Saving the world or a world, preserving history or genius, saintliness or innocence, touching something beyond our random existences is a labour of love, a constant ritual … 
? Philipp Blom, To Have and To Hold : An Intimate History of Collectors and Collecting , 2003.

Just a couple of decades after the printing of the first postage stamp, stamp collecting blossomed into a popular activity. Dealers established businesses and collectors established hobby groups. Stamp collectors have embraced the pastime for different objectives, from social to personal, educational to financial. Though dwindling in popularity, people still collect stamps today.