Despite the technological advancements, postage stamps have always been important to society. Many people consider them an important medium for preserving history. Modern technology has greatly altered our world, but stamps will be used as long as there is a need to document the past. To understand how postage stamps are created, read about the production process.
The postage stamp’s history goes back to the 19th century, when the middle class began to emerge. The Industrial Revolution had given people more geographic and economic mobility, and the need for more affordable and efficient means of communication was high. As a result, postal services had to develop new methods of payment to meet these needs. The first adhesive stamps were issued in Britain in 1840. These stamps were called Penny Blacks, and they gave people the right to mail any letter weighing up to half an ounce domestically.
Today’s stamp market has become a buyer’s market. However, the supply of material available for sale is still abundant. Unlike the past, stamp collectors are not interested in cheap, low-denomination stamps. They are more interested in high-quality and minimal-issue stamps.
Asia is home to two-thirds of the world’s stamp collectors, with over half of these individuals based in China. China’s stamp index grew by more than tenfold from 1989 to 2012. Publishers have had to adjust their publications to accommodate the growth of this market. The Gibbons company, for example, used to issue a China catalogue every five years, but now publishes it annually.
