Can investing and collecting go hand-in-hand? Yes -- especially if you are collecting coins, stock certificates, bank notes, or other rare items of value. Larry Schutts, an expert in investment-related collectibles, will review items of interest from his collection and answer your questions here each week.

When I was in grade school, much of the money I made delivering the morning paper went into my stamp collection. I specialized in U.S. issues.... and what do you know? All those things I was learning about in history class were right there on the stamps, from Columbus and the Capitol Building to the U.S. Presidents and the Pony Express. I was particularly fond of the early air mail issues, because of the old flying machines and emblems they depicted. Many of them were too expensive for me then, but I bought them all about five years ago and thought it might be worthwhile to look at the value of the group as an investment vehicle.

First, some pictures. The set I'm talking about consists of the first fifteen stamps issued by the U.S. postal system specifically for the purpose of funding transport by air.

These are listed as C1 through C15, in the industry standard Scott Catalogue. C1-C3 feature a picture of the Curtiss Jenny and were used for service on a Washington-Philadelphia-New York run that began operation in 1918. The initial rate was 24 cents per ounce, requiring use of the red and blue C3. Over the next few months, that rate was cut to 16 cents and then to 6 cents, allowing for use of the green C2 and then the orange C1. Stamps C4-C6 were issued for transport through three cross-country postal zones established in 1924. The rate was 8 cents per ounce for each zone. The C4 carries a picture of an airplane radiator and propeller. The C5 illustrates the Air Service emblem. The C6 shows a DeHavilland biplane.