How to Organize a Large Stamp Collection

Purchase one or more loose-leaf stamp albums. The albums of old were of the fixed-leaf variety, but most modern collectors like to add, subtract and move around pages as their collection grows. Loose-leaf albums have either a multi-ring or spring-back format. The first is like an office ring-binder, while the second has a powerful spring spine that clenches the pages. Loose-leaf albums retail for about $20 and, along with the paper for them, are available from any online philatelic accessories store, with Stanley Gibbons being the brand of choice.

Select an organizing theme. Geography is the one most people opt for. You might like to dedicate one album to the U.S. and its dependencies and another to the rest of the world divided into Europe, Asia, and so on. On the other hand, you could be entirely different and create an album focused on a certain period -- World War II, for instance, or the 1960s -- or one that celebrates an individual, such as President Kennedy or gathers together stamps relating to a subject such as cinema or sport.

Be original when arranging the stamps for display. Using tweezers, experiment with different layouts before committing yourself to mounting the stamps on the page. Don't overcrowd the page, avoid boring parallel rows, and group stamps together in such a way that they offer a commentary on each other.

Mount the stamps using little sticky strips of paper called hinges. Should you like to keep your collection utterly pristine, you can purchase individual card-backed, glassine-fronted mounts known as Hawid strips. Again, philatelic accessories stores supply these items.