Buying China Stamps

Collecting and buying China stamps can be fun and challenging. Unlike stamp collecting in your home country, where you can count on friends and family to help you collect by saving their canceled stamps, China stamps must be purchased from other sources.

Collectible China stamps can be rare, expensive issues such as the 'Large Dragon' series from the mid-19th century or new stamp issues that were just released from China Post last week. Almost every stamp can have an appeal to a stamp enthusiast that makes worthwhile to own.

You can buy these stamps online, through mail order catalogs, at stamp collecting shows, in a local stamp dealer shop or on auction. It requires investing time in research as well as identifying honest operators to make purchases from.

You can be purchased online easily through reputable dealers who can be checked out to assure a safe transaction. Purchasing online allows you to make your purchase with the best available information, almost always with the benefit of photos that show the actual stamps being offered. Mail order catalog companies also provide the benefit of photos and pricing to compare with competitors, but in print rather than on a website.

If you wish to buy your stamps in person, you can attend a stamp show or visit a local dealer who displays stamps in a store. Stamp shows can be hit or miss because while collecting China stamps is common in Asia, in Europe and North America it is not be widely showcased at stamp collector gatherings.

Auctions, usually reserved for selling rare stamps, are another forum for finding great pieces at low prices. One exception to the rule is stamps sold on eBay, the world's largest auction company. Not without risk, eBay is a good place to get an idea of what your China stamps may be worth amongst collectors.

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China Stamp Collecting - A Connection With the Past

Whether you are a beginner or an old hand at collecting postage stamps, China stamp collecting can be very enjoyable. China's exotic past and quixotic recent history will expose you to many different eras. It is a history that spans from stamps produced as the 2,000 year-old Imperial era drew to a close to the stamps rich in history and cultural content used by modern China today.

Unless one lives in China, collecting Chinese stamps presents a challenge from the onset. Researching and learning about philatelic China can be enlightening in its own right, presenting an opportunity to learn more about one of the world's oldest and most intriguing cultures. Native Chinese have discovered the joys of China stamp collecting as well, as it has become a huge pastime for millions of hobbyists.

The history of Chinese stamps begins in 1878, with the issuance of the 'Large Dragon' series. This was the first public mail service, descended from a private diplomatic courier service for consular transactions and diplomatic corps communiques.

The Imperial Post Office, established in1897, ran until 1911. In between, many remarkable stamps were issued and the use of overprinting to recharge discontinued stamp stock created many rare collectibles. What followed over the next 40 years was a period of political turmoil, replete with a Japanese occupation, war-created hyperinflation and a victory by Communists revolutionaries in 1949. The strife helped to create a treasure trove of stamp collectibles that reflect the times.

Stamps produced during the last half of the 20th century reflected domestic China. The use of propaganda and nationalism throughout the period make stamps issued some of the most interesting in the entire philatelic world. The 'Cultural Revolution' alone produced extraordinary examples of Soviet realism art.

China stamps represent a virtual historical narrative of the Chinese travails from its Imperial past to today's cultural and economic powerhouse. Collecting China stamps can be rewarding and enlightening.

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