Making your own album 00

No matter how long you've been collecting, or what you've been collecting, you will always need some kind of album, binders, ... or your 'collection' will remain a pile of shoe boxes with hidden treasures.

All (flat) collectibles that fit into an album (notes, stamps, cigar bands, wine labels, pokemon cards, postcards, stickers, .....) don't demand much effort to make a great album.
Collecting coins require more specific albums / boxes, due to the thickness and weight of the objects.

Most people start with stock albums to put away their collectibles. That's not collecting, that's hoarding.

Hoarding collectibles...

It becomes collecting, once you make it a collection. Start sorting out items, order by country, theme, year, ... make it visible.

Changing boxes into stock books, isn't collecting either, it's stocking...

Stocking collectibles...

A collection needs more respect.
For that you need to prove you know at least something about your collection:
Year of emission - subject depicted - ruler or issuer - appearance - ...

Basic collection - basic information

Starters will be happy to know country and year of the items they want to show.

Advanced collection

More advanced collectors will add perforation, theme, catalog numbers, size, ....
Specialists will add a short history to each item, colour variations, plate numbers, possible errors ...

Specialized collection

For this reason, a stock book is easy, as you swap items from one page to another when new items are added, or new information requires more space.  But it is so impersonal, and to show off, you cannot use an album for a presentation, or exhibition....

Preprinted albums, are very good, but often very expenive too.
They follow one type of catalog, and may not be suitable for use in countries that use other catalogs.
Besides, they offer little space for personal imput, and you are obliged to follow the layout of the producer of the album.

Self made album

But the last image, gives a glimp of wat we can do ourselves, making our own pages.
Only requirements are a computer (laptop, or desktop), solid quality paper, a printer and a binder (presentation folder).
And a free program to develop your own pages, adjustable to your needs.

Oh and a free course to work with the program too :-)

Because my blog celebrates its 10th anniversary, I present a fully usable self made tutorial to use a program like AlbumEasy, to start making your own albums, presentation sheets, exhibition sheets, ....
It's freeware, and it will lift your collection to the next level and beyond.

to be continued ...
next part : https://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2021/04/making-your-own-album-01.html