14 December, AMUNDSEN REACHES SOUTH POLE - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.
Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

14 DECEMBER 1911 : AMUNDSEN REACHES SOUTH POLE
Norwegian Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole by beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott.

Roald Amundsen born in Borge, near Oslo - Norway, in 1872. He was one of the heroes in polar exploration.
Amundsen planned to be the first man to reach the North Pole, and was about to embark on his mission in 1909 when he was informed that the American Robert Peary had already achieved the feat. He instead sailed for Antarctica in June 1910, where Robert F. Scott, the English explorer was also headed with the same aim of reaching the South Pole. Amundsen sailed his ship into Antarctica's Bay of Whales early in 1911 where he set up his base camp closer to the pole than Scott. Both explorers set off in October – Amundsen used sleigh dogs while Scott used Siberian motor sledges, Siberian ponies, and dogs. Amundsen's expedition won the race to the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and he returned safely to base camp in late January.

Scott's expedition was marred by misfortunate. His team reached the pole on 18 January 1912 only to find that Amundsen had preceded them by over a month.

Amundsen established a successful shipping business after his historic Antarctic journey. He later made attempts to become the first explorer to fly over the North Pole. In 1925 he flew within 150 miles of the goal, but in1926 he succeeded and he passed over the North Pole in a dirigible just three days after American explorer Richard E. Byrd had apparently done so in an aircraft. A diary that Byrd had kept on the flight was however found in 1996 that suggested that the he had to turn back 150 miles short of his goal due to an oil leak. This thus confirms that Amundsen's dirigible expedition was in fact the first flight over the North Pole.

Amundsen disappeared on June 18, 1928 while trying to rescue a fellow explorer whose new airship Italia had crashed at sea near Spitsbergen, Norway while returning from the North Pole. It is believed that the plane Amundsen was in crashed in fog in the Barents Sea, and that he was killed in the crash, or died shortly afterwards. His body was never found.


Collectibles on Colnect that Commemorate This Day in History:

➢ COINS:
Russia issued a silver coin in 1995 in their Expedition & Exploration series to honor this great man.

➢ PHONECARDS:
This is another of the Norway Phonecards that honour Roald Amundsen:

➢ STAMPS:
Several countries have honoured this noble man by featuring Amundsen on stamps:

HAPPY COLLECTING . . . :)

Colnect Reaches Milestone at Over 210,000 Unique Stamps

November 2011 marks a new landmark for Colnect; in just under ten months, the world’s “best stamp catalog” has bolstered its masterful stamp collection from 150,000 to more than 210,000 unique stamps!

In fact, Colnect, its members, and the Frognector have added a massive 10,000 unique stamps to the archive in the last month alone. Colnect Stamp Coordinator Klaus Jochimsen [Lola22] has done an amazing job managing and boosting this premier stamp catalog to amazing renown.

Colnect stands apart in terms of managing and expanding collections across the globe. Nowhere else can members upload their collections, categorize them, and vie with potential traders, sellers, and buyers for whatever strikes their heart, including the rarest of rarities: the “circuit of space flight to moon, 1966 Russia” stamp.

The connections that people make through Colnect has culminated in the continued growth for collectors of all types, and each new member is helping to add their own personal touch, and stamps of course, to the myriad amount of stamps, teabags, coins, bankcards, beer coasters and more that are showcased on Colnect.

Colnect features an intuitive use of translation software that allows its members to easily communicate with fellow collectors in fifty-eight languages. This is why serious collectors of all ages, creeds, countries, and interests use Colnect to manage their own personal stockpiled passions.

There is a lot of fun to be had on Colnect. Please peruse the incredible stamp collection and scour the site for anything that moves the collector in you.

Get connected and Colnected, and keep collecting!

November 28, 1989 Release of Moon Rover Delivering Mail on Universal Postal Congress Stamp - Today in History Through Collectibles

Thisweek marks the twenty-two year anniversary of the four gorgeous “Moon Rover UPUCongress Futuristic Mail Delivery” stampdesigns that were released on November 28, 1989.

Theywere issued at the first ever Congress of the Universal Postal Union that washeld and also at the World Stamp Expo ’89. These are true collector’s items that can be foundon Colnect.

