The Reading Room
Resources
Notes and references for collectors — how to begin, how to look after what you have, and where to check a stamp you cannot place. Written slowly, as the archive is catalogued.
I · Guides
Four things worth writing down
In preparation
01
Understanding philately
What philately actually is, its niceties, and why it has outlasted almost every other collecting hobby.
Soon
02
How to start collecting
The basics — reading a stamp, cataloguing it, and keeping it safe from damp, light and careless handling.
Soon
03
Sharing what you know
Identification, comparing notes with other collectors, and handing the hobby on to the next generation.
Soon
04
Books and materials
Catalogues, handbooks and the few tools that earn their place on the desk.
Soon
These are being written as time allows. If one of them would be useful to you sooner than the others, say so and it moves up the list.
II · External References
Where I look things up
Four sites
A short list of sites I keep open while researching a stamp. None of them are affiliated with this archive.
The reference catalogue most British Commonwealth listings are numbered against.
stanleygibbons.com
Useful for browsing issues by country and year when you only half-remember a design.
touchstamps.com
Collections published by other collectors — worth a look for comparison material.
myvimu.com
Know a reference that belongs on this list? It is a short list on purpose, but it can be a better one.