Existing comment:
Ode to Glassine (not archival, but delightful)
Glassine, forsaken by many collectors in favor of more preservation-safe materials, is a marvelous mystery. Some European glassine is very pale blue, and old glassine can yellow so deeply, it becomes almost amber. Glassine sleeves, with no flap, have a thumb-cut notch on the open side. Sheets of glassine make fine flysheets and interleaving. Don't overlook glassine embossed with a spider web pattern! And an American No. 2 glassine holds a business card perfectly. Ah, transfixing translucence!
Collectors use many tools and accessories to classify and study stamps. Some tools have changed very little over time, such as albums, tongs, and stamp hinges. Catalogs are still printed annually, but they are also now available on CDs and DVDs. Other new tools for collectors include sophisticated magnification devices, scanners, and digital cameras. Computers have also changed the way that stamps are bought and sold. The Internet allows collectors to share information worldwide, and online auctions make new acquisitions available around the clock.
Stamp collectors research and write about their specialties, generating new literature every year: books, journals, articles, exhibits, and web sites. |