What to do With Bulk Stamp Mixtures


In the Nov. 24, 2008 edition of Linn's Stamp News, Janet Klug wrote "there is nothing more delightful for a stamp collector than acquiring a whole lot of stamps all at once. The feeling must be akin to that of a pirate opening up a treasure chest full of gold doubloons."

She also said "if you have ever acquired a fat album full of stamps or a cigar box lot crammed with stamps, then you know the feeling. But then the realization sets in that you actually are supposed to do something with this treasure."

In her Refresher Course article in Linn's, Imposing Order on Chaos: Processing Large Lots and Collections, Ms Klug says there are four main steps in processing a newly-obtained stamp accumulation.

1. Organize it (it must be sorted in some way)
2. Meld it into your current collection
3. Start a new collection
4. Swap or store the duplicates

Ms Klug says she prefers to sort a stamp accumulation by country first, then each country's stamps by their approximate time period.

She ends by saying, "the most important point to remember when working with a large number of stamps is to take your time. You do not need to do it all in one sitting. Spread it out over days, weeks or months, and before long your chaotic treasure chest will morph into a nice, well-organized collection."

We would add that not only do you not need to do it all in one sitting - it's best if you don't do it in a hurry. Sorting a stamp accumulation should be done at a slow enough pace that you will be able to savor the experience and wonder "just what stamp treasures will I find here." Many stamp collectors purchase stamp accumulations and stamp mixtures and spend days if not weeks organizing their stamp acquisitions, enjoying the process of sorting almost as much as the stamps themselves.