How Do You Organize Your Stamp Collection?

I'm sure it was asked before.

Do you simply follow Scott, Gibbons, Dick or Henry and arrange it chronologicaly?
What about joint issues, series like GB's machin and Italy's Syracusean Coin, theames? Do you add a note next to each stamp?
Or do you all have photographic memory and only I lack it?

I collect strictly by country or area. My British material is arranged per Gibbons, the rest, Scott.

I collect by catalog/album. Specifically, worldwide by Scott/Steiner, US by Scott/Nationals, US precancels by PSS Bureau and T&T (catalogs and albums), and US PNC used singles by the Nazar PNC catalog/home-made album pages.

I'm a worldwide collector and I use Steiner pages for about 3 dozen or so countries, and those pages are organized by Scott. For those countries I don't have pages for, I use stockbooks and Vario pages they are in varying states of (dis)organization. I'll often add a single stamp or set here or there where I have room and eventually things kind of get out of whack and sometimes I need to rearrange a bit.

In some cases, I've begun organizing by theme if it makes sense to do so. For example, right now I'm in the midst of transferring some used Japanese stamps (mostly those from recent souvenir sheets) from a stockbook to Vario pages. I'm doing things like keeping all the flower stamps together, all the various pop culture issues together, the calligraphy issues etc. That way when I get new Japanese stamps (which is frequently), I just need to flip to the pages with that topic to see at a glance which ones I still need. I do keep sets together within a certain theme, and I label each set by Scott#, leaving spaces for missing stamps. Japan issues literally hundreds of new stamps each year (usually with recurring themes), so I anticipate organizing like this will be a big time saver in identifying and sorting Japanese stamps going forward. I'm really not that concerned with completion, so having them somewhat out of Scott order doesn't really bother me. After this Japan project, I'll probably be doing the same with the Euro-denominated stamps of France as well.

By broad area (British Empire, French area), then by continent, then by country. Pretty much like a Victorian stamp album might have done. I don't group omnibus issues together, as they'd be even duller then!

Thank you all for sharing.

Is there use for stock book? I guss that if one collects by a catalog, a stockbook can be used, leaving space for missing stamps. Others said that stockbooks are just for duplicates or temporary storing.

As for the catalogs (Scott,Gibbons and so), I haven't seen one yet. Are they built as a collection method, or are they more an informative tool about the stamps, leaving the collection organizing to you?
For example, regarding the scan I attached here, do the catalos mention that a stamp is part of multi nation series, and names those countries, or is this something you find out by yourself?

Catalogues were originally designed as dealers' price lists. Some - like Gibbons and Yvert - still are. Most of us use them to identify stamps and to get a rough idea of comparative value. Most catalogues will also separately identify omnibus issues, eg the range of Commonwealth or French Colonial issues of this kind. Some people keep their collections in stock-books. I don't myself find stock-books or stock-sheets a particularly useful or attractive way of displaying stamps, given the variety of stamp shapes and sizes. I use them for duplicates or for material waiting to go into an album. There's no right or wrong way to collect or display - just do what you're comfortable with.

I collect Latvia 1918-1940 and slowly branching out in occupation periods etc. I use Scott and Michel catalogs to find out stamp catalog numbers and learn about different variations. Then store them in stock sheets until I get around printing pages with some information and mounting them.
I use google sheets to check off what I have.

@Rob Roy -

There are several options for storing, you might be interested in this thread on storing WW collections: https://goscf.com/t/40901&SearchTer...,collections
Most issues about storing have already been discussed in detail on that thread

To me stockbooks are perfectly alright, not only for duplicates. I have my WW collection set-up in 160 thick books, giving room for missing stamps. However I am in the process of replacing with Vario pages, in order to get more flexibility for expanision.

