Stamp Collecting Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• A pair of stamp tongs (special tweezers) to handle stamps without damaging them
• A small magnifier to see fine detail and tiny markings
• A stockbook or album to hold and organize your stamps
• A starter packet of stamps, or stamps soaked from your own old envelopes

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Watch the beginner videos and gather a few simple supplies: stamp tongs, a small magnifier, and a stockbook. Start saving the stamps off your own incoming mail and ask family to do the same.
• Week 2: Soak a batch of used stamps off their paper in cool water, lift them out gently with your tongs, and dry them flat overnight under a heavy book. Arrange your first page however pleases you.
• Week 3: Decide what you enjoy most so far. You might collect one country, or pick a fun topic like birds, trains, or flowers. Buy an inexpensive starter packet to fill out your first pages.
• Week 4: Look a few of your stamps up online or in a catalog to learn their stories, and find a local stamp club or online group to share your finds with friendly fellow collectors.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Never use regular tape or lick-and-stick hinges on valuable stamps; use proper stamp mounts so you never damage the stamp or its gum.
• Do not handle stamps with your fingers; the oils can stain and damage them, so always pick them up with stamp tongs.
• Avoid soaking stamps in hot water, and never peel a stamp off paper while it is dry; warm or hot water and dry peeling can tear or thin the stamp.
• Do not store stamps in ordinary plastic sleeves or sticky magnetic photo albums, which can trap moisture and ruin them; use archival, acid-free albums and mounts.
• Try not to overpay early on or chase only 'valuable' stamps; collect what you love first, and learn condition and grading before spending real money.
• Keep stamps out of direct sunlight, damp basements, and humidity, all of which fade colors and curl or stick the paper.