Many of my philatelist friends—and even some casual acquaintances with a passing interest in the hobby—have at one time or another toyed with the idea of creating an exhibition collection. At least, that's the impression I get from the steady stream of emails I receive nearly every week. The first question is almost always the same: Should I turn my collection into an exhibition collection? What’s the real benefit of doing so?

The answer is simple: The joy and other positive feelings tied to philately are so abundant that, yes, it’s absolutely worth it.

There are undoubtedly tens of thousands of "desk drawer novelists" in the world. The same phenomenon exists among stamp collectors. Surprisingly many people have a collection tucked away, one they’ve poured years—sometimes even decades—of passion into assembling. Often, it doesn’t come to light until an estate executor is left wondering what to do with it. This is a situation that can and should be rectified while there’s still a chance—starting now!

Simply building a collection for your own enjoyment is rewarding in itself, but it can be a somewhat one-dimensional and solitary pursuit. In my opinion, that’s far removed from the true values of philately: the joy of sharing, the social connections, and the sense of accomplishment.

After years of collecting, creating an exhibition collection is one of the best ways to take your hobby to the next level—to present it to the eyes of the world.

Since shared joy is, as the saying goes, multiplied many times over, I’m now sharing a few tips based on my own experiences for readers considering embarking on the journey of building an exhibition collection.

1. Choosing Your Theme – The Whole World as a Treasure Trove!

Philately opens the door to virtually any theme imaginable. Choose a subject that resonates with you, one that you’re already familiar with and passionate about—a theme that holds personal meaning. Most of my own collections have been born from deeply personal inspirations.

For example, my Ceres by Mazelin collection was created as a tribute to the memory of my grandfather, who lost his life in World War II. The Rothschild collection emerged from an opportunity to expand a book I had written on the same topic into a cohesive philatelic masterpiece. My forthcoming Aged to Perfection collection was sparked by my passion for wine.

Of course, a collection can also arise simply from the sheer visual pleasure that philately offers in abundance. My Paris Star Cancellation exhibition collection, for instance, was built around the star-shaped cancellation mark that captivated me at first sight.

So, if you aim to build a collection in 12 months, select a theme that you’re already familiar with—ideally, one that evokes strong emotions in you. Your passion for the subject will fuel the energy and motivation necessary to achieve success.

2. Diving into the Theme – Fill Your Bookshelves Before Your Albums

The importance of knowledge in creating a philatelic collection cannot be overstated. Without understanding, you won’t develop a true emotional connection to your theme—or a truly exceptional exhibition collection. Personally, I dedicate about 15–25% of the entire process to gathering information.

I strive to acquire every book available on the subject and comb through hundreds of websites. When you have a solid foundation of knowledge, it becomes much easier to see the big picture and shape your collection into something extraordinary.

3. Setting Goals and Determining Frame Count

Setting clear goals is invaluable in life—and especially crucial when planning an exhibition collection. Once you’ve chosen your theme, you must decide what story you want to tell. In my experience, focus is the cornerstone of success. Choose a clear, well-defined perspective on your subject.

For example, I once worked on a collection about intercontinental ship mail—a theme that had already inspired many collectors. To stand out, I selected an exceptionally narrow angle: the development of mail delivery speed in parallel with advancements in ship design. This focus led to the creation of my Blue Ribbon exhibition collection in just ten months.

I encountered a similar challenge when sketching out a collection on airmail. The subject was so vast that it was hard to pin down a manageable approach. Ultimately, I chose to focus intensely on a single flight and aircraft. My Do-Xcollection, centered around this theme, will debut at PhilaKorea2025—just ten months after I selected the topic.

I’ve consciously avoided building Finland-themed exhibition collections because I felt that virtually every possible angle had already been explored and masterfully presented in existing exhibits. However, the allure of creating a domestic collection never quite left me, and I finally decided to take the plunge. My focus? A single stamp—the two-penny stamp from the 1889 Finnish issue. My goal is to craft a five-frame collection on this theme.

