Early this year, I acquired my grandfather’s old postage stamps. He had a really great collection and it was my job to help preserve his memory. There was a lot to learn and I think I did a good job.

The first thing I did when I inherited old postage stamps was catalog them. I bought a book of all the major British numbers and went over and revised every stamp for it. I really enjoyed this but it took a while. You should always have a complete history of your group.

If you’re new to stamp collecting, you probably won’t know where your stamps are stored. The best place to do this is a cool, dry, and dark place. Albums must also be upright. I didn’t do this at first and left myself flat. There is a risk that old postage stamps can be damaged in this way.

When you first get an album, the first thing you want to do is add it to it. This is understandable and I have done the same. I think it’s important to decide exactly what you want your album to be. There are a lot of choices and you might end up with a very mixed album. I decided to go to topic.

There are plenty of places to buy stamps. You can buy them directly from the post office and that’s what I did with a number of mine. I also bought a few online on eBay that went well. As you become more experienced, you can look into going to an auction or stamp dealer. This is better for more rare offers.

I really enjoyed collecting and learning about old postage stamps. You can have the same experience and learn in your own way. You don’t have to do it like I did.