For me, the best way to enjoy collecting stamps (for educational purposes, not as a financial investment), is by creating a Showcase Collection: at least one stamp (simple, or on cover, or maximum card, etc.) from EVERY subject, theme, topic that interests me or others.
Why a Showcase Collection?
"For the love of the game"...to promote this hobby - philately. Promoting online and offline.
I also have Specialized Collections, such as "Wild mammals on maximum cards".
For example, I'm not interested in yachting, but I'll keep at least one such stamp, for educational/illustrative purposes.
I'm not saying that I BUY all those stamps: some come free (not "for free" - pleonasm) from various sources.
So I am not spending much, even for those that I buy.
In fact, nowadays I mainly buy maximum cards - on the rare occasions when I buy anything.
Many of the stamps from my Showcase Collection are inexpensive CTOs (cancelled-to-order, valuing at about 25% of a mint stamp), from the days of my youth in Romania.
I am mildly interested in trains on stamps, but I kept a few of those that crossed my path.
In the above image from my stock book of stamps, notice a "stamps on stamps" series. In the lower left corner, there's a depiction of a stamp from the series exemplified by a stamp from that original series.
See that?
