Stamp (tax) collecting

Last year was a very expensive year for stamp collectors.

We all know that the cost of stamps increased substantially last year, with second class jumping from 36p to 50p.

But that isn't the only increase that collectors face.

Once upon a time when I started collecting stamps there were 9 special issues per year.

Last year there were 12 ignoring the special issues for the start of the Olympic games, the close of the Olympic games, the start of the Paralympic games, the close of the Paralympic games and the Queen's Jubilee.

These would all previously have been included within the 9 special issues, rather than as additionals

Then there were the special issues for each gold medalist in the Olympic and Paralymic games - you would have spent a total of £140 on those.

But it isn't just the quantity of issues, it's the stamps within them.

There have been two A-Z of Britain sets, each containing 13 stamps. They sneak in a miniature sheet where they can - the most recent issue (the London Underground) had six stamps in the main issue, with a further four in the miniature sheet. Five of the issues last year had miniature sheets included.

And then the value of the stamps has increased. Whereas before you had stamps of the lower denominations, they now spread them out - the most recent issue miniature sheet had stamps increasing from the first class stamp to the £1.28 stamp. Why include the 'world' postage stamp instead of the second class?

So it's a quadruple hit - more issues, containing more stamps of higher denominations on top of the increase in base-price?

And that's just the standard commemorative stamps. There are then prestige stamp books, Smilers, Post and Go and other commemorative sheets.

Oh, and - of course - they have decided to change the colour of the first class definitive stamp to red, having issued a special 'diamond' coloured one last year to replace the gold coloured one previously.

But there are signs that the Royal Mail is aware that it could be accused of exploiting loyal collectors. Last year it wrote to all regular collectors acknowledging the exceptional quantity of issues. The dinosaur issue was postponed, the 2013 schedule reduced down to 12 (from a planned 14) and the denominations would be “reviewed”.

We wait to see what they deliver...