It's a hobby that you can stick to

Collectors often categorize by country and others engage in topical stamp collecting, they explained.

The coil-stamp collection is one example of a topical collection, but others can fall into unique categories like Sy Porter's aviation stamps or Schilling's group of Swiss stamps with snow globes on them.

The Swiss turn out odd stamps, Joan Porter said.

They've made embroidered stamps and some on slivers of wood and even scratch-and-sniff stamps that smelled like chocolate.

England released a series on magicians that were heat-sensitive and changed color or disappeared at the touch, Joan Porter said.

"It's a way to get children involved," she said. "It would be so good for a child to look at the history or the geography of the stamp."

Nascent collectors who'd like to join the ranks of die-hard philatelists are welcome to attend the Glendale Stamp Club's meetings, where they can pick up an envelope with the club's information and a starter-packet of stamps at the Montrose-Crescenta library, Schilling said.

And getting started is easy.

"You never know what's in your attic...your mother's letters," Schilling said.

For more information, call Joan or Sy Porter at (818) 956-1965, or visit Schilling's blog at www.stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com.