I didn't see these listed, so I'll include them. http://www.stampcollectingblog.com/ Colnect And there is a pretty active community on Google Plus - https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112504400995702352943
This is the Arago site and a side category which shows the postal badges. It's quite a collection of craft badges. https://arago.si.edu/category_2032296.html
I do have a modest collection of postal badges. I plan to mount them all in a framed shadow box with some vintage USPOD pictures.
Here's another interesting link about Railway Post Office service. http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/rpo/lirrRPOservice.htm
Some great links here and I am going to have a look through them this weekend. I found one that has South African stamps on it, so that's great thank you! I haven't seen the ones that they have.
Not sure if this link is posted in here already. Very useful pages. http://postalmuseum.si.edu/stampgallery/everycountryalbum.html
I don't recall seeing this link, but then again I may have missed it. Very nice Zee, I loved seeing the rare letter/cover from the Italian man in Napoleon's Grand Army posted during the retreat from Russia.
Very interesting classic albums as postal stamps in this link. http://www.nme.com/photos/classic-albums-as-postage-stamps/162350#/photo/10
This is (hopefully) a link to my Collecting Blog. https://irishknight1952.wordpress.com I have been blogging for about seven years on a variety of subjects. My most successful Blog, unrelated to Stamp Collecting has had 244,000 views in four years. It IS a Blog in the conventional sense. I blog and people comment. In my view a successful blog requires comments as much as it requires original posts. It works best as a "conversation". Blogs die without comments. A Message Board is a slightly different thing from a Blog. Obviously a Message Board requires comments but in my view a Message Board can become confrontational. For example if I was to set up a Message Board about the NFL then it could quickly become confrontational as it would attract comments from supporters of Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and thirty other teams. But a Blog dedicated to (say) Detroit Lions would get comments but would not be confrontational. Unlike my 244,000 views Blog.....my Collecting Blog is not very successful. I dont think success is important....it would be "nice" to be successful....but it is not as important as recording my thoughts....on Stamps, Coins, Postcards, Phonecards of just one country. That makes it too niche to be successful but thats ok. The way I see it is that fifty odd years ago, I operated as an schoolkid with a pre-printed stamp album and a packet of hinges. I had no idea then that after fifty years, I would have a "Stamp Room"...albums, FDCs, catalogues, magazines, boxes of duplicates, etc etc. Nor could I have foreseen that I would have spreadsheets itemising my collection and I see the Blog as effectively a Journal...which I should maybe print out because I think that it is now an integral part of my collection. To be clear...a Blog....is one of three things....Blog, Message Board or Journal. In real life, I am a fairly reserved person. In some ways having a Blog with 244,000 views is not like me but for the most part I am engaging with people who think as I do...and it is easy to engage with them. So I dont hang back. I have never been a very social stamp collector and I rarely engage with other collectors. I tend to hold back when I meet them. I suppose the point I am making is that to run any successful blog....and I encourage others more gifted than I am to try it....requires a degree of "all in" commitment that I have not had.
Interesting articles there that I will continue to check out. That's an interesting idea, blog as journal. It's a very 21rst century way of looking at it. I too am one of those timid, reserved and private collectors. Perhaps a blog isn't for me, but I will make an effort to join a local club here and try to broaden my collecting horizons.
https://irishknight1952.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/british-duplicates-for-trade/ This is my blog. If anyone is interested, there is a page of British Duplicates and it will be followed by Irish Duplicates later in the week.