# Collect Bitcoin Stamps

How to find, judge, and buy a Bitcoin Stamp on StampDEX through a Counterparty dispenser, and why no StampDEX-controlled address is involved in the purchase.

> Source: bitcoinuniverseio/stampdex (private application source), stamps module, stamp trading service, dispenser compose routes. Applicable release continuous deployment, verify with GET /api/version. Last verified 2026-09-01. Chain bitcoin/mainnet.

import ProductShot from '../../../components/screens/ProductShot.astro';

**For:** a collector with a supported wallet.
**Goal:** own a specific stamp, having paid a known price.
**Chain and network:** Bitcoin mainnet. **Version:** continuous.

**Safety:** a stamp purchase does not pass through any StampDEX-controlled address.
The stamp and the payment change hands in one confirmed Bitcoin transaction. See
[Where your funds are](/docs-stampdex/concepts/custody/).

## Prerequisites

- A [supported wallet](/docs-stampdex/reference/wallets/) with enough BTC for the
  dispenser price and the network fee. Dispenser buying has been run end to end through
  Universe Wallet and UniSat.
- Nothing else. Browsing needs no wallet.

## Finding stamps

<ProductShot id="stamps-desktop-dark" />

[stampdex.fun/stamps](https://stampdex.fun/stamps) has four ways in:

- **The index**: every stamp, newest first, with fast thumbnails.
- **Collections**: curated sets with supply, owners, listings, and floor.
- **Listings and offers**: what is for sale right now.
- **Search**: by stamp number, collection, or text.

## Judging a stamp

A stamp page shows the facts that matter before a purchase:

- The artwork, rendered from the exact bytes on the Bitcoin chain.
- The identity: stamp number, Counterparty asset id, creator address, transaction hash,
  file hash, and file size.
- Supply, and whether issuance is locked. A locked stamp with supply 1 is one of one,
  forever.
- Open and closed dispensers with their prices.

Nobody can swap the image after the fact. The file hash proves it.

## Steps to buy

1. **Open the stamp page** and find an open dispenser. StampDEX shows the cheapest open
   dispenser with stock remaining.
2. **Check the price.** The dispenser's asking rate is what you pay per unit, plus the
   Bitcoin network fee. There is no StampDEX service fee on a stamp purchase.
3. **Review the transaction.** StampDEX composes the dispense through Counterparty and
   converts it into a PSBT, showing the price, the dispenser address, and the fee.
4. **Sign in your wallet.** See
   [Review a PSBT before signing](/docs-stampdex/guides/psbt-review/).
5. **Wait for a block.** When the transaction confirms, Counterparty dispenses the
   stamp to your address.

## Expected result

The stamp appears in your [portfolio](/docs-stampdex/guides/portfolio/), and the
dispenser's remaining count drops by what you bought.

## How to verify

```bash
curl "https://stamp.api.bitcoinuniverse.io/api/v1/stamps/1472320/dispensers"
```

And take the transaction id to any block explorer.

## Common failure states

| You see | What happened | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "You cannot buy from your own dispenser" | The dispenser is yours | Nothing to do |
| "Dispenser is no longer open" | It was closed between the page loading and your click | Reload and pick another |
| "Dispenser has no stamps remaining" | Somebody bought the last one | Reload and pick another |
| "Dispenser only has N stamp(s) remaining" | You asked for more than it holds | Lower the quantity |
| "Dispenser price is unavailable" | The dispenser record has no readable rate | Do not guess a price. Pick another dispenser |
| No signable transaction, with a warning instead | The input data needed to describe the transaction could not be recovered | This is deliberate: a transaction your wallet could not inspect is not offered. Retry later |

## Recovery path

Because nothing is escrowed by StampDEX, a stamp purchase that does not complete leaves
you exactly where you started: the transaction either confirms or it does not. A
transaction stuck in the mempool at a low fee rate can be nudged; see
[Recovery](/docs-stampdex/concepts/recovery/).

## Costs

The dispenser's asking price plus the Bitcoin network fee. Browsing costs nothing. See
[Fees](/docs-stampdex/reference/fees/).

## Related

- [Bitcoin Stamps](/docs-stampdex/concepts/bitcoin-stamps/)
- [List and unlist a stamp](/docs-stampdex/guides/list-a-stamp/)
- [Asset identity](/docs-stampdex/concepts/asset-identity/)