What Supplies Do You Need for Your Stamp Collection?Compared
to other collectible items, stamp collections require inexpensive supplies
and accessories. These tools are essential in securing, protecting,
and preserving any kind of stamps. Each stamp should be handled with
care by using these tools to ensure that stamps would last a long time.
Here are some basic tools and accessories that are essential in securing and preserving stamp collections. 1. Stamp tongs are similar to tweezers that are designed and specially made to hold, and pick up the stamps from the envelopes. It is important to handle the stamps with the use of tongs. These are used especially for those stamps that have higher value and have limited edition versions. They may come in stainless plastic or stainless steel. Somebody may consider purchasing the plastic tongs, which are more affordable than the stainless steel tongs. The collector needs to make sure that the tongs do not have sharp or pointed edges. 2. A watermark detector will allow a person to see the transparent prints and embossed markings that were intentionally made to valuate the price of the stamp. He may be able to detect those prints using watermark detectors and identify some forged stamps that are used for illegal purposes. 3. Magnifying glasses are helpful for examining and determining what kind of inscriptions and special prints are featured on the stamp. It may also be used to identify the condition of the paper, if it is a special or ordinary stamp. It also marks small wrinkles like spots or printing errors on the paper. These spotted markings may influence the value of the stamp. 4. Stamp hinges and mounts is to secure the stamp on the album. Stamp hinges are folded and rectangular in shapes, which are made of glassine paper wrapped with glue to hold the stamps firmly on the pages, where they are pasted. These items have low prices and a person can purchase thousands of hinges by spending few dollars. On the other hand, stamp mounts also hold the stamps in the pages without altering the original glue of the stamp. The face of the stamp mounts features a transparent plastic sleeves where the stamp will be placed. A collector can preserve and prolong the designs & marking of the stamp by using these hinges and mounts. 5. The stamp catalogues are helpful for identifying the current value of a particular stamp. These items are also dependable for getting the reference and information regarding the stamp?s value and additional informations about the stamp. There are catalogues available in libraries for the reference, if the collector may not able to purchase the items. 6. Stamp albums are very essential for a stamp collector. All stamps that are collected must be placed in albums where those could be secured properly. With the use of a stamp album, a collector can organize and arrange his stamps according to the category and type of stamps. He may choose the size of album he may have to purchase to accommodate his collections. There are albums that have large spaces and can accommodate thousands of stamps safely. 7. There are tiny aligned holes in the four sides of the stamp that are called perforations. The purpose of the perforation is to separate the individual stamp from the group of stamps. Most of the time, stamps can have similar features and prints but one thing that separate their similarity are the perforations. These perforations serve as the identifying factor that will differentiate two identical stamps. The stamp
collectors commonly use these supplies and accessories. A collector
can enjoy exhibiting and displaying his stamps in a well-organized album
using some accessories that can make the stamp collection presentable
and safely secured.
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