Editing Stamp collecting (section)

== History ==
It has been suggested that John Bourke, Receiver General of Stamp Dues in [[Ireland]], was the first collector. In 1774, he assembled a book of the existing embossed [[revenue stamp]]s, ranging in value from 6 pounds to half a penny, as well as the hand stamped charge marks that were used with them. His collection is preserved in the [[Royal Irish Academy]], [[Dublin]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2014/october/the-origin-of-stamp-collecting-in-america-part-1-h.html |title=The origin of stamp collecting in America, Part 1 |magazine=[[Linn's Stamp News]] |date=17 October 2014 |access-date=15 July 2017 }}</ref>

Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by 1860 thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across [[Europe]], European colonies, the [[United States]] and other parts of the world.

The first postage stamp, the [[Penny Black]], was issued by [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in May 1840 and pictured a young [[Queen Victoria]]. It was produced without [[perforation]]s (imperforate) and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the Penny Black are quite scarce, used examples are quite common, and may be purchased for $20 to $200, depending upon condition.

People started to collect stamps almost immediately. One of the earliest and most notable was [[John Edward Gray]]. In 1862, Gray stated that he "began to collect postage stamps shortly after the system was established and before it had become a rage".<ref>Gray, John Edward, ''[https://archive.org/details/ahandcataloguep00graygoog <!-- quote=A hand catalogue of postage stamps. --> A Hand Catalogue of Postage Stamps for the use of the Collector]''. 1862. Robert Hardwicke. page viii.</ref>

Female stamp collectors date from the earliest days of postage stamp collecting. One of the earliest was [[Adelaide Lucy Fenton]] who wrote articles in the 1860s for the journal ''The Philatelist'' under the name Herbert Camoens.<ref>''The American Philatelist,'' Volume 75, p.32</ref>

As the hobby and study of stamps began to grow, stamp albums and stamp related literature began to surface, and by the early 1880s publishers like [[Stanley Gibbons]] made a business out of this advent.

Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit but later many of those same collectors, as adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and publish books about them. Some stamps, such as the triangular issues of the [[Cape of Good Hope]], have become legendary.

By the early 2000s, stamp collecting was seen to be in decline as the digital world surpassed traditional hobbies even though by 2013, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' estimated the global number of stamp collectors was around 60&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/interactive/stampgraphic?ref=SB10001424127887324009304579047070874399370 |title=Graph: The Wide World of Stamps |publisher=WSJ.MONEY |year=2013 |access-date=24 September 2013 |archive-date=28 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028222154/https://online.wsj.com/news/interactive/stampgraphic?ref=SB10001424127887324009304579047070874399370 }}</ref> However, the hobby's unexpected appeal for a millennial audience was observed in a 2020 article for ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mowbray |first=Nicole |date=April 11, 2020 |title=Post modern: why millennials have fallen in love with stamp collecting |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/apr/11/post-modern-why-millennials-have-fallen-in-love-with-stamp-collecting |access-date=June 23, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>