Atthe close of the Cold War, the space race still loomed large in people’s minds,and the possibilities for future universal travel, living in space, and yes,even mail delivery, seemed infinite.

TheMoon Rover stampswere born at a time when anything concerning space travel was not onlypossible, it was probable, and in the near future too.

TheMoon Rover stamps are vivid, detailed, and colorful as they depict a scene fromthe future:  mail delivery on the moon. Such lunar delivery might be outof the USPS, UPS, and FedEx range for the moment, but the science-fiction-likestamps are certainly inspirational.

Inthe pictured 45 Cent (US) stamp, the earth can be seen in a lustrous bluespherical form in the background, as the lunar rover treads gray, mountainousterrain of the moon. Its satellite dish and driver peer over the surface,probably scouring the distant horizon for any mailboxes incognito. The Americanflag covers the front of the vehicle, and the packages and parcels of many aMartian of Earth traveler line the back.

Thefour stamp designs were printed in souvenir sheets and also individually inse-tenant – which means that the four different types were sold together.

Thestamp set’s philatelic information is as follows: Minkus Number A125;denomination 45c; Perforation type 11; Intaglio & offset color printmethod. 

Manyof the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated withcertain historical events that have taken place over time. This appliesespecially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate thesespecial historical events, countries release special issues of these items thatdepict images and information relevant to these events.

Throughour “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight specialevents in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that areassociated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

Colnect - Where 22,222 Collectors Connect

Following our tradition of reporting statistics in interesting numbers, we're happy to announce there are now 22,222 collectors connecting on Colnect. During the last month, Colnect has been visited by more than 150,000 people. If you're one of those collectors visiting Colnect but have not yet chosen to become a member, you're welcome to join us. Colnect is really special in the services it offers collectors.




Right now, Colnect offers public catalogs of stamps, phonecards, coins, banknotes, bottle caps, tea bags, post cards, bank cards, travel tickets, Casino cards, hotel key cards and beer coasters.
Now a days Colnect’s phonecards catalog is the largest one in the world.

If you collect and want to connect with other collectors, Colnect is the best place for you.

20,020 Collectors Manage Their Collection and Swap Lists on Colnect

          In February 2011, Colnet collectors community’s website was able to prove its strength by reaching over than 20.020 members from 190 countries around the world.

This website allows these members to easily manage and organize their personal collections with catalogs and automatically match their swap lists with those of other collectors. However, Colnect is available in 58 different languages, as you can communicate and swap with collectors over the word without irritation.

Starting on 2002, as Islands phone cards database, with one aim is to create a catalog of all phone cards, but after that, as 11 other catalogs has been added as 11 other types of collectors has been joined.

Right now, Colnect offers public catalogs of stamps, phonecards, coins, banknotes, bottle caps, tea bags, post cards, bank cards, travel tickets, Casino cards, hotel key cards and beer coasters.
Now a days Colnect’s phonecards catalog is the largest one in the world.

If you collect and you connect, then you should really be member in Colnect.

150,150 Stamps on the World's Best Online Stamp Catalog

As January 2011 closes, the world's best online stamp catalog on Colnect has passed another important milestone by listing 150,150 UNIQUE stamps. Formerly, in November, we announced 135,531 stamps displayed on our catalog. In just about two months, ~15,000 stamps were added.



Remember that only on Colnect, you can easily manage your personal stamp collection and easily trade with other collectors. With the availability of 58 languages in Colnect, you can simply and easily communicate and swap without a hassle. Take your pick among the beautiful stamps from different country origins.

We would like to acknowledge everyone's volunteer work. Your contributions really count a lot. Special thanks goes to our stamp coordinator Klaus Jochimsen [Lola22] who orchestrates the whole operation. Do you have friends who love collecting stamps? Spread the good news and let them know about the big collections in our stamp catalog that await them.

15 December - THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA REOPENED - Today In History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

15 DECEMBER 2001 : THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA REOPENED

On this day in 2001, one of Italy's most famous tourist attractions,  the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened after undergoing 11 years of stabilization work that cost $27 million to strengthen the tower that was facing possible collapse.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is also known as "leaning down of southern halt" (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa).

