Your First Stamp Collection

Stamp collecting is fun and it can be rewarding too.  You gain a definite sense of accomplishment when you build a stamp collection, and when your collection gets noticed by other people it makes you feel great. People around the world collect almost everything, including coins, postcards, dolls, toys and even barbed wire, but for some people there is nothing like collecting stamps.

Before you begin a stamp collection you must first decide what kind or type of stamps you want to collect. You can collect any kind of stamps but it might be more fun and rewarding if you focus on collecting a certain type of stamp.  You can choose from a variety of stamp types, countries, years, formats, purpose or condition (mint or used), or you can be a general worldwide stamp collector, including stamps of all types.  But if you want to go the worldwide route, keep in mind that more than 10,000 new stamps are issued every year throughout the world, and a complete collection would be prohibitively expensive.  Collecting the stamps issued by a specific country or on a specific topic is much more realistic, although with any stamp collection there will be stamps that are much too expensive for your budget. 

The easiest stamps to collect are those issued by the country where you live because they are much more accessible.  But you may choose to collect stamps from countries that have some sort of special significance to you. 
You can also collect stamps by topic.  Popular topical stamp collections - sometimes called thematic stamp collections - include stamps featuring birds, ships, trains, airplanes, flowers, space and sports.  But you can pick any topic you want:  one man even collects stamps featuring toilets!  

Stamp collecting is an easy hobby to begin, even if you have no money to spend on it.  Everyone gets mail, often with stamps on it, and you can begin there, because those stamps are free.  You can also ask friends, relatives and acquaintances to save the stamps they receive for your collection.  If you want stamps from another country, try finding a penpal who lives there.  You can exchange letters and stamps at the same time!

If your finances allow you can look for stamps at stamp shops in your area or at online stamp dealers.  Joining a local stamp club will let you learn more about stamps and stamp collections, give you more opportunities to trade stamps and sometimes buy them, too.

Make sure you are properly equipped with basic stamp collecting tools like a stamp album, tongs, hinges or mounts, a perforation gauge, a magnifying glass and a watermark detector.  Never mount your stamps using adhesive tape or glue: they will damage your stamps beyond repair.  Always use stamp tongs to handle your stamps:  no matter how often you wash your hands, there will always be oils which can damage the stamps.  A magnifying glass can help you separate and identify different varieties of stamps that look the same when seen with the naked eye.

No matter what you collect or how you go about it, make sure you enjoy it.  Stamp collecting is, after all, a hobby.

Acid-Free Paper in Stamp Album Pages


Acid-free paper used for stamp album pages. It's something no one in "the good old days" ever concerned themselves with, or even thought about. But most, if not all, commercial stamp album publishers emphasize the necessity of the acid-free paper they use.

Is acid-free paper really needed in stamp albums? Like many things in life, it all depends. It doesn't really matter for most stamp collections unless they're stored in hot, humid locations with very little air circulation. The grandchildren who inherit your stamp collection may notice some darkening on the edges of the pages if you use acid paper, but you'll be long gone before anything bad happens, as long as your collection is properly stored in an appropriate location.

Although damage from acid paper is possible if you store your stamp collection in a hot and humid attic or for long periods of time in a tropical climate without air conditioning, proper storage can usually prevent it. Store your stamp albums vertically (upright), not laying on their side. This allows them to "breathe," with air circulating among the pages. Don't keep your collection anywhere that's hot and humid, or you'll be taking a chance.

Stamp Albums & Glassine Interleaving


Glassine interleaving is large sheets of glassine material that have been cut to the proper size and then punched to fit into stamp albums. If you use a stamp album that has album pages printed to hold stamps on both sides, front and back, then interleaving is an almost essential stamp collecting tool, needed to protect your stamps. Although albums with two-sided pages are less expensive, they have one major drawback: if your stamp albums aren't stacked properly, opened and closed very carefully, or if the pages aren't turned very carefully, they can significantly contribute to damaging your stamps.

