Frimærkesamlerens værktøjer

Frimærkeredskaber kan skaffes for ganske få penge. Når du starter op med at samle på frimærker, er omkostningerne meget lave i forhold til andre hobbier. Hvis du skaffer det rette frimærkeudstyr, vil du sikre, at enhver begyndersamler får den rigtige start på en ny hobby.

Mange frimærkeredskaber kan blive købt hos frimærketilbehørssælgere, men du kan også finde dem i butikker der sælger kontorartikler. Der er også varehuse lignende butikker, hvor du kan finde mange redskaber, der kan bruges af frimærkesamlere.

Faktisk er det slet ikke nødvendigt med nogle redskaber, hvis du vil være en god frimærkesamler. Men det hjælper selvfølgelig, hvis du gerne vil have en stor samling, og have mulighed for at identificere, beskytte og sælge dine frimærker.

Frimærkesamlerens værktøjer

Modsat tennisspillere der altid har brug for dyrt udstyr, tennisketcher, bolde, tasker, sko, tøj og andet nødvendigt udstyr for at nyde deres sport, så er det meget lettere for frimærkesamlere. Frimærkeredskaber er delt op i to hovedgrupper: de redskaber der er meget nødvendige for enhver frimærkesamler, og de redskaber som kan være gode at have, hvis man har råd til dem

Frimærkesamler redskaber - De vigtige og dem man skal have!

Album -- Of course, you can store your stamps in something very simple like a shoebox, but putting your stamps in an album lets you display your collection in a neat way. There are basic albums that have spaces with illustrations for worldwide stamps, US stamps, country-specific stamps, topical (ships, animals, flowers, etc.) and stamp types such as plate blocks and coils. You can buy an album or you can even make one on your own.

Stamp Hinges or Stamp Mounts -- In philately, stamp hinges or mounts are common stamp collectors tools used to mount or affix the postage stamps into the pages of the stamp albums. These are small, transparent, folded, rectangular-shaped paper pieces which are coated with a mild gum. The hinge allows you to mount the stamps into your album pages with minimal handling to the stamp, and still allows you to lift the stamp of the page if you want to look at the back part of the stamp for pencil markings, watermarks, glue condition, etc. It is up to you whether or not you want to add stamp hinges as part of your stamp collectors tools.

Glassine envelopes -- One of the most common stamp collectors tools that is used to store stamps. Glassine is a smooth and very thin paper that is resistant to water and air. Normally, glassine is translucent unless dyes make it look opaque or colored. Sometimes, stamp hinges are made of glassine.

Stamp Tongs -- Stamp tongs are considered to be the most essential or most important tool a stamp collector can have. Stamp tongs are just like tweezers; however, they have a smooth grasping surface that is designed to handle stamps properly. Stamps are normally fragile, and handling them carelessly will surely damage them, so the best way to avoid damaging them is by picking them up and putting them on pages or in mounts with the use of stamp tongs. By using stamp tongs instead of your hands or fingers, you are lowering the risk of damaging the stamp perforations, destroying the gum on mint stamps, creasing the stamps, or transferring the oil and dirt from your hands/fingers to the stamps.

Hvis du vil sørger for, at dine frimærker er i den bedste stand, så sørg for at rør ved dem så lidt som muligt, ved at bruge specielle frimærkeredskaber. Når du rør ved tørre frimærker, så brug en frimærketang, for uanset hvor meget du må have vasket hænder, så vil der stadig være naturlige olier og andet på dine hænder, som kan ødelægge frimærkerne.

Frimærketange kommer i fire forskellige varianter, som afhænger af deres spidser: Pegende tip, paddle eller ske tip, spadeformet tip eller vinklet og forkrøppet tip. Se overstående billede for at se de forskellige typer af frimærketange - Fra venstre til højre: Pegende tip, ske tip, spade tip, og vinklet tip.

Magnifier or Magnifying Glass -- A good magnifying glass allows stamp collectors to take a closer look not only the features of the stamp, but also the stamp's condition. A magnifier also lets one to appreciate the fine details found in stamp designs.

Magnifying glasses can come in a wide variety of sizes, magnifying powers and prices. Stamp collectors may own 2 or more magnifying glasses for different purposes. One common magnifier would be intended mainly for everyday use while another one with a higher magnifying power would be intended for viewing finer details on stamps. Do try the magnifiers out first before buying them.

Perforation Gauge -- Perforations are actually the holes punched in between stamps to make them easier to separate from each other. The standard for measuring perforation is to count how many holes (also called the "teeth" or "perfs") are present in a 2-centimeter or 20-millimeter span. Perforations on modern stamps vary from 11 to 14 per 2 centimeters.

Perforations found between stamps on a sheet not only help in separating them, but they can also come in different sizes and types. Finding more detail about the perforations helps stamp collectors in identifying differences of stamps. Just like twin humans that have different personalities, two stamps may look exactly alike, but each of them may have different sizes and/or types of perforations. Perforations may spectacularly influence the value of a stamp.

A perforation gauge (perf gauge) is somewhat like a scale that is used for measuring perforations (or holes or ridges) along the outer edges of stamps. A perforation gauge is one of the basic stamp collectors tools that one must have because it makes checking perforation measurements a rather simple thing to do. It can be made up of metal, cardboard, or plastic. To use a perforation gauge, start by using your stamp tongs to slide a stamp along the scales (or guide lines) until the peaks or teeth points perfectly match those on the gauge. The number of the measurement is printed on the scale. A lot of stamps have various perf measurements for the sides, bottoms and tops. When this is the case, measurements are taken first on the top portion and then on the side portion.