A narrowly defined subject is key to standing out and making tangible progress. When working within a 12-month timeframe, it’s wise to aim for a collection of no more than five frames.

4. Budget – Philately as a Smart Investment

When planning an exhibition collection, it’s reassuring to know that philately is generally a sound investment—not just socially, but also financially. That said, budgeting for a collection has occasionally caused me a few gray hairs, as collections tend to consume every euro you allocate to them (and then some!).

Sticking to a budget can be challenging, especially since most high-quality items are sold at auction. The thrill of competitive bidding has often led me to exceed my limits.

Philatelic themes vary greatly in cost, which is something to keep in mind. For instance, when I started building my Ceres by Mazelin collection, I set a budget of €5,000. For the Blue Ribbon collection, the budget was €15,000, and by the time the collection earned a gold medal, I had spent just over €13,000.

The Power as a Legacy of Blood collection, spanning eight frames, was initially budgeted at €50,000, while the Papal State collection had a budget of €30,000. (All of these collections are detailed on this website).

In general, if one of my collections scores over 85 points in competition, I’ve been able to sell it at a profit of roughly 50%. For collections scoring over 90 points, the resale value has been even more rewarding.

A well-crafted collection not only provides immense personal satisfaction but also has the potential to yield substantial financial rewards if needed.

5. Deadline – The Magic Word That Gets Things Done!

An exhibition collection can consume not only your financial resources but also an endless amount of time. While people’s wealth varies greatly, time is the one resource we all share equally: 24 hours in a day. If you aim to complete your collection within 12 months, effective time management is crucial. Thankfully, a clear deadline can work wonders in keeping you on track.

My starting point is simple: I allocate one hour on weekdays and six hours total over the weekend to work on my collection. This may sound modest, but when you multiply those hours over 365 days, you have more than 500 hours at your disposal—that’s the equivalent of 13 full 40-hour work weeks.

For example, when working on my Blue Ribbon collection, my time was distributed as follows:

• Theme selection and research: 42 hours

• Acquiring items: 176 hours

• Writing the content: 82 hours

• Planning the structure and designing collection pages: 60 hours

In total, I spent around 360 hours—or roughly an hour a day over the course of 12 months—bringing the collection to life.

Taking an hour-long break to dive into philately amidst or after a busy workday can be surprisingly refreshing. A clear deadline helps you stay focused and make steady progress, ensuring that the time invested truly pays off.

6. Acquiring Items – Can AI Lend a Hand?

Once you’ve settled on a theme, timeline, and budget, the next step is acquiring items for your collection. Depending on your subject, this process can range from straightforward to incredibly challenging.

For example, finding items for my Ceres by Mazelin collection was relatively easy, as I could search by year of issue, country, or the name of the stamp series. On the other hand, locating materials for my Rothschild collection was far more complex. Most relevant items weren’t listed under "Rothschild" but rather under unrelated keywords. Instead of manually scouring countless 19th-century letters in online auction catalogs for mentions of the Rothschild name, I asked a friend to train an AI to recognize the Rothschild name as it appeared in letterheads and addresses.

Within a week, the AI had mastered the task and used just four hours to analyze hundreds of thousands of 19th-century envelopes available online. This dramatically accelerated the process and ensured that the necessary items were found.

Another helpful tool in acquiring items is the AI-driven search capabilities of various sales platforms, such as eBay, Delcampe, and Catawiki. I receive daily notifications if new listings match my chosen keywords or topics.

Of course, there’s still a fair amount of traditional legwork involved, from flipping through auction catalogs delivered by mail to rummaging through the inventories of stamp dealers. But with persistence—and the help of modern technology—the dedicated collector will always find what they’re looking for!

7. Crafting the Content – Turning Philatelic Knowledge into a Movie Script

Too often, the items in exhibition collections can feel lifeless, almost begging for a story to surround them and spark interest. When I create a collection, I approach it like writing a movie script. My goal is to develop a compelling narrative with engaging plot twists, cast talented leading characters, and fill supporting roles with vibrant personalities. I also aim to build a believable world for the cinematographer to capture and the editor to refine.