Here's how this can happen. If you stack your stamp albums on top of each other, or if you simply place one on a table laying flat (horizontally) every time you move an album its spine shifts a little bit, causing the pages to slide back and forth against each other. The stamps on those pages naturally slide back and forth too, and when there are stamps on facing pages, they can tangle up, causing perforation damage, creases and even torn stamps just by leafing through the album. It's even possible that some minor amounts of printing ink used on the stamps might rub off onto the facing stamps, potentially discoloring them. Glassine interleaving will prevent both of these problems.

Even if you store your stamp albums vertically - as you always should - stamps on facing pages can easily become tangled and damaged, just by virtue of opening and closing the album or by not being careful enough while turning its pages. Interleaving will help prevent this from happening too.

But many (perhaps most) stamp collectors don't use interleaving in their stamp albums, even if they have double-sided pages. Although interleaving definitely has its positive points, it has a bad side too. First of all, because interleaving involves adding additional pages, a fully-interleaved stamp album will be almost double the thickness and weight of the same album without interleaving. You'll need twice as many binders (which can be expensve), and you'll need twice as much room to store your collection. It also takes a lot of time to dis-assemble a stamp album and insert interleaving between every page. And glassine interleaving, although not terribly costly, is an additional expense. It also darkens with age, and after around 20 years it may well need to be replaced.

Before you decide to interleave or not, consider this information and what type of stamps you collect. If you only collect very inexpensive stamps interleaving probably isn't worth the bother or expense. But if you collect more expensive stamps, you may just want to consider either interleaving your double-sided stamp album or, alternatively, migrating your stamp collection to single-sided album pages, which don't need interleaving and just may, in the long run, be cheaper.

Choosing the Best Stamp Album


All right. You've begun your stamp collection, accumulating stamps wherever you find them, and maybe even making a stamp purchase or two. But right now, all your stamps are in a shoebox. What's a new stamp collector to do?

It's true, a shoe box will provide storage. But it's not the safest way to store your stamps, and it's not exactly the way you'd like to display them, either. Shoeboxes hold a ton of stamps, but when you use a shoe box, you run the risk of damaging your stamps: creases, bent corners, perforation damage and the like are all too common in shoebox collections. Your stamps will lose value as well as much of their beauty. Stamp albums are the solution, providing safe storage as well as a beautiful way to present your stamp collection.

Many types of stamp albums are available. You can begin with a "beginner's stamp album," but you don't need to stick with it forever: if you and your stamp collection require it, you can graduate from a beginner album to a nicer, more comprehensive stamp album. Your beginner stamp album may even consist of homemade album pages in a spiral or three-ring binder, but we suggest one of the albums printed by commercial album publishers: the paper used for the album pages is heavier in weight and better able to support the stamps without ripping, tearing or becoming dog-eared.

If you're buying a commercially-made stamp album, don't be misled by claims that any particular stamp album is "the best:" what's best for you may be a lot different from what might be best for a very advanced stamp collector. Good but inexpensive beginner stamp albums are available; most feature stamp illustrations to show you where to mount the stamps, and some even provide additional information about the stamps.

Keep in mind, while selecting a stamp album, that some types may present problems. The most notable of these problems is caused by double-sided album pages, meaning albums where stamps are intended to be mounted on both sides of each page, front and back. When the album is closed, the stamps on the front of one page have a tendency to become tangled with the stamps on the back of the facing page, and they may even tear off the page when pages are turned or the book is opened or closed. It's best to buy a stamp album designed for stamps to only be mounted on one side of each page. But these can be more expensive, so you may be forced to use a doubled-sided album for your collection. If that's the case, invest in some good-quality interleaving or plastic sheet protectors: they'll prevent stamps from tangling.

Your stamp album should consist of quality, fairly heavyweight, acid-free paper: flimsy paper just will not stand up, and an album made of lightweight pages will end up not being a whole lot better than a shoebox. If you have a specialty stamp collection or you just don't like the way commercially-printed stamp albums look, you can make your own stamp album pages, but make sure you use acid-free paper to protect your stamps from discoloration caused by chemicals in the paper itself.

