A variety of gifts that stamp collectors will love, great for holidays and birthdays. They are also perfect for the new collector. Many of these items can be combined to form a "portable" collecting kit as well, useful for the philatelist on the go.
11. Dag Hammarskjold Invert
Image Courtesy Michael Breen
In 1962 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp to honor Dag Hammarskjold, the 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died in a plane crash in the Congo in 1961. An error was discovered on a portion of the printed stamps. The yellow background was inverted in relation to the rest of the stamp, leaving white lines. Instead of allowing this error to become a valuable rarity, the Postmaster General decided to print an additional 40,000,000 of the invert. This worked as the error stamp has the same value as the correct version. Values aside, the invert and correct issue will make a wonderful addition to a U.S. collection. The Hammarskjold invert is an inexpensive way to get an actual error issue.
12. Soaking Tray
Image courtesy Michael Breen
Stamps don't always come ready to put in an album or stock book. Oftentimes they are still on the envelopes they were sent with. In order to remove them they must be soaked off. A soaking tray is simply a pan for soaking stamps. A pie plate, bowl or baking dish works wonderfully for this and is often what is used by a majority of collectors. But when dishes are sparse, who wants to have to make the choice between cooking and philately? A dedicated tray will keep the kitchen running! The tray should be made of ceramic or plastic, use the above-mentioned cooking containers for size reference.
13. Perforation Gauge
© Amos Press, Image Courtesy Michael Breen
The comb-like ridges on the sides of stamps, known as perforations, are one of the ways that stamps can be identified. The number of perforations per two centimeters varies from stamp to stamp, even on stamps with the same image. These variations can have variable values, with one being common and another being quite rare and valuable. A perforation gauge measures the perforations on a stamp and is another vital component of the philatelist's arsenal. Having a spare gauge or one for traveling to stamp dealers and exhibitions is highly recommended. When choosing a gauge, always get one that is metal or plastic, some paper gauges exist but the paper can shrink and expand making them less reliable.
14. Glassine Envelopes
Image courtesy Michael Breen
Glassine envelopes are made of a light-weight, translucent material that will not damage stamps. That makes them one of the most popular ways to store, sort and ship stamps. They come in a variety of sizes and the average collector uses them frequently. Because they are semi-transparent it is easy to see what is inside, making them ideal for organizing collections.
15. Watermark Fluid & Tray
Many stamps have a watermark on them. As with perforations and colors, differences in watermarks are important in identifying stamps. While some marks can be found by holding the stamp up to a light, other methods might be needed. One of the most basic methods to detect these marks is to place the stamp in a fluid which brings the mark out. The stamp is placed in a black tray (to highlight the mark) and a few drops of the fluid are placed on it, then the mark appears.There are a number of fluids available on the market today. It is recommended that you avoid lighter fluid, which does work, but is of course flammable. Fluids with carbon tetrachloride should also be avoided as they are hazardous. Be sure to follow all the instructions.
16. Christmas Seals
Copyright American Lung Association, All Rights Reserved
Christmas Seals are one of the most well recognized cinderella stamps. Cinderellas are stamps that are not issued by postal authorities and have no postal value. The American Lung Association has issued them since 1907 to help raise funds for lung disease. Cinderellas in general, and Christmas Seals in particular, are a popular collecting interest.
17. Blackbook Price Guide to United States Stamps
© 2008, House of Collectibles
A stamp catalog lists stamp issues and key information needed to identify and value them. These include values for used and unused stamps, issue dates, identification numbers, perforations, colors and watermarks. The Blackbook does all these basic functions and more. It also has values for first day covers, mint sheets, and a wide variety of other types of stamps. There are also several sections on the basics of stamp collecting, stamp clubs and periodicals. It is portable, yet chock full of information and is a great value for the price.
18. "Make up" Stamps
© USPS, All Rights Reserved
When the U.S. postal rates change there is a need for small denomination stamps to help people with older stamps make up the differences in rates. These stamps are sold in panes (often of 20 stamps). These panes are a very inexpensive way for a collector to add some nice looking items to their collection.
19. Free Stamps
By saving all the stamps you receive, and getting your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to do the same, you can give the collector in your life stamps year-round. All you need to do is see if they can do it for you, provide them a container and remember to pick them up. Depending on your neighborhood you might be able to find places that get mail from around the world, adding an international flavor to the mix.20. First Day Covers
Image courtesy Michael Breen
First Day Covers or FDCs, the combination of stamp and postmark from the first day a stamp is issued, are a favorite collecting subject. There are several ways to get FDCs. One way to get FDCs is to buy them directly from the U.S. Postal Service. You can buy older issues directly (it varies on how far back they go) or for new issues you can put an self-addressed envelope with the new stamp on it into another envelope which is then sent to the postmaster of the issuing city. It will then be sent back to you. You normally have 60 days after the date of issue to get the cover.