Storing & Handling Stamps and Covers

When it comes to storing and taking care of the stamps one collects, it is always important to remember that they are just like other valuable paper-related products. They must be handled with care---and stored under conditions that will not cause any deterioration. For instance, the Library of Congress is full of books, old documents, newspapers, etc. that were, over the years, handled and stored improperly. Many of these paper items are turning brittle, discoloring, and may not be handled even by the most careful person.

Thus it’s absolutely vital that every stamp you collect be taken care of very carefully. Those of us who collect stamps today are merely "custodians" of material that collectors decades from now will also want to collect. So whether you’re maintaining a collection of early stamps (and covers, too) from the 19^th century or purchasing some of the newest issues, the same careful consideration should be given to all of them.

HANDLING YOUR STAMPS AND COVERS…

No matter how many times you wash your hands (and one should always do this before handling philatelic material), there is always a tiny amount of oily residue that adheres to one’s skin---and which can migrate to any kind of paper item. When this oily residue gets onto a stamp or cover, it will stay there forever and, in the long run, promote the deterioration of the item.

STAMPS should be handled with the readily-available "stamp tongs" that come in many sizes and styles. By "styles," we mean the various kinds of tips on the end of the tongs. Some tips are shaped like tiny spades, while other tongs have tips that are shaped to a tiny point at the end. Pick a pair of tongs with which you will be comfortable. Tongs take a little while to get used to…but after a while, every collector using them begins handling stamps like a pro! Remember, though, that the tongs with small points at the end can sometimes puncture the paper of a stamp. Be careful.

COVERS can, of course, also be handled with tongs, too. However, this may prove to be a little awkward…so the accepted way to handle them is to hold them only by the outer edges.

We might also mention that, in lieu of the above, some individuals use very thin rubber gloves which can be purchased in any drug or grocery story. Whichever manner you choose to handle your stamps and covers, be sure to keep in mind the oily residue that resides on your hands at all times.

STORING STAMPS:

No matter what method you use to store stamps---whether in glassine envelopes or some kind of album of stockbook---always keep them in a dry, cool area (from 55 to never more than 75 degrees fahrenheit) completely away from direct light, most especially sunshine. It’s okay, of course, to work with and study your stamps under a good light, but never allow them to remain under the same light for more than ten or 20 minutes. Light is one of the chief enemies of stamps and covers. Almost all philatelic material will fade over time if left exposed to any kind of light.

GLASSINE ENVELOPES. Obtainable from most places that sell philatelic supplies (and in many sizes), these little envelopes are generally used to store quantities of loose stamps until they can be mounted into an album or stockbook. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

STOCK CARDS. Similar to a stockbook, these cards generally are available in two sizes (small: about 3" X 5", large: 5" x 7"). Stock cards have horizontal rows of slots into which stamps can be placed. The old type of stock card (still sold and used) are made of manila card stock with pockets that are not transparent. The newer kind of stock card (and the one preferred by most collectors) is made of either black or white card stock ad the slots are made of clear plastic so that, when the stamps are placed into them, the entire surface of all stamps can be easily viewed. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

STOCKBOOKS. Many collectors prefer these books over stamp albums because stamps can be arranged on their pages in nice, attractive rows and can be moved from place to place on the stock pages anytime one wishes. Stockbooks are generally 8 ½" X 11" in size (though some stockbooks made outside the U.S. are larger) and come in either a bound or looseleaf format. They range in price from around $15 on up to over $100, depending on the style, size and type of binding. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

ALBUMS. There are numerous printed albums available which offer an illustrated space for the mounting of stamps of virtually any country in the world. Printed albums are most used by the beginning to medium-advanced collector. One is constrained by most albums in that they offer spaces for the majority of a country’s stamps, but not necessarily all of them. When purchasing a printed album, we recommend buying the best quality one can find. The paper stock used for the pages will be heavy and of higher quality. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

BLANK PAGES/ALBUMS. The advanced collector will generally mount one’s stamps onto blank pages which are also available from most supply firms. This allows one to make up any kind of arrangement and put notations and one’s own writeups on the pages. Many collectors use their imaginations to develop all sorts of nice arrangements for their stamps on these blank pages. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

STAMP MOUNTS. Companies like Scott Publishing, Showgard, Harco and Lindner manufacture various kinds of plastic "mounts" for your stamps. Though not very inexpensive (sometimes as costly as 10 cents per stamp mounted), these mounts are used to permanently protect the more valuable stamps that one mounts in an album. Generally, such mounts (with either clear or black backing) come in strips of various sizes for stamps of various heights. One uses a special guillotine cutter to cut the strip down to the size that one desires for a particular stamp. Once placed into the mount, the collector licks the gummed backing of the mount and places it into the album. We highly recommend these special mounts for stamps of value. One key fact to remember: when you use a mount you keep from having to "hinge" a stamp (see below), which of course will affect the back of any stamp mounted. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

STAMP HINGES. Tiny folded squares of thin glassine paper that are gummed on one side. Just like a door hinge, they allow one to mount a stamp and then lift the stamp lightly (without removing it from the page) to examine its back. See illustration. One can buy packages of 1,000 hinges for about $1.00. We would recommend using hinges on only the least valuable of stamps…and/or on stamps that have already been hinged some time in the past. This is especially important when one is mounting mint, never hinged stamps on which the full gum is still on the stamp. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.

STORING/MOUNTING COVERS. Before mounting covers into any sort of album, one should store them in either glassine envelopes or in special plastic holders (slightly larger than the covers and with an opening on one end).

Many kinds of cover albums are available…most of them with plastic pages with compartments for each cover and similar in many ways to a stockbook. Like a stockbook, these cover albums allow one to arrange and rearrange one’s covers at will.

When it comes time to mount covers onto album pages (similar to the album pages described above for stamps) one simply uses gummed or pressure-sensitive mounting corners for placement into the album. NEVER use hinges to mount covers. No cover should ever be allowed to end up having the kind of residue on the back that a hinge will leave.

If you have any questions about storing and/or mounting your stamps and covers, just consult a professional stamp dealer or experienced collector. Looking for stamp supplies like this? Click here.