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Everything you need to know about how to collect stamps and making the most of your collection!

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How to collect seldom-seen formats

How to collect seldom-seen formats

Collecting stamp position blocks and pairs is fun and rewarding. The legendary “Farley’s Follies” are a good example.  They offer you the opportunity to own scarce stamps with a neat stamp story!

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Great Britain Philately eBooks

Great Britain Philately eBooks

Here are some editions of The London Philatelist that were published in England in the late 19th and early 20th century.

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eBooks on Specialized Collections

eBooks on Specialized Collections

The Stamped Envelopes, Wrappers and Sheets of the United States by John Kerr Tiffany (1892)  This book gives a summary of stamped envelopes issued by the Post Office Department and lists of varieties by producer printer.

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How to Identify a Die Cut Perforation

How to Identify a Die Cut Perforation

Die-cut perforations are cut by a metal device to produce perforation-like wavy lines for separating stamps.  Self-adhesive stamps are die-cut.

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Watermarks

All About Watermarks

Discover everything you need to know about watermarks on your stamps.

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Stamp Collecting Resources

Stamp Collecting Resources

Want to go in-depth?  Arago is your resource to the study of philately and postal operations, using items from the National Postal Museum’s collection.

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Grading Guide

Mystic’s Premium Grading Guidelines

Collectibles like baseball cards, coins, and stamps, are graded and priced according to their condition, scarcity, and overall appeal.

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Long-Term Stamp Storage

Long-Term Stamp Storage

Whether at home or in a storage unit, stamps and covers should be kept where humidity and temperature are at safe and fairly consistent levels.

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How to measure perforations

How to measure perforations

Sometimes two stamps look alike and the only difference is the gauge of the perforations.  Perforations are small rows of holes punched between stamps to make them easier to separate.

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  • US Stamps
    • New Issues
    • Scott Catalog #
    • Year and Decade Collections
    • Rare Stamps
    • Stamp Sets
    • Stamp Types
  • Worldwide
    • Europe
    • British Colonies
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    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Caribbean
    • Latin America
    • Canada
    • Germany
    • Great Britain
    • Stamp Packets by Country
    • Unique Country Collections
    • Topical Stamps
  • Supplies
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    • Mounts & Hinges
    • Stamp Collecting Kits
    • Supplements
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    • This Day in History
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  • Free Catalog