Collecting
How to Catalogue a Stamp Collection
To catalogue a stamp collection, make a record of each stamp listing its country, its catalogue number (such as the Stanley Gibbons number), a short description, its condition, and ideally a value and the date and price you paid. Keep it in a notebook, a spreadsheet, or dedicated software, whichever you will actually maintain. A good catalogue helps you avoid duplicates, track value, and is invaluable for insurance and for selling.
At a glance
What to record
A useful catalogue need not be elaborate, but a few details per stamp make it worthwhile. The aim is a record clear enough to identify each stamp and track its value.
Record more if you enjoy it, but never so much that you stop keeping it up.
- Country and catalogue number. The country, and the stamp's reference number from a catalogue such as Stanley Gibbons, which identifies it precisely. Our guide to reading an SG number explains these.
- A short description. Enough to recognise the stamp: the issue, denomination, design or colour.
- Condition. Mint or used, and the grade, since condition is central to value. Our guide to condition and value covers this.
- Value. A guide value, with the date you recorded it, since values change.
- Acquisition details. When and where you obtained it, and what you paid, useful for your own records and for any future sale.
How to catalogue your collection, step by step
Choose a method you will keep up
A notebook, a spreadsheet, or dedicated software. The best catalogue is the one you actually maintain, so pick the simplest that suits your collection.
Record each stamp
Note its country, catalogue number, a short description, its condition, a guide value with the date, and when and where you obtained it.
Use catalogue numbers
Record each stamp's Stanley Gibbons or other catalogue number, which removes any ambiguity and links your record to a standard reference.
Keep it current
Update the record as you buy, sell or revalue, so it stays a true picture of your collection for insurance and for selling.
How to keep the catalogue
- A notebook or album annotations. Simple, pleasant, and enough for a modest collection. Some collectors annotate the album pages themselves.
- A spreadsheet. Flexible and easy to sort and total, a spreadsheet suits most growing collections, with a column for each detail above.
- Dedicated software. For larger or specialist collections, stamp-cataloguing software can hold images and link to catalogue data, though it is more than most collectors need.
Using catalogue numbers
The key to a clear catalogue is the catalogue number. Recording each stamp's Stanley Gibbons or other catalogue number removes any ambiguity about which stamp you mean, links your record to a standard reference, and makes valuing and selling far easier. Our guides to reading an SG number and Stanley Gibbons catalogue value explain how these numbers and values work.
Why a catalogue is worth keeping
It earns its keep
A catalogue earns its keep in several ways. It stops you buying duplicates, shows your collection's growth and approximate value, and provides a ready record should you ever insure or sell. If the time comes to sell or value a collection, an organised list saves a great deal of effort, as our guides to getting a valuation and selling a collection explain. Keep it current, and it serves you for the life of the collection.
Frequently asked questions
Record each stamp's country, catalogue number, a short description, its condition, and ideally a value and what you paid. Keep it in a notebook, spreadsheet or software you will maintain.
For each stamp: country, catalogue number (such as Stanley Gibbons), description, condition and grade, a guide value with its date, and when and where you obtained it.
Yes, dedicated stamp-cataloguing software exists and can store images and catalogue data, though a simple spreadsheet is enough for most collectors.
To avoid duplicates, track value and progress, and keep a record for insurance and for any future sale. An organised list makes valuing and selling much easier.
Record, number, condition, value
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026