Read avidly, seek information and assistance in your stamp searching, follow the philatelic press, and never be afraid or too proud to ask for help from fellow collectors and dealers who know your collecting field. Join a local stamp club or start one if none exists in your community. When it comes to stamp collecting, camaraderie and knowledge just seem to go together. International, national and regional societies now embrace almost every collecting phase and stamp-issuing country. Seek them out.
Many societies publish data about specific collecting fields in newsletters, papers and journals.
Some maintain libraries whose books are available to members. Learn as much as you can about the stamp hobby, its tools, language and methods. Read them, though they may seem complex at first. A thorough knowledge of these will help you attain your collecting goals. When you realize, for example, that a tiny variance in perforations can mean the difference between a common stamp and one of great value, you will appreciate the wisdom of a quest for philatelic knowledge.