cut lines will save a large amount of time that...
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