The tower was closed to the public on January 7, 1990 to commence the stabilization operation. Cables that were cinched around the tower were used to anchor it while the bells were removed to relieve some weight. Apartments and houses in proximity to the tower were also vacated for safety.  The tower was then straightened slightly to a safer angle in order to prevent the collapse of the tower.

An initial attempt in 1994 almost toppled the tower, but engineers were eventually able to reduce the lean by 18 inches by removing earth from underneath the foundation. This was achieved by removing 38 cubic metres (50 cu yd) of earth from underneath the raised end. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years.

Entrance to the tower is now limited to guided tours, but this has not stopped tourists from flocking to the famous tower to pose next to it for photos while pretending to hold it up!

Collectibles on Colnect that Commemmorate This Day in History:

➢ COINS:

Italy produced this 500 Lire Coin in 1993 which depicts the Leaning Tower of Pisa:

➢ PHONECARDS:

Several countries have issued phonecards related to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. These are a few of them:

➢ STAMPS:

Italy released this stamp of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in 1973:

HAPPY COLLECTING . . .  :)

Free Stamp Catalog Presenting 135,531+ Stamps for Collectors

It is stamp fever yet again! Today, we take pride announcing that our free stamp catalog is displaying over 135,531 stamps for our collectors. During the month of September, we just announced 121,121 stamps displayed on our catalog. In just a little span of time, we reached another milestone. This is one of the reasons that motivate us to continue giving you the best service possible.



Feel free to choose among the stamps that are listed in our catalog. Check your list and look for what you missed. With the availability of 53 languages in Colnect, you can simply and easily communicate and swap without a hassle. Take your pick among the beautiful stamps from different country origins.

Also, we would like to acknowledge everyone's work. Your contributions really count a lot. Special mention goes to our stamp coordinator Klaus Jochimsen [Lola22] who spends hours to bring about a remarkable success in the growth of stamp collectibles. Do you have friends who love collecting stamps? Spread the good news and let them know about the big collections in our stamp catalog that await them.

Free Stamp Catalog Surpassed 111,111 Stamps

Stamp collectors from around the world work together to create and enhance Colnect's free online stamp catalog. Recently, the catalog has been growing much faster than before and it now has over 111,111 stamps listed from 223 countries. During the last 30 days alone, 6545 stamps were added.

Collectors who contributed information to the catalog deserve the credit for the growth but a special credit is due to Klauss [Lola22] who has been helping tirelessly as our new stamps coordinator supervising the contribution and editing of other collectors.

You're welcomed to help Colnect grow bigger and better by adding missing items on our catalog.
We also welcome new categories on Colnect so if you collect baseball cards, airsickness bags, beer mats, lights or anything else mass-produced, don't hesitate to contact us on Colnect and you may become a category coordinator.

Happy collecting :)

Colnect, Frognector and a Guitar at the Hitech Annual Conference HTIA2010

Colnect has presented for two days at the Hitech Annual Conference in Jerusalem. Colnect got its booth as a prize for winning a competition done by The Wadi.

Colnect had its promotional video on display at all times. If you haven't seen it yet, you're welcomed to check out Colnect's YouTube channel.

Colnect's founder (yours truly) was playing guitar to get the attention of each and every passerby and tell them about Colnect and how unique and different it is.

The most expensive phone card issued in Israel was on display, though not for sale. It is a special phone card issued by Bezeq and given to the late prime minister of Israel, Itzhak Rabin. There are only 3 more such phone cards known to exist and the one we had on display is in mint condition and is worth a few thousands of dollars.

Colnect decided to clearly differentiate its booth from those of other companies by offering shots of Arak, a 50% strong alcoholic beverage, to those who could say three times quickly "Collectors collect and connect on Colnect". Here are a few videos of people who have taken on the challenge:







Want to join us for a drink?


I would like to use this opportunity to thank Ofer and Lara for helping me out in arranging the booth and presenting Colnect to the visitors in the conference.
For more pictures and video you're welcomed to check out and "like" Colnect's Facebook page.

Colnect's Catalog Surpasses 100,000 Stamps

Colnect's stamp catalog reached an incredible milestone today, as 100,000 stamps have now been uploaded onto Colnect for collectors to mark in their "Collection", "Swap" and "Wish" lists. Tbis monumental achievement could not have made without the tremendous work of our volunteer stamp contributors and especially our stamps coordinators, Fabien Eicke and Klaus Jochimsen. It is because of their collaborative efforts that stamps have become the 2nd collectible category (after phonecards) to eclipse 100,000 items in our catalogs.



