How to Collect Stamps

Blank Stamp Albums - Stock Books

Blank albums

Blank albums are the deluxe albums of philately. They are always loose-leaf and often have pages provided with linen hinges to facilitate their opening and to make them lie flat when the book is open. As the name implies, the pages of blank albums have no printing other than, usually, a very faint quadrille background to assist you in aligning your stamps. Such albums are used by advanced collectors and by all others who do not wish to be controlled by printed spaces for stamps. They are available in all qualities and sizes from a few dollars to twenty-five dollars or even more for a single volume.

Things to look for in acquiring a blank album are the quality of the paper used for the pages. This should be strong, preferably of linen content; it should present a smooth but not glossy surface; and you should be able to write with pen and ink on the page without fear of blotting.

Stock books

These are albums with pages made up of a series of pockets - like an approval card - in which to keep stamps. They are useful to the collector principally as a place to keep duplicates or stamps that are awaiting his pleasure to be mounted in his collection. They come in an enormous variety of styles, sizes, and qualities. The very largest are used by dealers in which to keep their stock. The very smallest are simply one-page wallets called "pocket stock books" - handy things in which to carry around loose stamps.