Stamp Collecting: What Supplies Are Needed?

Are you interested in taking up stamp collecting as a hobby?  One question commonly asked by hopeful stamp collectors concerns supplies.  Many associate needed supplies and accessories with startup costs.  The good news is that stamp collecting is a relatively affordable hobby.  In fact, no supplies, expect for the stamps themselves, are really needed.  With that in mind, there are stamp collecting supplies that collectors, such as yourself, can benefit from owning and utilizing.

The most widely used stamp collecting tool is that of a magnifying glass.  Magnifying glasses are used to examine the condition of stamps. This can assist in determining the approximate value of your stamp collection.  If you intend to purchase stamps, from a professional stamp collection dealer, a magnifying glass is a tool that you will want to invest in.  This tool can help to prevent you from overpaying.

Stamp tongs are a stamp collecting tool that is widely used by professional stamp collectors and dealers.  Stamp collecting tongs resemble tweezers, but they do vary greatly in the most important sense.  Most stamp tongs have bottoms that are designed as if they were a shovel.  This design enables the easy and careful handling of stamps, which is important to prevent damage and maintain value.  As with most other stamp collecting supplies, stamp tongs are not required; however, they can help to prevent damage, including the transfer of oils and other debris, from occurring.

Stamp stock books are a tool that is used as a way to carefully and safely store stamps.  Stamp stock books, although they do vary, are similar in nature.  They contain clear protective sheets that often have horizontal rows, which are often designed to fit a wide range of stamp sizes.  Depending on the stamp stock book in question, individual slots in each row is also a possibility.  Stock books have evolved much past stamps; however, as they are also used to store collectable sports cards, coins, and much more!

In addition to stamp stock books, stamp albums are another method of safely storing stamps.  This storing approach is widely preferred by many stamp collectors.  Stamp albums differ from traditional stamp stock books as they are often categorized.  For example, a stamp collector who specializes in collecting international stamps, would have separate pages devoted to stamps from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and so forth.  Depending on the stamp album in question, predetermined categories may be assigned or a blank space may be found where stamp collectors, like yourself, can write in your own category. 

If you would like assistance with increasing or at least maintaining the value of your stamp collection with the aforementioned supplies, you may be curious about making a purchase.  Where you will need to make your purchases from will all depend on a number of different factors, including the stamp collecting supply piece in question.  For example, a magnifying glass can be purchased from most department stores and even dollar stores.  On the other hand, a stamp display book, also commonly referred to as a stamp stock book, may be harder to come across.  For the best chance of success, many professional stamp collectors turn to the internet when looking to purchase stamp collecting supplies.  

In keeping with the purchasing of stamp collecting supplies, it is also important to examine stamp collecting kits.  Although many stamp collecting kits are targeted towards children or beginners in particular, they do come in a number of different formats.  Stamp collecting kits often contain a large collection of valuable stamp collecting tools, including the above mentioned stamp albums, magnifying glasses, stamp tongs, as well as valuable stamp collecting resources or guides.

As a reminder, the above mentioned stamp collecting suppliesmay be able to assist you and other collectors in a quest to develop a well cared for and possibly profitable stamp collection.  Although there are a number of benefits to owning and utilizing stamp collecting supplies, they are not required to enjoy this popular hobby.