Looking To Continue A Collection...

Hi all,

I inherited my dads old stamp collection that I used to help him (and by help I probably sat there pointing at stamps just asking where they came from) but I am looking to continue the collection.

From what I can gather there was not much order to it apart from putting things into stock books.

I am looking for any advice on how to go about organising it and generally just getting the most from the collection. There are thousands of stamps so I am gearing up for a long labour on this but I know that my dad would appreciate the time and effort being put into something that he really enjoyed.

From what I have seen so far the majority of the collection is Great Britain and range from penny reds (that's the extent of my research thus far) to what I can only assume are (forgive me if I use the wrong term here but) thematic.

Personally, I am keeping my eye out in particular for astronomy and space related stamps as that is a particular interest of mine but apart from that I consider myself a sponge and really would appreciate any ideas to get me started.

Thank you so much in advance.

You should organize it in the way that gives you the most enjoyment.

Most pre-made albums organize the stamps chronologically. Starter albums have places for the major varieties. more advanced albums have places for more minor differences. If you wanted to, you could fill an album with the Penny Reds, reconstructing the various sheets, collecting different postmarks. variations of shades, covers, etc.

So the answer to your question, is what interests you?

What interests me?

That is a tough question, on the one hand I really like the organisation of some of the albums that I have seen but on the other I have been very much intrigued by a lot of the postmarks that I have seen and find it fascinating to learn where the stamp I have in my tweezers has actually been.

If you focus on themes, stock-books work well as a way of organising stamps - there are a lot of space stamps (mostly issued from the 1960s onwards by countries that had no involvement in space exploration, but had an eye to what collectors might buy), but nit too many from GB). Perhaps put the stamps into countries first, then pull out the thematic stuff that interests you. Enjoy!

Asur84,

One of the nice things about collecting stamps is that there is no "right" way to organize a collection.
Pick a way you think might interest you: GB on album pages, thematic collections in stock books or some other arrangement.
As you get deeper into collecting, your interests may change and you may want to collect other areas or rearrange your stamps differently.
It isn't unusual for long-time collectors to radically rearrange their collections once or twice as their interests change and their knowledge increases. I have that tee-shirt!
The point of collecting is to have fun!
Dan

Asur84 - start small and maintain limits. Almost every collector / philatelist has SWD - Scope Widening Disease - so that sooner or later you find yourself sleeping in a closet - or in the shed - because it has taken over the house.

Or your spouse has noticed, and is not pleased.

Thanks all, I do realise that it all comes down to personal preference regarding organising the collection. I have a few ideas already but I am always looking for other ideas that might strike my fancy.
I've already got my orders from my better half that I am not allowed to buy more stamps until I have at least 50% of the current lot organised so now I am on a mission. I have found that there is a stamp fair local to me every other Sunday so going to pop down in the new year and see if I can get more inspiration/supplies :)

I will note that you will likely change your mind at various points and what you like and how you organize. This come as you get more comfortable with what you have and where you want to go. I would not recommending spending a ton of money on expensive albums if just starting since you may change your mind.

I play around a lot with organization. My collection is used US stamps, so I started with the Scott national album. I choose the three ring binder style,as it is easier to move pages around. Then I bought blank pages and a bunch of stock pages that fit the album. So now I have all kinds of pages mixed in as I grow the collection in different directions. When an interst solidifies enough, I lay it out on one of the blank pages. The collection has changed a lot over the years.