Req 5a — Using Stamp Tongs

Stamp tongs are tweezers made for collectors. They let you pick up a stamp without touching it with your fingers, which helps prevent bent corners, skin oil stains, and accidental tears.

Why tongs matter

Even clean hands leave natural oils behind. On mint stamps, that can damage gum. On fragile used stamps, squeezing too hard with fingers can crease the paper. Tongs give you control without direct contact.

How to demonstrate them

1. Place a stamp on a flat clean surface.
2. Hold the tongs lightly, not like pliers.
3. Grip the stamp gently near the edge, not across the whole design.
4. Lift and move it to a stock page, album page, or sorting tray.
5. Set it down without scraping or pressing hard.

By mastering tongs, you show one of the most important collector habits: handling stamps with care from the very start.