A matter of storage
Most collectors (of any kind) struggle with storage related questions. I know a lot can be said about this topic (and I will do so in next 4-5 upcoming posts), but IMO the photos below (of my “stamp room”) summarize the meaning and importance of (somewhat proper) storage.
I think this is what most collectors hope their collections would look like: organized, clean and neat. I confess, some parts of my worldwide collection don’t look as good as this 
Part of my worldwide stamp collection
Stamp related catalogues, books and other publications (including magazines) are essential assets for any collector. I know from experience that these take up a lot of space (especially if you are one of those guys/gals who never throws anything away)… Digital publications are “hot topic” even in publishing world, but I must confess that I still prefer the printed versions of everything. This is a “printed matter hobby”, and I love it as it is.
Some of my Michel-catalogues...
Acquiring / getting new items is the fun part that every stamp collector loves. I try to place “incoming” stamps ASAP to appropiate place in collection, but sometimes my ASAP can mean months. Thus I have build a simple storage system for incoming material: everything is sorted to country specific envolopes or glassines stored in a shoebox.
Incoming stamps- on the left Rest of the world box, middle Europe box, right "better items" box
Some of the incoming stuff is on-paper (meaning kiloware), or single items that need soaking (like old/dirty stamps). Once again I try to keep things organized and have sorted material to country/continent specificly to pile of boxes.
On-paper and other items that need some soaking...
This is where most of the action happens: my “stamp desk”. And yes, I know it could need some sorting ;)
My stamp desk and some of the stamps / items I'm currently working with
And finally the most dreaded territory of my “stamp room”… The duplicates and extras. These I have crammed to country/continent specific envolopes, stockbooks, boxes etc. Trust me; I’m working very hard to get rid of these… LOL
My never ending resource for stamp exchange/trade material...
Want more?
Sign-up to weekly newsletter and get notified when new articles like the above are published at Stamp Collecting Blog. The email-newsletter is sent to You once a week (during the weekend) and it contains a summary of latest new entries and discussions.
Show that you liked this article - and support Stamp Collecting Blog!
Clicking the Like-button below promotes this article on FaceBook:
Clicking the +1 button below promotes this entry on Google and GooglePlus.
Thanks for your support!
[...] said in previous post about my collection, stockbooks are my choise. In these I place stamps side-by-side (loosely) in every other row [...]
Very interesting blog, I will visit frequently!
I wrote a postcard and will send it on Monday.
My name and address is:
Enrique Capecchi
Apartado Postal 269
C.C. San Antonio 93 Local 20
San Antonio de los Altos
Edo Miranda 1204
Venezuela
Please let me know when you get the postcard.
Best Regards
EC
Hello Enrique,
and thanks for kind words. I’m very eagerly waiting your postcard (and stamps on top of it).
best,
-keijo-
i am so in awe with your collection or what i see of it. think u are every stamp collector’s role model…… the way u work with your stamps just shows how much you enjoy the hobby.
btw im hooked on to your blog and have been reading all of the posts here one by one ever since i got to know of this blog. looking forward to a stamp exchange sometime soon.
@Vivin …I’m just passing on some of my experiences / opinions about stamp collecting.
I do definitely know what it’s like to find an excellent stamp related blog, and read pretty much everything there is. That’s how I got hooked into stamp blogging
… It’s amazing how time does fly when having fun.
Keijo,
I have read with interest your blog with special interest in your articles on storage. My worldwide collection is only about 6,000 stamps, only about 1/10 the size of your impressive collection. I found your articles on stockbooks very helpful and I am thinking of coverting to this method.
What is your opinion of purchasing stockbooks with slipcovers? Do you think they are worth the additional expense to protect from dust and help keep stamsp from falling out, or do they just make it more cumbersome to work with stockbooks for your collection?
Thank you for the excellent blog.
Hi Doug,
I’d say the need for slipcovers depends totally on the environment You live / storage your stamps. If the conditions are some way harmful (=high/varying humidity, lots of dust/air pollutants etc) to stamps, then slipcovers are very cost effective way to add a good level of protection.
Doug, et al., long-range planning is important when investing in philatelic paraphernalia. Try to realistically calculate how quickly and to what size you want to grow your collection. Are you willing to invest a lifetime learning about preservation and presentation techniques? The more ambitious your plan is, the more frequently it will need to be adjusted and fine-tuned. That being said, plastic bins are a low-budget storage alternative. Stock books with slipcases don’t have to be in addition to glass-enclosed bookcases but can be an alternative to them. How many layers do you want between you and your stamps? Every environment is as unique as the collection and its caretaker(s).
Keijo and Carol,
Thank you for your suggestions and additional environmental factors to consider in planning for my collection. The plastic storage bins are a good alternative to think about for my collection, much more cost effective, easy to store on shelves, and very protective.
@Doug & Carol… I’d be somewhat cautious when using plastic storage bins for long term storage of stock books.
First, they can cause problems if living in area with high/varying moisture levels. Shortly put: slipcovers breathe, plastic bins usually don’t. Condensation can easily turn the box into a wet/moist tomb… One solution to this would be inclusion of silica gel inside the box (and changing it every now and then).
Additionally, most plastics are not stamp / stock book / archival safe… Nearly all plastics emit (small amounts of) airborne chemicals that CAN a)react with stamps and b) with other plastics (such as those used in modern stock books with transparent strips). The longer the exposure, the more damages can occur. For example a lot of Finnish stamps with “gold” imprints have turned “copper green” due to exposure to harmful plastics used in 1970/1980/1990s stockbooks.
Maybe I’m being a bit paranoia with this one, but on the other hand…If I will spend 10-20,000$ on stamps & stamp accessories on my lifetime, then spending a few bucks more for quality accessories & increased piece of mind doesn’t sound so bad to me.
Good idea about the silica gel. Thanks, Keijo. Consider us better educated, which is what this hobby is all about.