EzStamp

EzStamp 2006 is a leap forward in stamp categorization. Its impressive catalog of more than 19,000 stamps (10,000 in the trial version) links high-quality images to a database that tracks your stamps' current values and prices alongside their details. Handy fields track your stamps' hard-copy locations and facilitate quick cross-referencing. The program is exceedingly flexible--you get multiple cataloging options, single- or multiple-entry forms, and oodles of customizable preferences.

EzStamp 2006 is great...if you can divine the correct start-up procedure. Though friendly-looking, the program forces users to peruse the cumbersome help manual before starting up, or else become locked in a dead-end form and forced to start anew.

Other features in the comprehensive suite include nine report choices, easy-access stats, and an electronic option for browsing eBay to extend your collection. You can also use the program's image tools to magnify or view the watermark, and there's even an amusing sliding-panel game to test your unscrambling skills. EzStamp works best for serious collectors with a knowledge of databases and philatelic lingo.