Collecting
How to Handle Stamps
Always handle stamps with stamp tongs, never with your fingers. Fingers carry moisture, oils and tiny traces of dirt that mark stamps and, over time, harm the gum and paper. Hold a stamp by its edge with flat-ended tongs, lift it gently, and rest it on a clean surface. Handle valuable and delicate stamps as little as possible, and always over a clear, uncluttered table.
At a glance
Why not just use your fingers?
It seems harmless to pick up a stamp by hand, but skin is the problem. Fingers carry moisture, natural oils and minute traces of dirt, and these transfer to the stamp, leaving marks that may not show at first but develop over time, staining the paper and disturbing the gum.
A mint stamp is especially vulnerable, since any mark on the gum reduces its value, as our guide to MNH explains. The simple discipline of using tongs, from the very first stamp, protects every stamp you own.
How to use stamp tongs, step by step
Use proper stamp tongs
Stamp tongs are flat-ended, smooth and rounded, unlike ordinary tweezers, which have sharp or ridged points that can pierce or scratch a stamp. Our guide to the equipment you need covers choosing them.
Grip by the edge
Take the stamp gently by its edge or margin, between the flat ends, never by the centre of the design.
Lift smoothly
Raise the stamp with a light, even grip. Do not pinch hard or let it bend sharply.
Move it flat
Keep the stamp level as you move it, and set it down flat on a clean surface or into its mount.
Work over a clear table
Handle stamps over an uncluttered surface, so a dropped stamp falls onto clean space, not onto clutter or the floor.
Handling delicate and valuable stamps
Some stamps need extra care. Old, thin or lightly hinged stamps can be fragile, and a valuable stamp should be handled as little as possible. With these, work slowly, grip only the margin, and avoid flexing the stamp at all. If you need to examine the back, support the stamp rather than letting it hang from the tongs. When showing a valuable stamp to someone, it is often safest to keep it in its mount or a protective sleeve.
Good habits that protect a collection
Careful handling is a habit
Careful handling is a habit, and a few simple rules make it second nature. Keep tongs to hand and use them every time, never eat or drink over your stamps, and keep your working surface clean and dry. These are the same principles of careful handling we follow with every stamp we describe and pack, as our quality and grading standards and packaging pages show. Treat each stamp gently and it will keep its condition for generations.
Frequently asked questions
Always with stamp tongs, never fingers. Grip the stamp gently by its edge with the flat ends, lift it smoothly, keep it flat, and work over a clean, clear surface.
Because fingers carry moisture, oils and dirt that mark stamps and, over time, harm the gum and paper. This is especially damaging to mint stamps.
No. Stamp tongs have smooth, flat, rounded ends, while ordinary tweezers have sharp or ridged points that can pierce or scratch a stamp. Always use proper stamp tongs.
Handle it as little as possible, grip only the margin with tongs, avoid flexing it, and keep it in its mount or a protective sleeve when showing it to others.
Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026