Choosing the best stamp album is an individual decision, and you're the only person who can decide which one is best for you. But think before you buy, don't jump at the first album you see. But don't be too concerned if you make the wrong decision or if you decide to "upgrade" later - you can always use your album for temporary storage or for storing your duplicate stamps. Any stamp album is better than a shoebox!

Stamp Watermarks


Watermarks are images or patterns in stamp paper that look like various shades of lightness and darkness when seen. They are caused by variations in the thickness of the paper. Watermarks vary greatly in their visibility: some are very easily seen just by turning the stamp over or by holding it up to a light, while others are much more difficult to detect.

Because they can be hard to see, various tools to detect watermarks have been developed. Watermark fluid, which wets the stamp paper without damaging it or the stamp's gum, is the most commonly used tool. A variety of small light filters and other types of small tools are also used.

A watermark can be a key feature in identifying a stamp. Often the presence or absence of a watermark, or a specific watermark design, makes the difference between a rare, valuable stamp and a common stamp. Although stamps are generally not printed on watermarked paper now, watermarked stamp paper was in common use by much of the world during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
As a result, a stamp collector's ability to detect and identify stamp watermarks can make all the difference in the quality and value of his or her stamp collection.

Stamp Catalogs - Essential Stamp Collecting Tools


Other than stamp tongs, stamp catalogs are probably a stamp collector's most essential tool. Catalogs help collectors identify their stamps and also give information on their value. And most stamp catalogs list and describe the stamp varieties and stamp errors that some stamp collectors take such pleasure in looking for.

Many different stamp catalogs are published throughout the world. Some are general catalogs, published in a set of several volumes, that cover the stamps of the world. Other stamp catalogs address the stamps of a single country. Naturally those catalogs generally provide more detailed information about that country's stamps than do the general catalogs.

There are many similarities among the general, worldwide stamp catalogs, although they may use different numbering systems and some are printed in different languages. What separates one from another is the level of detail provided, along with smaller considerations such as paper quality, color vs. black & white images, the type of binding (spiral-bound catalogs that lay flat are nice!), etc.

Many American stamp collectors rely on Scott catalogs and the Scott Specialized Catalog of U.S. Stamps & Covers is considered by most Americans to be the gold standard for catalogs describing US stamps. But there are many other catalog publishers.

Stanley Gibbons is the widely recognized expert for publishing catalogs of British and British Commonwealth stamps, although their catalogs cover the stamps of the entire world. Yvert et Tellier, Michel, Minkus, and H.E. Harris are other notable catalog publishers. And some postal authorities, including the U.S.P.S., also print stamp catalogs that identify and describe the stamps they issue.

Stamp Mounts - Safe and Beautiful

Stamps can be mounted in a stamp album in several different ways, but the two most common methods are (1) by using stamp hinges, and (2) by using stamp mounts.

Stamp hinges, which have been around in one form or another for almost as long as stamps themselves, are extremely inexpensive and very easy to use. With one exception, they're an almost perfect choice for mounting used stamps, mint stamps that have already been hinged at least once, and inexpensive stamps. But for mint never hinged stamps and stamps that have some significant value,
aren't such a hot choice.

Why?

Hinges, no matter how lightly applied, always leave a mark on the gum side of a stamp. You don't want that to happen if you're mounting mint never hinged stamps because using hinges will significantly devalue the stamps. This isn't a concern with used stamps because they have no gum to leave a mark on, and it isn't really a concern for mint stamps that have already been hinged, because a hinge mark is already there. But you also shouldn't use hinges on expensive stamps, even if they're used or have been hinged already: hinges allow the mounted stamps to move a bit, and sometimes they can get tangled up with each other with the potential for damage. So our advice is to only use hinges to mount used or mint hinged stamps that are common or fairly inexpensive.

