The rarest stamps can cost millions, but beginners can buy rare and exciting stamps without mortgaging their homes.
Every nation has produced rarities, errors, and stamps that are just very beautiful.
Even if you're just dipping your toes into stamp collecting, a bit of research can make your beginner's collection something to envy.
And, historical returns on the most valuable stamps suggest that you're making a good investment for the future too.
There's so much variety and interest in the stamp market that it can be hard to know where to start.
Here are five rare stamps that most beginners can buy with confidence.
All add interest and distinction to your collection for prices that most can afford.
1 - A Machin head
This is a huge area covering a large number of stamps.
And that's a measure of its success. When the time came to update the profile designed by Arnold Machin in 1967, the Queen said "no thanks".
And so UK money got an older queen who never appeared on our stamps.
Every Brit will have seen countless of these stamps and they aren't even 10 a penny, they're more numerous than that.
So, you should look for sets, errors, or particular, rare issues, but if you want to have a decent GB stamp collection you need some Machin heads.
2 - A Penny Black
Can you own a Penny Black. Really?
Yes. Penny Black's were produced in enormous numbers and are surprisingly affordable.
The most expensive Penny Blacks are groups (the larger the better), marginal stamps, dated, used stamps (particularly first day stamps), and some from the least-used plates.
They need to be in good condition too.
You could devote your whole collecting career to Penny Blacks - some people try to recreate a full printing plate, for example - and have a wonderful time.
Whether or not you try to do that you should certainly own an example of the first stamp and the piece of paper that started this whole thing.
3 - A Sea Horse stamp
You will usually find the Sea Horse somewhere near the top of a list of the best designed stamps.
It had meaning too.
The UK was barreling towards a global war against imperial Germany. And this stamp made it very clear who thought they ruled the waves - battleship numbers were a huge factor in the building tension between the UK and Germany.
They are certainly beautiful.
The fact they are high-value stamps mean they are relatively less common.
They can be expensive, but you can and should add one to your collection.
4 - A Downey Head stamp
Errors are a super way to collect. Downey Heads are, but aren't quite, errors.
They were the first attempt to make stamps for King George V, when he acceeded to the throne - somewhat surprisingly - in May 1910.
Quickly, photographs were taken, by W and D Downey, trusted royal photographers.
The fault isn't theirs, but the photographs, unusually in 3/4 rather than full profile, didn't transfer well to a printed medium.
Stamps were newly in the hands of the Royal Mint, who had engaged new printers, and with a coronation deadline to meet, a rushed job produced a poor result.
They were so poor that only the first two planned issues - 1/2d and 1d - actually made it into circulation.
That adds a load of abandoned printing and proof materials for collectors to chase.
If those are out of your reach, even the most common issues have a charming, fun story to tell when you show off your collection.
5 - The First Commemorative
Commemoratives are the lifeblood of modern philatelic production.
Every year post offices do their best to produce a stamp that will capture the public imagination and bring in some much-needed revenue.
And, they're great fun.
Even if unlikely to ever really make much money - look for errors if you wan to enjoy returns from these commonly collected series.
But, why not get a really landmark issue and add the first GB commemorative to your collection?
Issued for 1924's British Empire Exhibition these were a really high-quality set of stamps, with a design - suitably patriotic, by Harold Nelson - chosen by competition.
I love them, and they're very affordable for beginners. No GB collection should be without one of this set.
Rare British stamps for beginners to buy now
You can browse our collection of British stamps here.
Thanks for reading.
