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Stamp album or stockbook for a beginner
An album and a stockbook solve different organising problems. Choose around how often you change the arrangement and what you want to see when a page opens.
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Stamps & paper
22 guides · Page 1 of 2
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Choosing stamp tongs
Stamp tongs should let you move a small piece of paper with control. Tip shape, alignment and comfortable pressure matter more than decorative handles.
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Inspecting stamp perforations without damage
A stamp’s outer edge deserves its own inspection. Record what is present before deciding whether an irregularity comes from separation, damage or the issue’s original format.
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Separating used and unused stamps
Used and unused are useful starting categories, but a stamp’s visible front does not always settle its history. Keep descriptive details alongside the broad label.
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Storing complete covers without trimming
A complete cover connects stamps, addresses, markings and the envelope itself. Keep those elements together while choosing storage around the object’s full dimensions.
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Recording clear and incomplete postmarks
An incomplete postmark is still evidence. Preserve the characters you can see and the position of the mark before deciding what place or date it represents.
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Buying a stamp lot with useful photographs
A photograph of a large pile can make a stamp lot look informative while revealing very little. Judge the evidence for the pieces you want, not the apparent volume of paper.
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Organising topical stamps while retaining provenance
A thematic collection can connect stamps from many places. Keep the route by which each stamp entered the collection visible while creating that new order.
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Sleeves for postcards of different sizes
Postcards that look similar in a stack can have different dimensions and thicknesses. Choose sleeves from measured examples, including the awkward formats.
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Describing a written and posted postcard
A written postcard contains several kinds of information: the pictured subject, the message, the address and postal markings. Describe each on its own terms before combining them into a history.
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Filing postcards by place and date
A postcard may show one place, name another in its message and carry a postmark from a third. An index should preserve those distinctions instead of forcing them into one location field.
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Inspecting corners and folds in paper collectibles
Corners and folds reveal how a paper object has been handled, but their appearance alone may not explain when damage happened. Inspect them without adding stress.
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