A significant portion of the time spent building a collection is devoted to researching, absorbing, and translating "technical knowledge"—postal rates, printing methods, design flaws, routes, and so on—into the collection’s pages. This is how it should be; technical details provide the foundation for any strong philatelic exhibit.

The chosen theme will dictate how much supporting narrative is needed to bring the items to life. For instance, I’m still figuring out how to turn the gray, two-penny stamp from the Finnish 1889 issue into a multi-frame story that captures attention. Without a strong script, the collection risks being as gray as the stamp itself.

If books and past exhibition collections on your chosen topic exist, you’re in luck—it makes the job much easier. Learning from the successes and mistakes of others is the least painful way to improve.

Modern AI tools can also be invaluable when searching for information or translating text into other languages. The latest versions of ChatGPT, for example, are already quite fluent in the "language of philately." With its help, you can streamline research and ensure your collection is presented in a polished and professional manner.

8. Presentation Style – Beauty Catches the Judge’s Eye

If you want your collection to stand out, invest in its visual appeal. The design of a collection plays a major role in grabbing attention amidst hundreds of frames, and even the judges aren’t immune to the allure of beauty.

I often design my collection pages using Microsoft Word, a tool most of us are already familiar with. When needed, I enhance the layout with Photoshop or InDesign. Word’s capabilities are sufficient even for highly demanding layouts, and two of my collections—Papal State and Ceres by Mazelin—both of which received special awards for their presentation, were entirely designed in Word.

I frequently incorporate large areas of color into my layouts. These are not merely decorative; they serve to support, structure, and balance the presentation of the items on the page. I strongly recommend using more color and bold design elements in your layouts. Philatelic exhibition collections often overwhelm viewers with their hundreds of items, coming across as a chaotic and dull patchwork. Thoughtful use of color can help organize and elevate your collection, making it both visually striking and accessible.

A well-presented collection not only stands out but also communicates a sense of professionalism and care, leaving a lasting impression on both judges and viewers alike.

9. The Story Behind the Pages – The First 30 Seconds Are Crucial

The structure of a collection—the way its story is told—is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. It’s also one of the most challenging tasks. When you’ve been immersed in a subject for months, it’s difficult to step back and see it through the eyes of an outsider. This is where "out-of-the-box" thinking becomes invaluable.

I aim to design my collections so that viewers can easily move from one frame to the next without losing track of the narrative. Having observed visitors at dozens of exhibitions, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern: very few people have the patience to examine an entire collection frame by frame. Most viewers lose interest as they move to the second frame.

I believe that a collection has just 30 seconds to capture a viewer’s attention. For this reason, I strive to simplify the storytelling and often opt for a chronological sequence. In my experience, this approach allows viewers to focus on the content itself. Unfortunately, many judges consider chronological narratives too simplistic, which is a shame.

By prioritizing clarity and a logical flow, I try to ensure that my collections are engaging and accessible, even to those with limited time or knowledge of the subject. A well-structured story is the foundation for making a lasting impression, both on casual viewers and on seasoned judges.

10. Letting Go of a Collection – and Moving On to the Next Adventure

When I finish a collection, it’s done—period. I no longer search for new items or dwell on ways to improve it. My thoughts are already on my next collection. That said, I do implement any changes suggested by judges and correct any errors they point out.

I exhibit my collections for a maximum of two years. Sending a collection out into the world eases the process of letting go and moving on. A well-made, award-winning collection often becomes a valuable financial resource for funding the next project. It feels right when a collection finds a new life with another owner—philately is, after all, the epitome of a circular economy.

My collections also live on through my website, www.postalhistorian.com, where they’ve been viewed more than 1.6 million times last year alone. If anything motivates me to give my best, it’s knowing how much these stories resonate with others.

My final advice: Don’t hesitate. Don’t seek permission. Don’t wait for perfection. The most important thing is to start the journey and keep moving forward—because that’s the only way to reach your destination.