The best storing option depends on your interest, your needs and your personal opinion for what will work for you. I suggest you try the different options before you decide your route ahead.
Good luck

I think the key thing about "organisation" is that a person needs to be consistent.
Choose carefully....you will be stuck with your choice for a very long time.
Thus my Ireland collection is in Senator Medium albums (Black for 20th century...Green for 21st century).
Two points...I should have selected "Standard" size in 1970 and BLack is more classic than Green but Gibbons no longer supply Black and Blue.
I organise by Gibbons...again I regret that.
CAtalogues are a "guide" but too easily become a "tyranny".
Rest of the world.....is not organised. Simply album pages and/or sketch paper individually placed in A4 polypockets) and placed in allpha order in Black "Lever Arch" files....
I have two black Tower Standard albums ....alpha order ....but these are mostly obsolete countries. At some point I must merge the albums.

I've gone to a "regional" format and use the Scott Big Blue International pages, Parts I through V (1840-1965). I use blank quadrilled pages for extra stamps; also souvenir sheets; as I go into mid-1970s for a few countries. Also have replaced some of the Part I pages (1840-1940) with blank pages so I have more space for complete sets.

Regions: 1) Portugal & colonies through colonial independence in 1975. I also stop Macau in 1975. 2) North America, with US, Canada & Provinces, Mexico, Greenland, St. Pierre/Miquelon, UN-NY 3) British Commonwealth 4) "Select" Eastern Europe, with Baltic States, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia & territories 5) South America (trying to figure out how to include Central America) 6) Italian area & S.E. Europe (former Yugoslavia & states, Greece, Turkey 7) German speaking area (all the Germanies, Austria, Liech., Switzerland). Canada goes to 1973; all others except Portuguese stop in mid-late 1960s, which makes the collections more cohesive.

The other French speaking areas of the world are about ready to go to auction. Scandinavia, Benelux, Spain, remaining eastern Europe, Asia except for various European colonies and Turkey will eventually go to auction . As I have time, will be moving all sorts of duplicates to stock sheets and maybe stock books so I can see what I've got. Also have several albums for various US mint sheets & more modern souvenir sheets & panes; good-condition-used plate block albums, etc. Want to get as much as possible out from being hidden away in envelopes of all sizes.

Catalogs: Scott almost totally. Have Afinsa for Portuguese area and Gibbons for British East Africa. Hope this doesn't bore anyone. But it's how I do it; after collecting since 1960, I've got a LOT of stuff.

By country, chronologically, integrating back-of-book issues with regular definitive/commemorative stamps so that all stamps issued in a given year are together. Each country gets its own album, based on the modern nations (so for example the French colony of Ubangi-Chari is the first few pages of my album for the Central African Republic, etc). Smaller regions that today a part of a larger nation are integrated with the larger nation after that country's issues (So Alexandretta and Hatay are in the Turkey Album) unless they issued a significant number of stamps to warrant their own album

Use Scott and the prinicipal local specialized catalog together (so Maury from France & Colonies, Gibbons for Britain and former Empire, Michel for Germany etc) so that various stamp varieties not included in Scott are integrated into the collection.

I use Vario pages, and have just started creating ID pages to go between each vario page (they are 2-sided) that lists what stamps go where, with catalog info and other relavent identification information.

@DJCMHOH - I like it - I do the same thing. I struggle to see the reason to 'hide away' all those mostly classic Postage Dues etc in the 'back-of-book'. The stamps were issued chronologically, why not present them in same order? And as much as I like Scott - I find it really annoying that Air Mails, Semi Postals etc are listed as Back of book.

It's very enjoyable to read what you all do. It's like visiting each home and looking at the collection, minus the flight cost.

Do you find using damaged filler stamps practical?
For small collectors like me, that deformed stamp that waits to be replaced might be my only glimpse of that stamp in my collection.

Rob, I use whatever stamp I can find. I do this mostly with the used stamps that I collect separately from my new stamps.

Organize? Let's see where's my dictionary...ah yes.. organ...organism ...organize...Nope , the concept isn't familiar

My stamp den