A Guide to Stamps for the Winter Holiday Season

     For weeks, I couldn’t wrap my head around this sudden stamp craze, especially since nobody sends letters anymore. But then, I heard whispers about ‘Stamp Mania’. These days, it seems that everybody is eager to complete their stamp album. I’ve also heard grumblings about avatars?

     While, historically, stamp collecting has been a hobby beyond the means of the average Neopian, lately, there hasn’t been a better time to begin collecting stamps. With new on-site features such as the Quest Log and Premium Goodie Bags re-releasing incredibly rare stamps into the economy, many Neopians are able to complete pages in their Stamp Albums (and, thereby, earn ever-elusive ‘Stamp Collector’ avatars) for the first time ever!

     Even though I do not have a collection of my own, I have been in the business of stamps for over twenty-five years; so you could say I know a thing-or-two about these tiny collectables. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced collector, these four tips can help you build your collection relatively stress-free.

     1. Rank & Prioritise Your Goals

     My first–and most important–tip would be to rank and prioritise specific goals for your stamp collecting journey. I would suggest identifying specific album pages to complete, rather than trying to tackle the album in a scattered, piecemeal fashion.

     When deciding which pages to prioritise, I would advise on focusing your efforts on the cheapest pages first. In terms of cost, the ‘Snowy Valley’ and ‘Evil Coconut’ pages are by far easiest to complete (at the time of writing). After completing those two pages, I would suggest targeting pages that are only one or two re-releases away from being attainable (pages like ‘Faerieland’, ‘Charms’, or ‘Other’ come to mind).

     Once you’ve identified which specific pages that you’d like to prioritise (no more than four or five at a time), then I recommend prioritising the stamps from these pages by price. Specifically, I recommend purchasing these stamps, from least expensive to most expensive. This way, while you’re in the midst of your stamp collecting journey, you allow more opportunity for one of the pricier stamps to be mass released through mechanisms such as the Daily Puzzle, Mystery Picture Contest, or even the Daily Quest Log.

     2. Short-Term and Long-Term Wishlists

     Lists are an effective way to track your goals and stay organised. That’s why I cannot more highly recommend creating a wishlist for your stamp collecting journey.

     Actually, I recommend creating two wishlists–one to track short-term goals and another to track more distant, long-term ones. On your short-term wishlist, you should include stamps from the albums that you’ve prioritised, whereas on your long-term wishlist, you should include any stamp that you hope to collect during your lifetime on Neopets. I like to use my short-term wishlist in order to keep track of price trends using the Shop Wizard, Auction House, and Trading Post. If you make a routine of checking prices using these tools, you will surely spot some good deals from time-to-time.

     Most importantly, when you accomplish a goal on your list, make sure to cross it off the list! Crossing an item off a list produces a healthy dose of accomplishment and helps maintain motivation during the seemingly endlessly-long journey that is collecting stamps.

     3. Leveraging Your Network

     We’ve all been through it before. You have your eyes on a specific, pricey stamp listed on the Trading Post and while you’re in the process of saving up the Neopoints to purchase, it gets scooped up by another user at the last minute. During these moments, stamp collecting can feel cutthroat, competitive, and demoralising. However, it is in these difficult moments that I suggest that you turn to your community.

     Believe it or not, there are many Neopians out there who are more than happy with helping out a fellow collector. The potential benefits are numerous, but the only way you can benefit from this phenomenon is if you engage.

     To start, I encourage you to share your goals with your community. For example, you can share your goals or wishlist with members of your Guild, on the NeoBoards, or even via JellyNeo! Who knows? Someone might have an extra stamp lying around in their Safety Deposit Box and would be more than happy to cut you a deal. Or perhaps, someone might tip you off to a decent-priced listing in the auction house. Even better, if you’re unsure of a good price for a particular stamp on your list, do not hesitate to ask your community because someone will help you better understand what a good deal looks like.

     The stamp collecting journey is already challenging enough as is, so why not make the experience a wee-bit more enjoyable by making a few new friends along the way! Trust me, you won’t regret it. :)

     4. Restocking Lower Rarity Stamps

     Let’s face it. While the recent re-releases of incredibly rare stamps have dramatically reduced the overall cost required to complete the Stamp Album, stamp collecting is still an incredibly expensive hobby. Thus, it is important for stamp collectors to save as many Neopoints as possible.

     This is why I recommend restocking lower-rarity collectibles at shops, rather than buying them from user shops. After all, the stamps stocked in user shops (i.e., those found using the Shop Wizard) were likely restocked, meaning that the user selling has likely added on a small upcharge onto the total price. Think of this upcharge as a convenience fee. Instead, by restocking at shops like Collectable Sea Shells, Collectable Coins, and even the Neopian Toy Shop (which sells collectable charms) yourself, you can save your well-earned Neopoints for the more expensive stamps on your wishlist.

     Judging by the line out the door and around the corner at my humble little Kiosk, restocking can be quite competitive these days–but have no fear! With patience you will certainly land some big stamp wins that you will be proud of in no time. Not to mention, the trials and tribulations of restocking are a great way to better understand the more valuable stamps on each page. As an added bonus, any extra stamps you restock during your journey are a great way to generate much needed income for… you guessed it… MORE STAMPZ! *wink*

     It doesn’t look like the line to my shop will clear up anytime soon, so I figured I’d give you as much advice as possible to help you on your stamp collecting journey. I hope you find these thoughts helpful! Life as a stamp collector can be stressful, but just remember: “Stay calm and keep on stamp collecting!”