Currently, the United States has by far the largest quantity of stamps in our catalog with over 10,000. This next closest countries are France at just under 4,000 and East Germany with slightly more than 3,000. If you would to like to help upload some of our next 100,000 stamps or any other collectible to Colnect, please feel free to contact us.

Stamp Collecting as an Investment - The Basics

This guest post was made for Colnect by Vincenzo Desroches. If you want to contribute your collecting-related article to Colnect, please contact us.


While you may not be able to use your forex broker’s charts to track the philatelic market when collecting stamps, this long-favored hobby for people of all ages generally involves an element of investment. Nevertheless, much like in other fields of investing, a large percentage of stamp collectors do not buy the type of stamps that might appreciate over time.

This means having a good foundation in how the stamp market operates and values stamps can make a big difference to your success in investing in stamps.

Looking at Stamps as Investments

Many people still think of collecting stamps as child’s play, but certain stamps command high prices and are treated like a collector’s classic automobile might be. While most stamps carry and keep their notional values, such high-value collector’s stamps can be worth over $1,000,000 at auction prices and it is this sort of stamp which typically comprises a high-end stamp collector’s investment portfolio. Stamp indices have even been added to Bloomberg which show recent annual increases of over 7%.

In addition, most stamp collectors will attempt to identify any trends they see occurring in the stamp market. They will then usually consider buying stamps as an investment when they think it likely that the stamp will rise in value. This process is similar to how an investor might pick a stock. Nevertheless, stamp collectors generally must wait for a considerable period in order for their stamp investment to show a profit, if it ever does.

Stamp Collecting Equipment

Several simple and inexpensive items you may want to invest in for stamp collecting consist of:

• A stamp album or stock book – protective sleeves for individual stamps are preferred by serious collectors that do not use stamp hinges.

• Stamp tongs – these are special tongs with rounded tips to prevent damage to stamps from handling them manually.

• A set of “stamp hinges” – these small pieces of transparent, lightly gummed paper are used to attach stamps to the stamp album. (See section below.)

• A magnifying glass – get one strong enough to see details in the stamp’s paper.

Avoid Using Stamp Hinges With Especially Valuable Stamps

While stamp hinges continue to be a popular way to affix stamps to an album, be aware that many serious investment collectors now shun the practice. This is reflected in the market for “unhinged” stamps being greater than that for stamps that were previously hinged.

In fact, since the middle of the last century, the price differential in favor of unhinged stamps has grown to 2 to 1, largely due to the remnants of hinge marks that show up when the stamp is held to the light.

This condition of hinged stamps involves the adhering of the original gum on the stamp to the gum on the hinge, which can strip off a layer of paper, creating what philatelists call “hinge or stamp thin.” For this reason, unhinged stamps have come to be preferred by most collectors, and so collectors should consider this when valuing and storing stamps.

Stamp Valuation

A stamp’s value is determined by such factors that include its:

• Condition – stamps in mint condition sell for higher prices than damaged stamps, which often sell at only a small fraction of mint value.

• Availability – assess the number of stamps of this particular kind that are currently for sale on the stamp market.

• Demand – how many collectors are interested in buying this stamp in both the stamp’s country of origin and elsewhere.

• Origin of the Sale – prices for stamps often differ between countries.

• Future Value – an assessment of what collectors anticipate will be the stamp’s future value.

Conclusion

In general, stamp collecting can provide people with a popular combination of a satisfying hobby, and can even be a potential investment, when a collectible stamp appreciates in value. Not only can this pursuit give a considerable degree of satisfaction by obtaining small - but potentially very valuable - works of art, but it can also provide a constructive way for a person to distract themselves from life’s other pressures.

Nevertheless, future stamp investors need to be aware that stamp collecting does not enjoy the same degree of liquidity that other investment markets like the coin, forex or stock market does. Therefore, stamp collectors need to understand that their stamps may take years to show substantial gains in value, and even to cover the relatively high price spread between a stamp dealer’s buying and selling prices.

