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Philately in Israel |
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Philately in Israel is organized via the “Israel Philatelic Federation”. The Israel Philatelic Federation carries out a diverse range of activities through collectors clubs around the country. Israel Philatelic Federation members meet regularly to trade stamps, exchange opinions, hear lectures etc. The federation holds stamp exhibitions in Israel and sends representatives to exhibit at fairs overseas. |
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Israeli philatelists are respected members of international organizations, have won prestigious prizes, have served as judges at international competitions and as members of the various boards of the international umbrella organization. “Shovel” (Tab) the magazine of Israeli philatelists is published bi-monthly and provides coverage of stamps and philately, training, advertisements and more. |
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A professional philatelic library operates in the offices of the Israeli Philatelic Federation |
Office: Israeli Philatelic Federation
Pinsker 2, Tel Aviv
61045
Tel: 03-6295547 |
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A guide for the aspiring philatelist |
There are lots of stamps and that's wonderful.
It's great when everything is organized in an album.
How should the stamps be arranged?
There are several ways.
By country or by subject.
There are stamps about, animals, about flowers, about space.
There are stamps from China, from the U.S and all over the world.
What fun to arrange them!
There are lots of surprises.
Left over stamps can be swapped.
If you need advice or guidance we will always gladly be at your service |
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For details: |
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The Israel Philatelic Federation 03-6295547 |
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or The Education Department of the Philatelic Service 076-8873906 |
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So, how do you collect stamps? |
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Working with the Philatelic Service enables you to collect Israeli stamps as soon as they are issued. But many collectors are also interested in other philatelic issues which they collect via post received at home or through friends, and by being in touch with other stamp collectors in Israel and around the world. |
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Removing stamps from envelopes |
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1. |
Tell everyone you know to keep stamped postal envelopes for you. |
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2. |
Check the envelopes and consult with “experts” to see whether the stamped envelope should be kept whole. |
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3. |
If you have decided not to keep the envelope cut around the stamp leaving wide margins. |
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4. |
Place the stamp in a bowl of water so that it is submersed. |
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5. |
Wait patiently for 10-15 minutes until the stamp floats |
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6. |
Remove the remains of the envelope from the water. |
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7. |
Carefully pour out the water (not the stamp!) and refill the bowl with tepid water. |
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8. |
Wait for another 3-5 minutes and the stamps will be clean and ready for drying. |
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9. |
Place the stamps face down on a sheet of black-and-white newspaper (not color) and then cover with another sheet of newspaper. |
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10. |
Place 2-3 heavy books on top of the stamp and wait for it to dry. |
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11. |
Place the dry stamp in an album. |
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Types of collections |
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In the early days of philately collectors tried to collect all the stamps issued around the world. Today, such a task is impossible and instead collectors work in several primary categories: |
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A. |
Collecting by subject |
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Collecting stamps focusing on a particular subject. This is known as Thematic Collecting. The collection includes collections of stamps and covers from all over the world focusing on a particular subject. This type of collection is very popular among collectors and it does not require the collector to purchase all items, but rather he can do so according to his desire and ability. Examples of thematic collections are: sports, arts animals, flora, fauna, space, transport, etc. Of course, for each of the categories mentioned, the collector can specialize further in sub-groups such as soccer, trains, lions etc. |
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B. |
Traditional collecting |
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A collection where the aim is to collect all the stamps of a particular country or a specialist collection that goes into the nuances of stamps in a particular series or even different prints of the same stamp. |
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C. |
Collecting the history of the Post Office |
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Collecting letters from which one can learn about postal routes, the development of postal services, tariffs etc. This type of collection generates great interest among advanced collectors around the world. |
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Stamp collectors' tools |
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Collecting stamps is a hobby that requires order and meticulousness. The first rule is: your hands must be clean! |
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Stamp tongs - The skin secretes oil and sweat that can damage stamps and glue so it is advisable to use stamp tongs (tweezers made specially for handling stamps) with a wide head and a polished texture. |
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Magnifying glass - An essential tool for the stamp collector. With the magnifying glass the collector can identify minute and difficult to spot details and compare types of printing, paper etc. |
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Perforation gauge - A special ruler for measuring the perforations of a stamp, a measurement that is part of the identification process of a stamp. |
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Stamp Album - There are many different types of albums of differing quality. It is best to use an album with black cardboard so that you can see the whole stamp, including its perforation. Special materials for protecting stamps are plastic sheets known by their commercial names. For example: “Hawid”. |