Take some time to examine each of your stamps. Although collectors sometimes disagree on what makes one stamp better than another, there are some things you should look for.

When examining stamps, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are the colours bright or faded?
• Is the stamp clean, dirty, or stained?
• Is the stamp torn?
• Is the stamp design centred on the paper, crooked, or off to one side?
• Are all the perforations intact?
• Is the stamp mint or used? (Mint stamps have never been through the post whereas used stamps have been posted. The postmark should not be too heavy or cover up the stamp design.)