Philatelic New Year Resolutions

In addition to the usual 'lose weight' and 'quit smoking' resolutions, here are some philatelic New Year resolutions you might want to consider...

1. Set aside time each day to work on your collection. Even if it's just 15 or 20 minutes, it adds up.

2. Read at one or two good books about the hobby. One of my favorites is The Romance of Stamp Collecting by Ernest A. Kehr. Another good one is The Postage Stamp by L.N. and M. Williams. Both are available at Amazon.com.

3. Join a local stamp club and a national society. If you're not already a member of your local stamp club or The American Philatelic Society and/or American Topical Society - SIGN UP! The people you meet - and the benefits you'll derive - are well worth the price of membership.

4. Take a class. If you haven't been to one of the American Philatelic Society's Summer Seminars, you've been missing out on one of the great philatelic experiences of all time. APS also offers classes on-line.

5. Help a Boy Scout get their stamp collecting merit badge. Contact your local Boy Scout Council and ask what you need to do to become an stamp collecting merit badge counselor. If you need some help in putting together the training, the APS and I can help.

For some ideas on how to keep these and other New Year's resolutions, click here.

Have a Happy!