Nevertheless, stamp collectors who pursue their passion with the benefits of patience and knowledge about the philatelic market can often find lucrative investment opportunities in their pastime. Naturally, you might make considerably more money faster with other investments, but collectors often enjoy just looking through their beautiful stamp collection at home.

Colnect's PhoneCards Catalogs Exceeds 222,222

Colnect's phonecards catalog, which already was the largest in the world, has continued to grow and now features over 222,222 cards from 229 countries. This means that over 22,222 phonecards have been added to the site in roughly the last 3 months (since our last milestone), a reflection of the dedicated efforts made by our many volunteer contributors. We would especially like to thank the co-ordinator of the phonecards catalog, Ignacio F López Vico [iflvico], for helping to organize all these additions and ensuring that Colnect's phonecards catalog continues to be as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible.



Brazil continues to lead the way in phone cards added to the catalog, with over 60,000 having been uploaded for Colnect collectors to mark in their "Collection", "Swap" and "Wish" lists. Germany and the United States also have notably significant quantites of phone cards on Colnect at more than 10,000 each. With such a dedicated team of volunteers continually supporting us, the sky is the limit for the future of Colnect's phonecards catalog and the site as a whole. If you would like to contribute in any way to Colnect, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.

Collectors Flock to Manage Their Collections and Swap Lists on Colnect

Colnect's popularity amongst collectors has surged in recent weeks, with site traffic reaching record levels and new members signing up at unprecedented rates! For instance, Colnect received an impressive 5,000 visits yesterday (February 22), whereas only 1 month ago we were setting records with a mere 4,000 daily visits. This indicates a phenominal growth rate and should bode well for our goal of developing an extensive collectors community touching every corner of the globe. The number of new collectors has also smashed all previous records, as 48 new members signed up on February 22 alone while 258 registered for that entire week (both records we plan to break soon).



A key reason behind this exceptional progress is likely our recent overhaul of Colnect's layout to make the entire site more user-friendly, attractive, and easier to navigate. These changes have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from long-term Colnect members and new collectors alike, who have responded by using the site more than ever to meet their collection needs. Some credit also goes to Colnect's volunteer translators and their manager, Ben Ulster, who have done an exceptional job translating pages from the site into 47 languages! These translations are an extremely important long-term project that should one day allow collectors from anywhere in the world to use Colnect in their native tongue. If you would like to contribute to Colnect through translations, catalog additions, or have any other feedback, please Contact Us.

Colnect Surpasses 8,888 Collectors!

Colnect has reached yet another milestone today, as more than 8,888 collectors from around the world have registered to take advantage of our unparallaled features. This lucky Chinese number follows months of significantly accelerated growth in both new members and catalog items, trends that bode well for transforming Colnect into one of the world's most popular collectible sites. At its current pace, Colnect should eclipse the prestiguous 9,999 collector mark by the end of March. Colnect has also surpassed the 100,000 page view per day (or 3 million page view per month) plateau, illustrating the site's growing appeal to collectors.




Although progress has been quite impressive, this only represents the tip of the iceberg for Colnect's full potential. We have imminent plans to add new categories such as gift cards, create or improve many more languages, and continue enhancing our existing catalogs. With the help of our many volunteers, Colnect will continue giving collectors an unmatched collection experience and reach even greater heights!

In the long-term, we envision a site where collectors anywhere in the world can register and utilize Colnect entirely in their language of choice. However, this goal will only be achieved with the assistance of volunteers around the world. If you would like to assist Colnect in any way, you are always welcome to Contact Us.

90,000 Stamps in Colnect's Free Catalog for Stamp Collectors

Colnect's impressive stamp catalog has experienced phenomenal growth recently and has now surpassed 90,000 stamps, with over 8,000 having been added in the last 30 days! This remarkable progress was made possible by the dedicated support of our many stamp contributors and collectors, who are selflessly adding and improving items in the catalogs every day for the benefit of every member on this site. Colnect is especially grateful to our stamps coordinator, Fabian Eicke, for his tireless work in organizing these catalog contributions and helping to create an extensive database that all stamp collectors can enjoy.



Although we are pleased with these results, there is still much work to be done. If you have any stamps or other collectibles not yet in Colnect's catalogs, feel free to Contact Us so we can include them. Doing this can help you find an appropriate swap with collectors from around the world while also benefiting the Colnect community as a whole. In particular, we would like to include substantial numbers of stamps from a greater variety of Asian and African countries.

