Once upon a time, virtually every person that embarked on the stamp collecting journey, started with a worldwide stamp album. Prior to 1960, it was possible to create an inexpensive worldwide album that encompassed most stamps and countries that a beginning collector was likely to encounter. Those earlier albums left empty spots for the occasional item that was acquired and did not fit in one of the album’s pictured or numbered spots. Worldwide albums typically contained information about most of the world’s countries, including pictures of the flags and coats of arms, historical facts, and other data such as population, leading industries, and the capital cities (see Figure 1, Partial Page from Grossman Stamp Album). By reading this information and examining the many varied and interesting worldwide stamps pictured on the album pages, each collector received an education in geography, history, art, and culture.

Figure 1.  Partial Page from Grossman Stamp Album

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