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.......into a Collection |
Most stamp collectors are natural accumulators and their stamp collections can easily become
overwhelming. Accumulating without organizing equals clutter. To help you turn your clutter
into an organized collection, here is a ten step program.
01) Assess your situation
* Write down what you really enjoy collecting.
* Envision what your finalized collection will look like.
02) Select a staging site
* This will be a temporary site used for organizing the clutter.
03) Choose your location
* Select a location that will be dedicated to your stamp collecting hobby.
* Gather all your stamps and related materials in this location.
04) Prepare to sort
* Determine how you want your material organized.
* Get empty containers (boxes, folders, stock books, etc) and label them.
05) Evaluate and sort
* Select one item at a time placing similar items in appropriate containers.
* Increase the number of containers as required.
* For items that don’t belong in your collection, use a Trade-Out container.
06) Evaluate storage needs
* For each container determine how items will be stored - both long & short term.
07) Find proper storage
* Make sure storage products are chemically safe and sturdy.
* Label each storage product and make an index for quicker retrieval.
08) Protect your collection
* Stamps should always be kept under air, with low humidity and away from sunlight.
* Albums & stock books should be housed vertically.
09) Arrange your access
* Divide storage between frequent access & eventual access items.
10) Stick with your system
* Stamp collections will always evolve and grow along with your collecting interests.
* Organization is never ending with collection builders - so stick with your system !
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