Although being a solitary stamp collector has its advantages, the time will come when you may want to find some other folks to share the joys of your hobby with. Man is not a solitary creature we crave social interactions, no matter how much some people claim otherwise. If you live in a rural area finding stamp collecting buddies can be a challenge, as there may not be a local stamp club available to join. Thankfully the Internet can solve some of these issues. With the Internet, you can find abundant information to start a local stamp club of your own. You could start a generalist or a specialist club. The choice is up to you.

Stamp collecting has adapted quite well to the Internet. You can now swap, buy, and/or trade stamps with people far from your own local. There are many great forums and websites online now. Some stamp collecting periodicals now have their own online version available to view. Even if you only have a slow dial-up connection, there is plenty of information you can access online. Granted high-speed Internet is great, but you may not have access to this if you live out in the country.

With or without the Internet you should start your search for stamp collecting buddies locally. You can check out these sources first:

• Post Office: If you are not comfortable asking the postal clerk if he know of any local stamp collecting clubs or other collectors, at least observe to the other postal customers buying habits. Do not be too aggressive in your search here.
• Local Library: A study some years ago indicated that stamp collectors tend to be higher up the intellect scale than those who do not collect stamps. I can’t guarantee that collecting stamps will raise your IQ, but it will help to exercise your mind more than watching television.
• School Library: You may find success telling a teacher-friend of your interests in the hope that the news will travel.

However, a brief word of caution is in order. Do use discretion when seeking out stamp collecting buddies. Many non-stamp collectors equate a stamp collection as having a high value, when in truth most beginning collections have little value. Be sure to emphasize that your collection doesn’t contain any rare stamps and that is only a beginning collection. This will minimize anyone’s interest in stealing your collection.

Discretion will help you to keep you from getting a visit from any of the local burglar’s guild. After you have started your collection, don’t talk about any rare stamps you may have acquired or the value of your collection. If the wrong party becomes aware of this information you may get an unexpected break-in.