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How to Keep Track of a Stamp Collection

One of the pleasures of collecting stamps in maintaining a record of the stamps you own and the stamps you want. Most collectors start by collecting stamps from every country, while others will focus on a specific type or subject matter. With each country producing hundreds of stamps of every imaginable subject and type, keeping track of your collection can be a challenge. However, if you create a basic framework and recording system you can keep track of your stamp collection regardless of how big or small it is.

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a theme or goal for your collection. This will help narrow down your stamp wish list and give your collection structure. You could choose to have a stamp from every country in the world, collect bird stamps, dinosaur stamps, flower stamps or stamps portraying a president. You can also focus on stamps from a specific country.
- 2
  Identify and categorize your stamps by country, date of issuance, color, theme and value. Invest in a stamp catalog for reference and help classify your stamps.
- 3
  Store your stamps in a stamp album or other safe container to protect your collection from moisture and dust. Stamps will lose value and beauty if you don't take care of them. You can dedicate an album or a series of albums for each stamp collection subject or theme. For instance, you can have an stamp album for American presidents, an album for wildlife and so on.
- 4
  Record the stamps in your collection. Create an index that includes every stamp you own. You can keep this record in a notebook or save it on a spreadsheet on your computer. Specialized stamp cataloging software makes it easier to insert and delete a stamp, search your collection by country, subject, name or date and estimate the value of your entire collection.

Stamp Collecting