My Collection So Far, Using The Steiner Page System

This weekend I completed the first step in resuming the hobby I left behind three decades ago. I collected worldwide as a kid, and I'm doing so again as an adult. I just wanted to share what I've done so far.

Having sold my original collection years ago, I started from scratch last August. I decided to use the Steiner pages to house my collection. I went on ebay and bought several large random lots of worldwide stamps, and a full set of the 2010 Scott standard catalogue for $170. I printed the pages I needed, numbered them, and set them in binders. Now that I have an established library, I'll set about the task of trying to fill the empty spaces over the coming years by purchasing individuals. I haven't dealt with Bidstart or Stamps2Go yet, but I will be. The comments here seem to be mostly positive for both.

The collection in all its glory. I would have preferred nicer binders, but these Avery's from Staples seem to do okay.



I've grouped the countries together according to the United Nations geoscheme.



Binder title page.



Labelled tabs within each binder.




A typical page.

Very nice! Attractive and well-organized!

If I were going to do a worldwide collection, this is exactly what I'd do, printing out pages on an as-needed basis. (In fact, I have a CD of the Steiner pages for just this purpose for certain countries.)

Could you come over and help organize my stuff next?

-- Dave

I really think you've done a bang-up job in arranging your collection. I am a little curious as to why you've decided fairly early in the game to add stamps individually rather than continue to purchase collections/lots. Buying individually seems to me the most expensive way to do it (although certainly the best way to fill that last empty space on a page or to acquire a stamp, like the Penny Black, that you've always wanted to have).

Well done. Very impressive.

Very nice indeed!

I was first puzzled how you can cover the whole world in Steiners with so few binders, but you are printing the pages as needed, right?

Good looking arrangement.

Are you planning to break a binder into separate binders as you expand beyond what one can hold? "Asia 1A, 1B" etc.? (Many countries will fill a binder of that size all alone.)

Some of the dead countries/precursors might give you a headache, too, in deciding whether to follow Scott or the UN categories.

Regardless, looks like fun.

Thanks for the kind words, and that's a very good question. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I'm at the point now where I'm finding that about half the stamps I'm getting in the bulk lots are duplicates of issues I already have. So while the price per stamp is cheap, the price per stamp that I actually need is starting to increase. It just isn't cost effective anymore. Secondly, with each stamp I find that I don't have, the chances are good that I also don't have the page for it yet. With my collection now 20 binders large, I don't want things to get too out of hand. I think I have a good base now for a decently representative collection of about 200 countries, and now would be a good time to start trying to fill in the blanks I have rather than creating new ones :)

Wow, very, very nice job!

Gotta say, "neatness does count".............

Yes, goodness yes! The full Steiner database is 10's of thousands large, so printing only the pages needed is the only viable way to go. Otherwise my stationery cost will be far more than the cost of the stamps :)




I've already done that to an extent. I've divided the larger continents into geographical regions. Europe alone is 10 volumes, for example. Within that, I have 2 volumes for North Europe, 4 for East Europe, etc.

I've tried to arrange the numbering so that if the set does expand, I won't have to renumber the entire library if I add a volume to a particular continent. Going back to Europe, the 10 volumes have a master number from 3A to 3J.

Volume 3A = Europe 1, North Europe 1.
Volume 3B = Europe 2, North Europe 2.
Volume 3C = Europe 3, West Europe 1.
Volume 3D = Europe 4, West Europe 2.
...etc.

It's actually a fairly straightforward numbering system, once you get used to it.

Can I ask what kind of paper you used for printing?

-- Dave

Nice ! Very nice! Dan

I do like your interesting approach to collecting WW. You have a "representative" slice of total WW, based on the initial collections you acquired. Now, you are filling in those Steiner pages that your collections gave you.

Hi Kinibo

Fantastic job

Jerry B

I'm using 32lb. Domtar firstchoice Colorprint. Acid free, of course.http://www.domtar.com/en/paper-prod...lorprint.asp

I tried the heavier paper but it seemed excessive for my purposes, and would have expanded the number of binders I needed by about double. Plus my original Harris US album (which I hung onto) appears to use the same thickness of paper, and it's held up well over the years.

Thanks for that paper info!

Kinibo - a really great looking restart in stamp collecting - great organization.