Stamp mounts provide more protection for your valuable stamps, and they're also more appealing to look at. They preserve the pristine state of mint never hinged stamps because unlike hinging, no salvia or hinge material is ever applied to the stamp itself. And when mounts are used, the stamps don't lift up from the stamp album pages as much as they can when hinges are used, so the potential for damaging valuable stamps is significantly reduced.

Appearance is another factor in favor of stamp mounts. Appearance is important for two main reasons: (1) the sense of pleasure a stamp collector experiences when looking at an attractively presented stamp collection; and (2) if the stamps are eventually to be sold, an attractively and safely mounted collection will almost always fetch a higher price than a collection that's been haphazardly or
unsafely mounted. And stamps are an investment that sometimes require waiting several years before a significant profit can be made. Keeping the stamps in a collection in their best condition during the waiting period is essential. Mounts are ideal for these purposes - they provide an attractive little frame for the stamps and they protect them at the same time.

All stamp mounts have a clear front, but some come with a black background (our favorite) and others with a clear background. Other than that, there are two styles of mounts: top-opening mounts and center-opening mounts. The top-opening style might be slightly easier to use, because you can easily slide a stamp into the mount from the top, using your stamp tongs. But the center-opening mounts are better: although you have to lift up both ends of the mount in order to insert a stamp, there is almost no chance that the stamp will ever
slide out of the mount and become damaged. Whether you use top-mounts or center-mounts, the backs of the mounts are pre-gummed and ready to be applied to stamp album pages once the stamps are inside.

Stamp mounts are sold in pre-cut sizes to fit individual items and also in strips of varying sizes, from sizes to fit the smallest stamps to large souvenir sheets and mini-sheets. Mounts can be trimmed to size with a guillotine-type mount cutter, an inexpensive but essential tool.

Safe and beautiful, mounts are well worth their extra expense, protecting your treasured stamp collection over the years.

All About Stamp Tongs


Stamp tongs may superficially resemble the tweezers that are sold in drug stores or for beauty care, but they are different, and regular tweezers should never be used to handle stamps - proper stamp tongs should always be used. They are an essential tool for every stamp collector, from beginners through the most advanced, sophisticated collectors. Stamp tongs help collectors handle their stamps safely and when used properly they reduce the chances of causing damage to stamps. They work like tweezers, being made of two flat metal arms that are joined at one end, with a spring action that allows the free ends of the arms to be pinched together.

Unlike tweezers, stamp tongs have rounded, polished tips that make them safe for handling stamps - tweezers have sharpened edges that can cut into or poke through stamps. Tongs with pointed tips are designed for precision work (and should probably not be used by beginning stamp collectors), while stamps with flat or spade tips are good for beginners and for holding larger items such as blocks or souvenir sheets.

Postage stamps can be damaged by oils in the skin if they are held in the fingers; even if the collector's hands have just been washed, the oils are not entirely removed and some can transfer to the stamp. When oils are deposited on stamps, the surface can end up being stained - the oils will react with the stamp ink over time. Stamps can also be damaged when they are picked up by the fingers: it's not difficult to damage perfs or cause bends or creases when doing this. And you certainly don't ever want to pick up mint stamps with your fingers no matter how careful you are, because fingerprints can be left on the gum and substantially reduce the value of the stamps. Stamp tongs were designed to eliminate all of these problems.

Stamp tongs allow the collector to slide a tip underneath a stamp and then securely grasp it by pinching the two tips together. It sounds a bit more complicated than it is - it's incredibly easy to operate stamp tongs after only one or two tries.

Stamp tongs come in several tip styles and also a couple of different lengths. They're not expensive and generally sell for somewhere between $3 and $7, depending on the style, length and manufacturer. They should be regularly
inspected and cleaned to protect your stamps, but if they're properly handled they'll last for years and years. Stamp tongs are a small but essential tool for stamp collecting, and their low cost will pay off time and time again.

