Inherited stamp collection?

Question

I inherited a stamp collection from my grandmother that I want to organize and continue to develop. I want to learn about stamp collecting, organizing, methods, etc. Taking a guess, there's about 10,000 + stamps both foreign and American, but they're loose, in envelopes, or books. There doesn't seem to be any consistent organization to them, and I'm not sure if they're stored properly.

They date from around the 1920s to now. If anyone has any advice on where I should start, or websites I can get some information on, I would be really appreciative!

Answer 1

Two of the best on-line resources for stamp collecting are

1.  The American Philatelic Society http://www.stamps.org

2.  Linn's Stamp News http://www.linns.com

Stamp dealers will help you figure out how best to store and display what you have.  If you can find a club near you, members will be delighted to offer help and show you what they've done.  

You might also check with your local library for catalogs such as Scott's Stamp Catalog -- they've got info on just about every stamp there is along with color photos and ways to detect counterfeits, etc.

Answer 2

I'll try and help you out young lady, if you want it. Email me from my page, since you don't accept mail. There is too much to describe in the answer section.

Answer 3

Look up websites on PILATELIC COLLECTING or PHILATELIA

Answer 4

Stamps can be sorted by any means that interests you.  By year, by country, by color, by topic (planes-faces-plants-animals) do you see where this is going?

There is no rhyme or reason to YOUR collection, have fun and enjoy.

You can get books about stamps and information about the more famous/valuable ones too.

Answer 5

When I used to collect stamps, Stanley Gibbons was THE catalogue for categorizing and valuation of stamps. Have a look at their site here for more info http://www.stanleygibbons.com/

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