Stamp Collecting for Dummies

On this day Forty-five years ago Zone Improvement Plan—zip—codes were introduced by the United States Postal Service.

In honor of this historic occasion we paid our local library a visit last night looking for a suitable 42nd Page candidate to commemorate the occasion. The best we were able to find was “Stamp Collecting for Dummies.” On the forty-second page of which, author Richard L. Sine wrote (some emphasis added):

Figure 3-7: Stamp tongs.

After you become familiar with them, tongs allow you more dexterity than your fingers, without the danger of rough handling of a stamp or the opportunity for moisture or oil from your fingers to get on the stamp. Tongs are available in a variety of styles, with lengths ranging from at least 4½ to 6 inches. Tip designs include pointed, spade, and round. Which length and tip style is your choice? I tend to prefer the spade tip. I have had some bad experiences with pointed tips, having speared more than one stamp.

When attending a stamp show or bourse (similar to a stamp show, but without the exhibits), be sure to have a pair of tongs with you to use when inspecting stamps at a dealer's table. This is an easy way to make an instant good impression.

If a single tool exists that is universally important to all stamp collectors, stamp tongs can make that clain. Although you may use any of the other tools listed in this chapter based on your own collecting interests and style, tongs are critical to all collectors.

Perforation gauge

You need a method of measuring perforations (see Figure 3-8). Enter the perforation gauge. As with any specialized tools, perforation gauges are available in quite a few configurations ranging from stamp-dealer giveaways to highly sophisticated devices—you can even find software that can measure a stamp's perforations from a digital scan of the item.

More information about “Stamp Collecting for Dummies” (and the book itself) is available from:

• Amazon.com
• Powell's Books
• Barnes & Noble

Comments

[moncler jackets]

I did not discuss that particular issue!!