Not All Stamp Catalogs Are Created Equal


If you're at all serious about your stamp collection you'll need to use a stamp catalog, at least every once in a while. But there are so many of them out there, which one would be best?

Well, it all depends on what stamps you collect.

Scott's catalogs are the favorite catalogs in the US. Scott catalogs cover the entire world, but the US volume is specialized and includes many varieties of US stamps, making Scott the authority on US stamps.

Stanley Gibbons catalogs also cover the world, but they are particularly strong on Great Britain and British Commonwealth stamps.

Likewise, the Michel catalog is best for Germany stamps even though the entire world is included in its listings.

The Sakura or the Japanese Stamp Dealers Association catalogs do a nice job with Japan stamps, and Yvert et Tellier (often just called Yvert for short) is an excellent source of information about stamps from France, Andorra, Monaco and the French colonies. The Facit catalog is great for Scandinavian stamps.

The list of single-country country catalogs also includes Unitrade for Canada stamps, Sassone for Italy stamps, Zumstein for Switzerland stamps, etc.

Topical stamp catalogs also exist for several different themes of stamps.

Stamp Catalogues

Stamp collectors need to organize and identify the stamps they own, and stamp catalogues are an indispensable tool in stamp identification. Catalogues tell collectors what stamps have been printed, when they were printed, their retail value and how to identify them and distinguish them from similar stamps.

Four comprehensive worldwide stamp catalogues are currently published on an annual or less frequent regular basis. They are all multi-volume publications. Unfortunately, the information on any one can completely contradict the information on the others, and often does. All of these catalogues have been produced in many editions, and the correction and updating of information is common. Anyone using a stamp catalogue should use the most recent editions if possible.

The four world-wide catalogues are:

* Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue. Produced in English by the Stanley Gibbons Company of London, England. It tends to be the standard reference in most Commonwealth countries except Canada.

* Michel Katalog. Produced in German by the Michel Company of Munich.

* Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog. Produced in English by the Scott Publishing Co. of Sidney, Ohio, USA. It tends to be the standard reference in North America.

* Yvert et Tellier catalogue de timbres-poste. Produced in French by Éditions Yvert & Tellier of Amiens, France.

Other world-wide stamp catalogues which are no longer in production include those by Minkus and Senf.

Glassine Envelopes (or just "Glassines")


Glassine envelopes are an invaluable, indispensable tool for stamp collectors. Glassine is a thin, lightweight, semi-transparent or translucent paper-type material which is fairly resistant to moisture. It's used in stamp hinges and in glassine envelopes, and unlike regular paper, it contains no chemicals that would harm stamps.

Glassine envelopes are inexpensive, widely available from stamp suppliers and come in a wide variety of sizes. Sizes range from small enough to only hold a few stamps all the way up to large enough to hold booklets, covers and many souvenir sheets. Books made of glassine leaves are also available to store full sheets of stamps. Because glassine is semi-transparent, you can see what's inside without needing to take your stamps out of their glassines.

Along with stock pages or stock books (some of which incorporate glassine pockets and/or interleaving into their design), glassine envelopes are a great way to store stamps until they're mounted onto the pages of your stamp albums, although it's not recommended to leave them in glassines for, say, 50 years.

Stamp Perforation Varieties



Two stamps may appear to be identical, but small differences between them - some of which are tiny enough to require a magnifying glass to see - can lead to a big difference in the identification and values of the stamps. A perforation guage, which is a small tool that's somewhat similar to a ruler, measures stamp perforations and can help you identify and distinguish between some of these differences.



Perforations are the small holes surrounding each stamp on a pane or on two or three of the sides of booklet stamps or coil stamps. They allow one or more stamps to be cleanly separated from the surrounding stamps, either for use in the mail or for placement in a stamp album by a stamp collector. Many stamp catalogs include information about stamp perforations in their listings for perforated stamps.



As always, scarcity plays an important role in the value of perforation varieties. Some perforation varieties exist in relatively few stamps of a particular design, making them far more valuable than their more common cousins.



