Postage stamps have evolved quite a bit since Great Britain's 1840 Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp. From simple designs featuring the monarch to works of art literally condensed to postage stamp size, hundreds of thousands of different stamps have been issued in the past 164 years--and the great majority of them remain reasonably priced for collectors. With so many stamps to collect from so many countries, a philatelist's choices are virtually unlimited--which can be both a blessing and a curse, especially if you're a newcomer to the art of stamp collecting.Interested in starting a stamp collection, but not sure where to begin? This is the guide for you. Expert Richard Sine fills you in on everything you need to know about selecting, finding, buying, presenting and caring for stamps. An internationally recognized collector and author on stamp collecting (he used to write the "New York Times" stamp column) he also has much wisdom to impart to collectors who've been at it for a while. A gold mine of expert advice and guidance, "Stamp Collecting For Dummies" is on how to: Start or diversify your collectionDecide what to collectCatalog and organize your collectionHandle, protect, store, and display stampsIdentify rare and valuable stampsBuy stamps online and through auction housesUnlike most authors on the subject who tend to be pretty stuffy--to put it politely--expert Richard Sine focuses on the side of stamp collecting that's enjoyable, educational, and f