Colnect Unveils Dynamic New Look to Improve Collecting Experience

Colnect is excited to launch a brand new layout that is both prettier and easier to use for collectors! One of the most important changes is a greater emphasis on displaying only the relevant category information for a particular collector, meaning that someone who only collects stamps can easily customize their top menu bar to display only pages important for stamp collectors (i.e.: clicking on a collectors' list will show only those who have stamps). This reorganization has become particularly warranted in recent months with the addition of several new, highly-specialized categories that appeal primarily to niche collectors. In addition, numerous smaller modifications have been made that will make navigating the site more efficient and intuitive, such as checkboxes that indicate when an update is in progress and automatic redirects to item list pages. For a complete list of changes, please see the new Face-lift page.



Creating the new version of Colnect entailed months of meticulous design, experimentation, and consultation with collectors. Although adjusting to the new layout may take some time and there will inevitably be some temporary glitches, we feel that the aforementioned advantages will make this project beneficial for the entire Colnect community in the long-term. Please send us any feedback you may have about these changes so that we can continue working to improve Colnect and make your collection experience more enjoyable.

80,000 Stamps on Colnect's Free Stamp Catalog

Colnect's continually growing stamp catalog has eclipsed a new milestone, as 80,000 stamps are now featured on the site! This milestone could not have been reached without the unwavering support of stamp collectors and contributors, who are constantly adding to and updating the catalogs to provide the best collection experience possible. Colnect catalogs will continue to improve on the most extensive variety of collectibles through expansion into new categories and the ongoing enhancement of existing ones.

During the last month, over 4,000 stamps were added and we've like to use the opportunity to thank the collectors who have helped out by contributing content and especially to our stamps coordinator, Fabian Eicke.

iGoogle Collectibles Gadgets

Colnect has just released 3 iGoogle gadgets that you can see right here on the side of this blog. Read all about these cool collectibles gadgets.

Here's the description:

A cool gadget for collectors! See a new random collectible item. Click the picture to see complete information about the item: which memebers of Colnect Collectors Community have it on their collection, swap or wish list. You can easily manage your personal collection on Colnect and find swap buddies from all around the world. The huge catalogs on Colnect are created by collectors for collectors. Join Colnect now. It's fun, it's quick and it's free! Happy Collecting :)

50% increase in Colnect's growth rate - welcoming stamps and coins collectors

Less than 2 weeks following the initial release of Colnect V2 and without any commercial advertising of Colnect, there are already ~90 active coins collectors from 35 countries and ~50 active stamps collectors from 25 countries on Colnect. Active refers to a collector who has updated his/her personal collection on Colnect.

The overall amount of newly registered members during the last week shows ~50% increase over the weeks before it. This achievement, enhanced by the facts that the new site experienced some downtime and that registration now requires email address confirmation, should probably be attributed to the collectors who already know Colnect. Some collectors collect more than a single collectible and so many phonecard+coin collectors would know other coin collectors and let them know about how useful Colnect would be for them.

To help motivating collectors the following news item has recently been published on Colnect:

Help Colnect and Win Free Phonecards!

Colnect now has a huge stamps and coins catalog. However, since it's so new, many collectors of stamps and coins have not yet heard about us. Now is your chance to help Colnect and win free phonecards.
How?

Simply tell your collector friends to join Colnect. Once they join and update their collection, they should Contact Us and tell us you told them about Colnect. Every friend that joined Colnect with your help entitles you to 10 points. Each friend your friend bring, gives you 3 more points.
Who will win?

The 3 collectors who has accumulated most points until the 30th of November.
What will you win?

First place: 50 Phonecards
Second place: 40 Phonecards
Third place: 30 Phonecards
BONUS: A Colnect T-Shirt.
Questions?

Visit the forum for answers.

What about commercial advertising

Though so far Colnect did not rely on any commercial advertising but rather 'word of mouth' and friendly reviews and backlinks, it may be a good idea to advertise it some more with AdSense or a similar program. For the time being, I prefer to see a steady growth while I'm fine tuning the system and perfecting it rather than a flood which will make Colnect buzzing and later endangered.