Caring for your stamps

The following information is provided to educate and inform. eBay™ is not liable or responsible for any type of damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information below.

Preserving your stamps is very important. Owning a stamp collection gives you the responsibility to preserve your stamps for your enjoyment as well as the enjoyment of future generations. In general, the less you handle your stamps, the better because the natural oils of your skin can soil or damage them. Therefore, you should use tongs as much as possible.

Stamps should be carefully mounted in albums. They should be mounted with hinges or commercial mounts which have clear plastic fronts. Tape has sometimes been used with disastrous results. Its use makes the stamps not worth salvaging, except in the case of very valuable stamps. Most people who spend appreciable amounts on stamps also mount the stamps carefully to preserve the stamps. Mounting is important because it shows that a collector is experienced—the selection of proper and safe mounting systems confirms to other collectors that this collector is a knowledgeable philatelist.