A stamp's perforations are described as the number of teeth or holes that are found within a space equalling two centimeters. So, for example, a stamp that is "perf 10" indicates that there are ten teeth or holes in a space of two centimeters all the way around the edges of the stamp (both horizontally and vertically). Some stamps have compound perforations, where the horizontal perforations measure differently than the vertical perforations. Just one example of this type is a stamp that's perf 11 1/2 x 11 - meaning there are 11 1/2 perforation teeth or holes within a 2 centimeter space of the horizontal stamp edges but 11 within a 2 centimeter space of the vertical stamp edges. Compound perforations aren't necessarily a perforation variety, as many stamps were intentionally perforated this way. Yet some stamps with compound perforations, just like some stamps with simple perforations, do have perf varieties. With compound perforations, the horizontal measurement is always listed first and the vertical perforations are always listed second.



Many stamps, from countries throughout the world, have perforation differences between otherwise identical stamps. Finding them is both easy and challenging, but it's always an important part of identifying your stamps and their values.

Stamp Catalogs and Their Value




Hard to believe, but stamp catalogs can identify nearly every postage stamp that's ever been issued throughout the entire world. Not just recent stamps, but all the way back to the first stamp, issued in 1840 by Great Britain. There are so many stamps - probably around 500,000 or so - that Scott, a popular stamp catalog publisher and the accepted stamp catalog authority in the US, requires 6 very large volumes to list and describe all of the stamps. Each volume contains stamp listings for countries that are arranged in alphabetical order, by country name. Many other catalog publishers arrange their catalogs in the same way - alphabetically by country - but there are also specialized catalogs that identify only the stamps of one particular country, such as Japan or Great Britain. And still other catalogs list and identify stamps by topic or theme, which is obviously extremely helpful to topical stamp collectors.



Catalogs assign what is called a "catalog number" to each stamp, and those catalog numbers are then used by stamp collectors. For example, you may see something like Scott US no. 285. That particular stamp can be identified by Scott catalog users as the 1 cent Trans-Mississippi Exposition commemorative stamp. Or another example: Stanley Gibbons (SG) Great Britain no. 671-678 is the Battle of Britain stamp set issued by Great Britain. Other stamp catalogs, such as Michel, Yvert, the JSDA, etc. also use catalog numbers, although they're not interchangeable (they all use different numbering systems).



In addition to describing and listing stamps by their catalog number, stamp catalogs also provide estimates of values for the stamps. In general, the value listed for a specific item approximates what a stamp dealer would normally charge a customer who wanted to buy that stamp or stamp set.



Specialized catalogs provide more detailed information than standard catalogs. They list more known varieties and errors as well as providing additional information about stamp issues. The US Specialized Catalog also provides information about plate numbers on coil and booklet stamps.

Stamp Tongs - An Essential Stamp Collecting Tool




Stamp tongs are probably the most important tool that a stamp collector can own. Beginning collectors can, in fact, get by for some time without any other stamp tools. More tools (such as a watermark kit, for example) will be necessary eventually, but for now let's just talk about tongs.



Stamp tongs are used to handle stamps instead of picking them up with the fingers. Don't ever pick up stamps with your fingers, as you'll be likely to leave oils or fingerprints on the stamps. And its easy to crease an old stamp by picking it up that way. Collectors have been using stamp tongs to avoid these potential damaging problems since the early days of stamp collecting.



Stamp tongs are ordinary in appearance and they closely resemble the tweezers you may keep in your medicine cabinet. But don't ever confuse the two, or you'll be sorry. One way to tell the difference: the insides of the blades of tongs are very smoothly polished, while the insides of the blades of tweezers are ridged or almost corrugated. Stamp tongs also have rounded, polished tips while standard tweezers have pointed edges that can pincture or cut into stamps. Tongs are made the way they are in order to protect stamps - the ridges inside regular tweezers could easily damage stamps by leaving a mark on them, especially if the weather is very hot and humid and the stamps have full gum. The polished, rounded tips of tongs similarly protect stamps from being punctured or scratched.



