I Have Questions. You Have Answers. I Hope.

I have an 11-year old grandson who enjoys collecting Lincoln pennies, so I thought he might like to start a worldwide stamp collection as grandpa did when he was 7.
My first question is what kind of album should I get him, or perhaps more aptly, should I get him an album? I know I'm not going to find a simple album that would have spaces for every stamp ever issued.
Once I determine the album, where do I get it? Stamp stores seem to be fossils nowadays, and I live in Southern California.
Where do I get hinges for him> I seem to recall reading an article that they don't make them anymore (at least the Dennison variety). If that's true, how does he affix them to a page?
Where's a good place to buy worldwide stamps in bulk? Off paper preferably.
I recall being a kid and using a "stamp identifier" to figure out which country a particular stamp came from. Do they still make those, or do kids just go on the net to find out that Eire means Ireland, and Magyar Posta indicates Hungary etc.?
The grandson likes to organize things, so making his own pages might be the way to go, but I guess I'd like him to have a similar experience as grandpa did.

A good start is a stock book and examples of the USA stamps showing coins, like the 13 cent Indian Head Penny.

I notice you live in Southern California, so do I. One suggestion would be to take your grandson to a Quality Stamp Show. These are monthly get togethers of dealers. There's one in Van Nuys and one in Anaheim, so if you are within easy driving distance of either one, you can find a wide variety of stamps and paraphernalia, you can pick up used albums, and generally at least one dealer will be selling hinges. www.stampshowsteve.com will give you a schedule for all their events

That is a problem since there have been many thousands of stamps. A basic album is expensive. There are numerous online hobby supply places

If he is interested in Lincoln related stamps, the American Topical Association has lists for sale of all stamps featuring Lincoln with catalog numbers.

I would recommend using a format that can fit in a 3 ring binder rather than proprietary binders. One can trim these larger page albums to fit in a 3 ring and still be useful.

To start, the stock book approach is a good start.



Vario brand type stock pages are available from amazom.

This is a Hagner (cardboard) backing.

Great that you are getting someone younger involved in the hobby - Thank you! Like you, I first collected when I was young but as others are pointing out a lot has changed since then. Growing up you could go to J.J. Newberry's or Woolworth's in my small town in Maine and there was a shelf with starter stamp kits and albums. That world is long gone.

As for where to find information, yes the Internet is where a lot of that gets done now. But I still think there is no substitute for a good catalog. You can find used copies of the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps & Covers 1840–1940 on ebay for a pretty reasonable price. It only covers stamps in this "classic" period but it will have a lot of the basics on perforations, watermarks, etc. Also, trying to collect all the many issues after the 1940s without focusing will quickly become unmanageable so if he's interested in current issues, maybe think of focusing on a particular country - the US, Canada, etc.

ebay is also a good place to maybe find a used album that is still in good shape and may have some stamps in it. As more and more of us baby boomers are tipping over there's a flood of this material getting disposed of. Maybe better to spend a little money on something like that and see how it goes before spending top dollar on a new album set up. As suggested, using a stock book may be an alternative way to go, though personally I still prefer albums.

The advice above to see if there's a stamp club nearby is good. There will be members who may have a gently used album to spare as well as other help.

Good luck. Don't get discouraged - there's lots to learn and adapt to.

Worldwide used stamps. Stamp country identifier (Internet). Stock book/stock pages/3ring binder. Tongs. Magnifier. No Hinges.