Watermark Tray and Fluid -- In stamp collecting, watermarks are deemed as a security measure in deterring counterfeit stamps. Also, the watermark can help stamp collectors to differentiate between a common and a rare stamp. If you happen to chance upon 2 identical stamps with different watermarks, then each stamp is considered to be a separate identifiable issue. The "classic" watermark on stamps is a tiny crown or a national symbol, and it can either be seen as only one or as a continuous pattern on each stamp. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, watermarks were present in almost all stamps, but they were gradually discontinued and are now not widely used on modern US stamp issues; however, some countries still continue to apply them.

Watermarks, for most people, are simply just a slight thinning of the stamp paper in a design or pattern which can be seen when the paper is put into fluid or held to a light source.

De fleste vandmærker kan tydeligt ses bag på frimærkerne. Der er dog nogle vandmærker, der ikke kan ses med det samme, og hvor du har brug for hjælpemidler til at se det. Der er lavet flere forskellige apparater til at hjælpe med dette, men det letteste, billigste og mest effektive er den lille sorte plastic vandmærkebakke. Du placere bare frimærket med forsiden ned af på bakken, og så vil du typisk kunne se vandmærket. Hvis dette ikke er nok, kan du dryppe få dråber vandmærkevæske til at få vandmærket frem.

Catalogues/Catalogs -- A catalog of countries or territories you collect will help you find, organize, appreciate and monitor your collection. You may use general worldwide catalogues, specialized catalogues, or those that lists stamps by theme/topic. Most stamp collectors today prefer to use free online stamp catalogues such as that of StampWorld.com. Klik her for at se kataloget

Frimærkesamlers redskaber - De specielle eller dem der er gode at have

Stock Pages or Stock Books -- Putting your duplicate stamps in a shoebox is actually a very bad idea. The stamps in there might curl, stick together, become bent or damaged in many other ways. Putting your duplicate stamps in glassine envelopes can minimize damage; however, glassines are not ideal for long-term storage of stamps. The best thing to do is to put duplicate stamps on stock books or stock pages which are great for long-term storage. Stock books are similar to albums, except that the pages have clear vinyl pockets on them for easy sorting and viewing of stamps. There is no need to use any stamp hinges or mounting device when you use stock books.

Color Key -- Color keys usually look like paint charts or paint chips, with blocks of different colors with color names on them. Place a stamp next to the color key and compare until you find a matching color. A simple color key may help differentiate between a scarce color variety of a stamp from a common stamp; however, the best color guides are actually the stamps themselves.

Ultraviolet (UV) Lamp -- Many countries apply fluorescent tagging or phosphor to stamps. Tagging initiates automatic sorting and facing machines set to detect the tagging. Before, tagging is via applying a coating to the stamp surface, after the design of the stamp was printed. These days, most of the stamps are printed on prephosphored paper material.

Phosphorescence is only visible with the use of an ultraviolet (UV) lamp. UV lamps can be shortwave and longwave, and can appear in different styles and have different prices depending on the style. UV lamps may be supplied by a battery or with electricity from a wall outlet.

Longwave UV is typically harmless and can help detect tagging on a few foreign stamps. In order to detect tagging on most US stamps, you will have to use a shortwave UV lamp. Just be careful when using a shortwave UV lamp because prolonged indirect exposure to it or looking directly into its light can burn the eye's cornea and cause cataracts. Use protective goggles or prescription glasses to protect your eyes. Also, wear hand gloves and long sleeves because shortwave UV can also damage your skin.

Der er faktisk mange forskellige redskaber til frimærkesamlere, som du kan bruge foruden de allerede nævnte. I nogle frimærkebutikker, vil du kunne finde følgende:

1. Roterende eller guillotine papirskære som er ekstremt effektive, når du skal have skåret frimærker præcist og hurtigt.

2. Limstifte

3. Syrefrit papir hvis du gerne vil lave dine egne albumsider

4. Papirtester til at hjælpe med at se, om det papir du har købt er syrefrit.

5. Polstrede mapper der har matchende sider, så du kan let kan lave et godt frimærkealbum.

6. Højkvalitets sidebeskyttere

7. Lysbokse som er rigtig gode til at se om der skulle være påtegninger eller for at kontrollere, om der skulle være skader på frimærket.

Tips for begyndersamlere

Basically, you will need stamp albums, storage boxes, stamp tongs, a magnifying glass, and maybe a few stamp hinges or mounts. Get a set of stamp tongs that fits in your hand well enough that you can use it comfortably. You may have to try out some of them before you find the one you like.

You will need some storage boxes to put in your most recently purchased stamps. Then, you will relocate your stamps from the storage box to either a stamp album or a stock book. Stamps that pass inspection will then be put inside your stamp album, while duplicate and/or rejected stamps will be put inside a stock book. Stock books with duplicate or rejected stamps can be given away or sold at a later time. Organize your stock books by country, by year, or by topic, whichever you prefer.

Skaf to forstørrelsesglas. Et for at se normalt, og et andet med stærkere glas, så du kan inspicere frimærket tættere på.

Depending on your preference, you can get either stamp hinges or stamp mounts. It is recommended for most beginners though that they use hinges. Hinges allow you to buy previously hinged (Mint Hinged (MH)) stamps, thereby reducing the purchase price. More importantly, stamp hinges allow collectors to properly view and admire the beauty of their stamps. It would be quite hard to see all the intricate detail and colors if a plastic mount cover is used.