DKPA : Tools and Tips

The Stamp Tongs are a must for any stamp collector. Always handle stamps with tongs. These are available in stamp hobby centres and from stamp dealers by post. A pair of stamp tongs will cost about (Indian Rupees) Rs. 35/-.

Stamp hinges are the next item in your list. Do Not Stick Stamps to Albums with Gum. I did that as a kid and ruined quite a few stamps. Folded Hinges are available in packets of 1000 for Rs. 75/-.

A magnifying glass will come to good use for seeing the finer details of the stamp. Fancy glasses with lights are available. A cheap magnifying glass costing Rs 50/- will also work as well.

Stock Books are available in various sizes and cost as much. A good stock book standard size 16 pages costs about Rs 50/-. Medium sized (19 cm x 28 cm), 20 pages, book costs Rs. 130/- and a large sized (24 cm x 28 cm), 20 pages book costs Rs. 175/-.

The Irishmen Henry Archer is considered to be the inventor of perforation. He sold his patent to the British Ministry of Finance. The perforation number is a good way to identify stamps. Perforation number is the number of holes in a 2 cm length. This is a tedious job if you sit and measure them. Perforation gauges are used to get a measure of the perforations of a stamp. There are two types of these gauges, line type as shown and the spot type. A perforation gauge costs about Rs. 35/-. You can download a free perf gauge I have designed here. This perf gauge is a mixture of line type and spot type. Try it out and give me a feedback. A free spot type perforation gauge can be downloaded from www.donblack.com.

Other items to buy if needed are mounts which cost about Rs. 180/- for 50 grams. A mount cutter for cutting the mounts. These can be very costly affairs. A pair of scissors or a fine sharp scalpel blade will also do. Be careful with the blades. Watermark detectors can be bought if you are serious in studying watermarks. A word of caution - watermark detectors are very poisonous and the fumes should not be inhaled.

Well I'll be repeating the work already on the internet if I list out the stamp tips. Check out the Links mentioned in the links page for stamp tips.

Join a philately club. This will give you lots of input. There is nothing like a helpful advice from an expert. You will get local information and world-wide information here.

If you are thinking of being serious about this hobby it is worthwhile subscribing to a philately magazine. There are newsletters available to you by email too (along with some advertisements). Well everyone has to live in this world. There is a list of Philately Magazines here.

Check the other sites on the internet and learn more :=). There is a lot of information on stamp collecting all over the net. It is a good idea to download a few pages for easy reference later. I have mentioned a few site in the links.

This is a cheap hobby. You can go in for buying costly items but it is not absolutely necessary. Buy some of the essentials mentioned above like like tongs, hinges and a magnifying glass.

Make a simple ruler from a strip of card for positioning stamps on your album.

While measuring perforations of stamps compare them with stamp that has already been measured. It is easy that way. Measure any that do not match.

Never mix used and unused stamps in your album or display. Display them as separate sets on the same page or on another page.

Post offices have schemes to help you get the latest issues. There is one in the Philatelic Bureau in Indian post offices. This is called the Philatelic Deposit Account Scheme. An account can be opened with a minimum of Rs. 200/- remitted in cash, by money order, cheque or bank draft. This account can be opened in anyone's name. The items indicated - new issues, FDCs etc. will be despatched to the address by registered post along with a statement of account. Applications for this scheme are available with the Philatelic Bureau in the head post offices. Foreign customers can avail the facility by opening an account with Director (Philately) Mumbai GPO- 400001, India. An initial deposit and subsequent deposits in foreign exchange equivalent of Rs.1000/-.

Philatelic items like books, kits etc. can be obtained at all Philatelic Bureau against advance payment. A Philatelic Kit consisting of Stamp Album, Hinges, Tongs, Perforation gauge, Magnifying glass, Glue, Used stamps, Graph sheets and a book "Romance of Postage Stamps" is available at the Philatelic Bureau for Rs. 210/-.

Collecting stamps is about communication. If you want stamps you will have to communicate with someone to get it. Phil Guptill maintains a list of e-mail addresses of stamp collectors. It is a must that you join such a list. This is a free service to the the philatelic community and it is essential that you abide by the rules. Look at the Links page. You can leave a message in our message board too.

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