A Guide to Essential Accessories
What you need in the way of equipment will depend largely on what you are collecting, the degree of specialisation you intend to achieve and the type of album you use. Here, we give you an overview of the accessories that you will need to complement your stamp collecting, starting with the basics…
Tweezers
One item every stamp collector must have is a pair of tweezers. All stamps should be handled with tweezers; they ensure that the natural oils in our fingers do not get on to the stamps and, after a bit of practice, they are easier to use than fingers as well. They come in different lengths, with different points and made from different materials (generally stainless steel or gold-plated). Find a style that suits you and stick with it.
Magnifiers
From then on the equipment you need is up to you. Most collectors like to have a magnifying glass so they can look at their stamps more closely. Again, they come in a wide range, from the fairly basic, offering 2 or 3x magnification, to pocket microscopes giving 30x magnification, and a digital microscope that you can attach to your computer for really detailed examination of your stamps.
Another useful type of magnifier is one that incorporates a millimetre scale – ideal for measuring overprints and other features.
Even a quick look in any catalogue will show that differences in perforation, watermark and colour can make an enormous difference to the price of a stamp. So most collectors like to have the necessary equipment to measure perforations, view watermarks and identify colours and shades.
Perforation Gauges
Fortunately, as far as perforations are concerned, the perforation gauge used by most of the world’s top collectors and dealers is accessible to all – it’s the Stanley Gibbons Instanta – which measures perforations to a decimal point and is easy to use. There is an electronic perforation measurer which is even easier to use – but it is a bit more expensive than the Instanta.
Colour Guide
Happily, the standard colour guide for stamp collectors, the Stanley Gibbons Colour Key, is another relatively inexpensive item which will provide years of use. It features 200 different colours and will allow you to tell the difference between “mauve”, “purple”, “lilac” and “violet” with ease.
Now on to more advanced, but equally essential accessories and all with 10% off.
Please note: The prices displayed are the offer prices (with 10% taken off).
