Topical collecting

Topical, or thematic collecting, is focusing on a specific subject.

There are subjects like birds and ships that are vast. Collectors might self-limit those to something more specific like ostriches and schooners. Topicalists can also collect only stamps where the topic is the main subject of a stamp or stamps. Then there are those who will try for every incidence of the subject, like collecting clocks and tracking down every city view with a clock tower visible. It's all up to the individual and you may may already have other collecting interests that can be extended to postage stamps.

Collecting can go beyond just stamps. First Day cover are an easy add, but commercial covers and advertising covers can be a challenge, plus including proofs and cinderellas in the collection. 



Resources
The American Topical Association (ATA) is the major collector organization that also has reference lists/catalogs by topic. However, if your interests are very specific, the research of what's out there is all on you. Michel and a couple of other catalog publishers produce some print catalogs by topic. There are also several online listings/catalogs by topic.

Traps
Certain printers are very active in producing completely bogus issues in a variety of topics in order to take your money. You can, of course, collect whatever you like, but what these companies produced are unlicensed pictures that look like stamps but are way overpriced for what they are. The Stamp Encyclopedia has articles by country or supposed country and also has links to sites that expose these forgeries for what they are, like the extensive Golowes illegal stamps site (illustrated)

There is no magic formula to identify these topical forgeries since the printing firms involved also produce genuine stamps for some countries.

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