The world's first adhesive and pre-paid stamp, the Penny Black, was printed and distributed in May 1840 by the
You know email isn’t the only boon to communication because of the internet. The World Wide Web has even helped make the process of using traditional mailing services requiring stamps easier as you can shop online for them. For example, the United States Postal Service offers a full line of stamp and pre-paid postage buying services on their website USPS.com.
Then there is the other form on online shopping for stamps; this one is for the collectors of stamps. This can be a bit tricky as you will not be able to actually see the stamp, so you have to rely on the photo provided by the seller. However, if it’s websites like planet online, then user reviews should let you know how reliable the seller is.
And if it is an established vendor, you will just have to assume they are not out to con you. But you can often find user or customer review for most things on the internet, including online shopping for collectible stamps. For example, the Penny Black itself is available on many auction and direct sale websites on the net. But they offer different prices for different conditions, and years of print. So always check out multiple vendors who are selling you the same stamp.
When you pay for these stamps make sure the paying method is secure especially if you are making an online payment. It would also be advised to correspond via email or phone with the seller, as the contact info will be available on their website. Sometimes, older websites might be defunct in reality while the web page continues to exist.
Collectible stamps are not just available in auction sites or private vendors though. For example, the USPS regularly publishes stamps as Collector’s Editions. A good way to stay posted on the new collector’s editions would be to sign up for email updates often available on websites on which you are planning to go online shopping.
