CHAPTER III
SPECIALIZING
As a rule it takes but a few months for the young collector to discover that he much prefers the stamps of one particular country, or group of countries, to any of the others figuring in his album. When such a preference manifests itself, it is a good plan to specialize in the favoured country or group. By this we do not mean to say that the general collection should be discontinued, or even neglected, but merely that special attention be given to the stamps which have made the greater appeal to the philatelist.
Some countries are better suited to specializing than others. Undoubtedly Great Britain holds the premier position. Not only does it stand first from patriotic motives, but the plate numbers and plate letters which the earlier issues bore, the control letters which later issues bear, and the colour varieties known to exist amongst certain of the current values, all help to make it a country full of interest.
Among the Colonies there is much scope for the specialist, notably in Queensland, South Australia, India—if the Native States be excepted—Canada, including the specimens issued by the various provinces prior to 1864, and the Transvaal.
In other parts of the world we may single out the United States, Portugal, the Argentine Republic, the Spanish Colonies, together with the subsequent occupation of certain of them by the United States, and the French Colonies. Of the latter only used specimens should be collected, as unused copies of any of the Dependencies may be bought at face value in Paris—a matter which largely robs the labels of their interest.
But the specialist need not necessarily confine himself to a country, or even a group of countries. In this connection the following divisions may be suggested:
1. Stamps issued owing to wars.