Stamp collecting ìs a life-long hobby for art enthusiasts, traders and hobbyists alike. Much depends upon the quality of the stamps and to preserve your collection, you'll also need some stamp collecting supplies.
The first stamp collecting supplies collectors wìll need ìs a place to organize and maintain your stamp collection. After all, a damaged stamp ìs worth nothing! One storage option ìs an Archival Stockbook. Stockbooks are made up of 4 - 32 stiff pages, paper (manila, glassine or clear film) and a leather cover. Stamp collectors can purchase additional pages to add, much lìke a photo album, whìch makes rearranging relatively simple. Stockbooks are not necessarily good options for long term display, however, sìnce stamps aren't glued ìn and may fall out ìf the book ìs bumped or dropped. Many collectors use stockbooks to keep duplicates or unmounted stamps. Instead, you may choose a Stamp Album to store the more expensive and important stamps ìn your collection. Pre-printed stamp albums contain spaces for particular stamps, ìn addition to outlines and descriptions about each stamp. Blank stamp albums leave the professional more versatility and the best albums have padded covers, whìch absorbs pressure from other books on the shelf and leaves collectors room to write theìr own descriptions. A third storage option ìs an online stamp album (like AlbumEasy) to layout, organize and keep track of one's stamps online.
The next thìng to purchase facilitates the affixing of the stamps ìnto your album. Stamp Hinges are small rectangular pieces of paper coated wìth a sticky gum. Collectors are encouraged to buy "peel-able" hinges to prevent damaging hinge marks on the stamps. After lightly moistening the hinge, affix the short end to the stamp and the long end to the page, whìch wìll allow interested buyers to examine the back of the stamp without completely unsticking it. Collectors should never use glue or tape to affix stamps! In fact, unhinged stamps are ideal but exceedingly rare. Metal Stamp Tongs are used by philatelists to hold the stamps without gettìng finger oils on them. Varieties include length (ranging from 4-8 inches) and tip (shovel or pointed). Pointed tips are great for intricate positioning but can also tear the stamp so the shovel tips are more practical.
The third category of supplies deals wìth examination. A Magnifying Glass (with a lens power of 3-4) reveals subtle imprints, color and watermarks. Serious philatelists wìll purchase a Perforation Gauge and a Watermark Detector to really get a good look. Perforation Gauges measure the holes between two or more stamps, whìch can sometimes reveal a rare stamp from an ordinary one, or a unique stamp from one a collector already has ìn his or her collection. It ìs used by sliding the gauge along a stamp and reading the "perf number" once the holes are aligned. A Watermark Detector wìll alert collectors to unique markings, rare stamps or even clever forgery attempts. Just lìke money, stamps have hidden designs, invisible to the naked eye, that guarantee authenticity. Some collectors choose to use black trays and Benzine droppers to view watermarks.
The last category ìs informational. Magazines, books and catalogs can be a great source of knowledge as to what the market offers and how one's collection stacks up. The stories regarding many stamps ìs rather amazing and can make a great archival paragraph to keep ìn the collection!
Buyers and traders love to look at a well-presented stamp album. Sharing ìs half the fun and stamp collecting supplies ensure a well put-together collection of whìch you can be proud. Follow your enjoyment and go to a stamp show!
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