{{short description|The collecting of postage stamps relating to a particular subject or concept}} [[File:Stamp Falkland Islands 1929 2.5p.jpg|thumb|Both collectors of whales and penguins on stamps would want this 1929 issue from the Falkland Islands.]]
'''Topical''' or '''thematic''' stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps relating to a particular subject or concept.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linns.com/news/postal-updates-page/glossary-terms-disabled.html |title=Glossary Of Philatelic Terms |publisher=Linn's Stamp News |accessdate=2019-03-12 }}</ref> Topics can be almost anything,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linns.com/content/collector-resources/collecting-basics/topical-stamp-collecting |title=Topical Stamp Collecting |publisher=Linn's Stamp News |accessdate=2019-03-12 }}</ref> from stamps on stamps,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linns.com/news/postal-updates-page/stamp-collecting-basics/2000/may/like-stamps--you-ll-love-stamps-on-stamps.html |title=Like stamps? You'll love stamps-on-stamps |publisher=Linn's Stamp News |work=Refresher Course |accessdate=2019-03-12 |date=2000-05-01 |last=Baadke |first=Michael }}</ref> birds, trains and poets on stamps, to famous physicians and scientists, along with historical people and events on stamps, which is often a standard theme for many stamp issuing countries.
== Background == [[File:USS Constitution 150 Anniversary Issue of 1947-3c.jpg|thumb|Ships on Stamps: the USS ''Constitution''.]]
The earliest stamps simply depicted busts of reigning monarchs, important figures, or coats of arms, but as time went on stamps started to have a wider range of designs. Bears appeared on provisional stamps of St. Louis in 1845, while the beaver was featured on the earliest stamps of Canada. More than 150 years later, the variety of designs on stamps is enormous, giving topical collectors plenty of scope to find stamps for their chosen theme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/topicsandthemes_20010326/refreshercourse.aspx |title=Pick your favorite topic and start collecting |work=Refresher Course |publisher=Linn's Stamp News |accessdate=2010-01-24 |last=Baadke |first=Michael }}</ref> In fact, so many stamps have been issued that some popular themes, such as ships or birds, have become nearly impossible to complete, and topical collectors may specialize further, such as by looking for only square-rigged sailing ships, or only flightless birds.
== Collecting == Since most types of stamp designs are commonly available and inexpensive, acquiring them is mostly a matter of poring over the stamp catalog looking for relevant types, and learning enough about the topic to recognize subtle connections. The American Topical Association and others have published handbooks and lists of larger topics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americantopicalassn.org/handbooks.htm |title=Handbooks |publisher=American Topical Association |accessdate=2010-01-24 |archive-date=2010-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920070017/http://americantopicalassn.org/handbooks.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americantopicalassn.org/links_related/checklists.htm |title=ATA Checklists |publisher=American Topical Association |accessdate=2010-09-30 |archive-date=2010-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920064020/http://americantopicalassn.org/links_related/checklists.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Online marketplaces and trade platforms are the most common way of collecting new stamps.{{cn|date=March 2019}}
== Competitions == Topical collecting is a recognized category for competitive exhibitions and has its own Commission with the FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fipthematicphilately.org/ |title=FIP Thematic Philately Commission |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Philatélie |accessdate=2017-04-24 }}</ref>
==Topics == thumb|Teddy and his Friends topical stamp display at London 2022 International Stamp Exhibition [[File:Nyassa 1901 stamp.jpg|thumb|This 2{{frac|1|2}} real value from the 1901 Nyassa Company stamp issue was the first stamp ever printed to feature a giraffe.]] Some topics include: *Art Deco stamps *Bicycles on stamps *Birds on stamps *Chemistry on stamps *Dinosaurs on stamps *Fish on stamps *Insects on stamps *Leniniana *Mathematics on stamps *People on stamps *Presidents on stamps *Ships on stamps *U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps *Soviet space exploration history on Soviet stamps *Stamps on stamps
Stamps with an anarchist theme were issued during the Spanish Civil War by the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo.<ref name=Timbres>{{cite web|title=Les timbres édités par la CNT et par la FAI|url=http://www.increvablesanarchistes.org/album_photo/timbres/3639_timbrcntfai.htm|publisher=Increvables Anarchistes|accessdate=22 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212114238/http://www.increvablesanarchistes.org/album_photo/timbres/3639_timbrcntfai.htm|archivedate=12 February 2009|language=French}}</ref><ref name=Republican>{{cite book|last=Gomez-Guillamon|first=F.|title=The Republican local war tax stamps, 1936-39|date=1977 |publisher=Spanish Philatelic Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d49mHAAACAAJ&q=The+Republican+local+war+tax+stamps,+1936-39}}</ref><ref name=SpanishStamps>{{cite web|last=Creagh|first=Ronald|authorlink=Ronald Creagh|title=La Guerre civile et la Révolution en Espagne (1936-1939)|url=http://raforum.info/spip.php?article210|publisher=Research on Anarchism|accessdate=22 July 2011|language=French|archive-date=30 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930091011/http://raforum.info/spip.php?article210|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==See also== * '''''<small>{{portal-inline|Philately}}</small>'''''
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Bold, W.E.J. van den. ''Handbook of Thematic Philately''. Limassol: Published by James Bendon for The British Thematic Association, 1994 {{ISBN|996-357-970-1}} * Branston, A. J. ''Thematic and Topical Stamp Collecting: A practical and comprehensive handbook for thematic, topical, and subject collectors''. London: Batsford, 1980 {{ISBN|0-7134-1974-1}} * Griffenhagen, George and Jerome Husak. ''Adventures in Topical Stamp Collecting''. Tucson: American Topical Association, 1997 * Gupta, V.K. ''A Handbook on Thematic Philately''. Delhi: B.D. Gupta, 1989 * Lee, Alma. ''Introducing Thematic Collecting''. British Philatelic Trust in conjunction with the National Philatelic Society, 1983. (Edited by Richard West) * Martin, M. W. ''Topical Stamp Collecting''. New York: Arco Pub. Co., 1975 {{ISBN|0-6680-3754-7}} * Morris, Margaret. ''Thematic Stamp Collecting''. London: Gibbons, 1977 {{ISBN|0-85259-920-X}} *[http://www.americantopicalassn.org/handbooks.htm Handbooks of the American Topical Association.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920070017/http://americantopicalassn.org/handbooks.htm |date=2010-09-20 }}
==External links== *{{commonscatinline|Stamps by subject}} *[http://www.americantopicalassn.org/ American Topical Association] *[http://learnaboutstamps.com LearnAboutStamps.com] A resource for stamp collectors
'''Websites for particular themes''' *[http://www.bicyclestamps.de/ Bicycles on stamps] *[https://www.catstamps.org Catstamps] *[https://www.sossi.org Scouts on Stamps Society International] *[https://www.stampsonstamps.org/ Stamps on Stamps Collectors Club] *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428065259/http://www.bird-stamps.org/ Bird stamps by country]}} *[https://www.paleophilatelie.eu/phil_catalogue.html Paleontology (dinosaurs, prehistoric animals, fossils) stamps by country and by issue date]
{{Topical stamps}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Topical Stamp Collecting}} Category:Stamp collecting Category:Topical postage stamps Category:Philatelic terminology Category:Stamp collections