Tongs are available in a variety of blade shapes: rounded tips, spade tips and pointed tips (sometimes called "lethal tips," presumably because an unsteady hand using this type could be lethal to a stamp). and are also available in a couple of different lengths. Which type of stamp tongs a collector uses is largely a matter of individual preference. The pointed tip type are more maneuverable and slide easily underneath a stamp on a flat surface, such as a tabletop. The spade tips provide a firmer grasp of the stamp and are good for holding larger stamps or stamp multiples such as stamp blocks, strips or pairs.



We highly recommend using storage cases for stamp tongs. The case doesn't need to be elaborate, fancy or expensive - in fact a perfectly functional tong case can be purchased for as little as a dollar or two. Cases help prevent scrapes, scratches and bends in the tips of tongs, and so the case itself also protects your stamps. If your tongs are damaged in any way, no matter how minor, replace them before using them again. Tongs are very inexpensive, usually costing somewhere between $3 - $7, so replacing them is not a hardship.

Gifts for Stamp Collectors


All stamp collectors need various tools, supplies and reference books in order to work on their hobby. And everyone, whether they collect stamps or not, loves receiving gifts! If you're not a stamp collector yourself you might not know anything about the types of things that would make good gifts for a philatelist. So here's a list of some gift ideas that might please any stamp collector, from beginner to old-timer.

1. First and foremost, stamps.


If you don't already know, find out what type of stamps the person collects. Just about every stamp collector in the world wants more stamps. The more the better. Giving stamps will help the stamp collector build his or her collection, which after all is the point of the whole thing. You can give stamps in more than one way.

The first way to give stamps to a collector is by finding out if there's a specific stamp or group of stamps (a "stamp set") that the person particularly needs - or badly wants - for his or her collection. When you find out, you can purchase those particular stamps, and voila, you've made someone extremely happy.

The second way to give stamps is by finding out what type of stamp collection the person has. Is it a worldwide stamp collection or is it one or more specific countries? Does the stamp collection focus on a specific topic or theme? Does the stamp collector only collect mint never hinged stamps (unused stamps, with their original gum perfectly intact) or does he or she prefer to collect postally used stamps? When you find these things out you'll know a lot more about what types of stamps would make a good gift for that particular stamp collector. Instead of buying individual specific stamps or stamp sets you can buy stamp mixtures that fill the bill in larger quantities of an ounce, a quarter pound or even a pound at a time. The advantages of doing this? Well, as you know, stamps are very, very lightweight, and there are tons of them in even as small a quantity as an ounce. And thousands of them in half a pound. So giving the gift of a stamp mixture will actually give the collector two things: the stamps themselves, and hours of fun sorting through them to see what stamps are in the mix. And stamp assortments have the additional benefit of usually being very inexpensive to buy.

A third alternative for buying stamps is purchasing a gift certificate: a few stamp shops will allow you to purchase a gift certificate that you can give to the stamp collector. As with any type of gift certificate, the recipient can then use it to buy whatever he or she wants. There's even an online stamp shop that offers gift certificates in various dollar amounts. It's called The Stamp People and is located at http://www.thestamppeople.com

2. The tools and supplies that all stamp collectors need and use.

Stamp tongs, a good magnifying glass, stamp mounts and/or stamp hinges, a guillotine-type mount cutter, an ultraviolet light for checking tagging and phosphors, watermarking liquid and a watermarking tray, a drying book, stamp catalogs and other stamp guides and reference books, glassine envelopes, stock books and stock cards for storage, and, last but not least, a stamp album for displaying the stamp collection - stamp albums are beautiful AND practical gifts!


Stamp-related gifts are some of the best gifts a stamp collector can receive. And he or she will think of you every time your gift is seen or used. Stamp collecting is a hobby for a lifetime, and your stamp-related gift will be an endless source of pleasure.