Knowledge is Power

Sir Francis Bacon Said That  (Not a Well-Known Australian Stamp Dealer!)

The number of philatelic publications available to collectors is mind-boggling and can be overwhelming. 

Unless you're a basic, worldwide collector, it's important to keep your library up to date with catalogues other than Stanley Gibbons, Scott, Michel, Yvert & Tellier and the other majors.

I've been on a bit of a shopping spree, and these are the additions to my bookshelf this month!

Stefan Heijtz is the acknowledged expert in Falkland Islands philately, and his catalogue is simply marvellous.   Profusely illustrated in colour, with values based on auction and retail sales, this is a must-have for anyone with more than a passing interest in Falklands philately

As I'm also a collector of cinderellas and recently came across some scarce early Lundy material, I purchased the Lundy Island catalogue. It lists all printings, quantities and varieties, and everything is priced. Believe me, the early material is very much sought after!

Collecting Stamp Literature

Books, Monographs and Pamphlets

Every collector has one or more catalogues on the shelf to use as their major resource. We can't avoid this, as reference to value is a human condition. However, the catalogues only tell a small part of the story behind the stamps we collect.

If a catalogue was meant to be an educational tool, the SG Commonwealth & Empire catalogue may run to 20 volumes, and none of us could afford either the cost or the shelf space. If we want to find more depth, detail and interest, accumulating specialised literature is a very rewarding and worthwhile sideline to constantly hunting down our next piece of coloured paper. 

Much of this literature is out of print, but can often be found at very low prices. I'm going to show a small selection of my favourite items, and none of them cost me more than $5!

Didn't we all have a basic stamp book when we were young? The one that was given to us by our parents or our favourite uncle, when they realised that we were doomed to a life of hunching over a desk with a glass to our eye......

This is one of the best primers I've ever seen. Published by the Philosophical Library, this is the 6th edition (1966) of a book first published in 1951, and it contains over 3,000 A-Z entries. If you're looking for illustrations of cork cancels, details of where Wolmaransstad is, or what P.K.W.N is an ebbrevaition for, this is the book to have