Stamp Collecting in
later life
November
2005
Catalogues: The Stamp Collector's Bible
The
second article in our new series from Stanley Gibbons.
The
stamp catalogue, basically a price-list, is a most essential work of reference for the stamp collector. It provides complete, detailed lists of all the postage stamps issued by every country in the world from the earliest days, with information about dates of issue, commemorative events, face values, colours and designs, and - if it is a fairly new catalogue - the current prices of the stamps, unused and postally used.
For the beginner and general collector, the most useful catalogue is Stanley Gibbons'
Stamps of the World.
It contains all the details the average collector needs for every country. If
current stamp values are not of importance, many cheaper catalogues are
available.
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The most comprehensive catalogue of its kind is the Stanley Gibbons
Commonwealth & British Empire catalogue, this is the only catalogue of its kind that lists all the stamps issued between 1840 and 1952 by all the countries of the empire, it carries immense details on the stamps and the prices they currently attain.
 
For the GB collector who wishes to economise and yet keep in touch with the latest market values of his stamps, Stanley Gibbons publish three key works -
GB Concise,
Collect British Stamps and
Channel Islands & Isle of Man. These show all the new issues and latest prices since previous editions. As you progress in the hobby so the catalogue will become of more and more assistance. It shows you which stamps you need to complete a set, their face values and their designs, thus providing a guide to the arrangement of your stamps in the album. The catalogue will also help you to become acquainted with the colours and their names - the basic reds, blues and greens of
Stamps of the World or the more explicit carmine-reds, greenish blues and yellow-greens of the main catalogues.
Next month we take a look at Christmas and the accessories that would appeal to any collector from beginner to expert, from child to adult.
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Previous Articles in the series
Stamp collecting starts here! |
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Advertising Feature
by Stanley Gibbons |
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