What would I do if I were you? June's collection IS now your collection, as it stands. No matter how it's housed. I might be weird, but I view old albums themselves as collectible. Old album designs are cool. I would carefully remount the stamps in June's album in a modern clear mount as to not disturb the original look of her collection. The process would be fun for me. Put on some good music, pour a nice Scotch, and have at it. That would protect the stamps from your concerns with the acidic paper. I would continue to build upon her work by adding my new KGVI stamps to her album using the same clear mounts. I would also write a brief notation in the front of the book (probably in pencil) of my name, the date I acquired the collection, and what work I did to the album...kinda like a watchmaker does when he services a watch or clock.
Do achieve your GOAL AT THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE MEANS- is to use vario stock pages placed into three ring binders. You can then cover each binder in hand made paper covers or cloth or even leather book covers which will preserve a uniform look on the book shelf. Plus you can add varieties you come across. Bear in mind…both those albums are GENERAL ALBUMS. And you will come across shade varieties you want to keep. Use your two albums as reference so you can keep your stamps in a relative semblance Of date order. I have gone down this same mental gymnastic rabbit hole and this solution met ALL the goals. When I get bored… or low on funds… I focus on adding printed labels as inserts into a blank row above the stamp issues OR redesign the album cover, while keeping to the theme so the albums keep their uniformity and look similar on the shelf. I’ve never been happier. In addition… I’ll occasionally upgrade the individual stamps and take great care and time to remove any hinge remnants. Over time…it keeps me involved while actively working on my collection even when I am not accumulating new material. The worst thing I ever experienced was the completion of my US collection goal. Once I was done…and all stamps were placed into my Lighthouse Hingeless albums….I never again took them off the shelf to look at them. Yet…my world wide 1840-1940 Vario binders….have kept me up late into the night every day since 2020 and I have never been so happy joyous and FREE. Free to collect, inspect, and manipulate the collection. Plus it got my family interested as they now know that I’ll never sell my stamps as long as I draw breath but… it will be soooo much easier to liquidate the stamps as the future buyer will know they are all annotated and easily removed. Even the future blank pages can be sold as the vario stock pages last over two generations before they might need to be replaced. I envy the fun you are about to taste! Good luck and enjoy 😊
Damn it! Just when I thought I'd decided on a process... I really like the idea of making my own albums, but it would be SO costly between the mounts and the card stock. I do have a lot of Vario pages already..... and.... you can combine your souvenir sheets and sheets of mint stamps easily enough into one binder...... hmmmmmmmmm
I think your concern on preservation is valid. My own solution is to obtain stamp ring binders and stamp sheets which accommodate typically 7 rows of stamps per side ie 14 rows total for both sides of the sheet. This allows me to insert the stamps into a protective, hinge less environment. The transposition is quick but does require inserting information about the stamps. No different from writing up a collection. It also has the advantage that I can rearrange the collection if required. This can happen if a particular series becomes of greater interest and requires additional material. An example might be the Liberty Series going from a basic collection to one which includes tagging, gum, paper and perforation differences.
I can completely relate to the feeling of being "burnt out" while collecting a specific topic. Personally I was a British Commonwealth collector up to the early '60's. Eventually I got tired of staring at the same royalties so I decided to "augment" my collection to be able to look at some other motifs. I decided to go Worldwide 1840-1919 mint ("new" as you like to call it) and purchased the two editions of the re-issued Scott Brown Worldwide pages for those years. I'm having a blast alternating between my British Commonwealth and the Worldwide collection. It keeps my collecting feeling fresh and exciting. For the Worldwide album I use clear mounts, but not for the stamps, individually, unless the printed spot in the album shows separation from other stamps. I put a strip along the whole "series" keep filling up the empty spaces as I encounter the stamps. A word of caution; make sure that you're clear with which era you want to collect. 1840-1919 by itself includes close to 2,000 pages of stamps. Collecting Worldwide can become overwhelming quite fast. I look forward to follow your journey and see what you decide. You have a truly great and inspiring channel. Keep collecting.
That King George album is gorgeous. I'd have a hard time gutting it, but if the pages are acidic...ugh. I have 6 Scott Bluebook world-wide albums that take me up to 1959. Those pages are not nearly as nice looking as the album u want to gut, but hopefully have non-acidic paper. There is no way in heck I could ever afford to mount all the world-wide stamps I have and need. The majority of my collection is used and hinged, but when I do come across mint stamps, I put them in clear mounts and it honestly doesn't detract much from the overall look of a page. Although I have inherited an extensive US collection as well, I've felt that "ugh!" feeling u describe just thinking about dealing with it. For one, I'll never afford the expensive/ rare ones...and just identifying all the Washington and Franklin stamps is a headache I'm not looking forward to. If I had that king George album, I'd have a blast relocating the stamps to the specific country pages in the Scott albums, where they would make more sense to me. Good luck with whatever direction your new quest takes you in. Thanks for your wonderful videos! They are something I look forward to and enjoy immensely:)
First off, it's up to you. I worry about folks implying so strongly that the only unused stamps worth collecting are never hinged and the only used stamps worth collecting are postally used and rejecting CTO. I feel rather strongly that stamps will never boom like they did 50, 60, 100 years ago. That $20 set you buy today won't go up 2x inflation in your lifetime, whether hinged, not hinged, etc etc. Will you ever be able to sell it for a real / significant profit? Unlikely. So enjoy it! Buy it for a price that suits its condition and enjoy it. Language certainly impacts one's view of things. You say a 100 year old stamp is 'new', I say 'unused'. You say hinged, unused stamps are 'damaged', I say they might have a mark on the back. Some say used stamps with a catalogue number on the back are damaged, others say album pages with catalogue numbers penciled on are damaged. Damaged is an awfully strong word for these things. Less desirable? Depends on the stamp and the buyer. I wouldn't pay a premium for a mnh stamp and then hinge it. Then again, I wouldn't buy a mnh stamp for that album. I would take the money I save by not buying mnh and buy a pack of the good old Dennison hinges. Those permanent bound albums will bulge much more with thick mounts. You risk doing more damage to the album binding by filling it up with mounts than damage to the stamps from a good hinge. And album quality varied even back in the days when crystal mount were destroying the first wave of mnh stamps. Yes, the kids albums yellowed, but not all. It's worth testing the paper. Your album is as lovely as the stamps in it. One last thought - you might look at this as a chance to learn a new skill - proper hinging. Can you place new stamps in that album with the skill and dexterity of the original owner? (heck, can you place clear mounts with her skill? She did a great job!) In the end, do what you like, for sure. And share where your boindaries are. Every collector has a different take on this which varies across age ranges and experience levels. So keep speaking your truth, while acknowledging there is no single truth to this "debate" . 😊
You've received lots of feedback and suspect you've already made up your mind; but I'll add some thoughts anyway. I've been collecting since childhood and have a substantial collection - mainly New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and selected British Commonwealth countries. I gave up hinging over twenty years ago and now mount my stamps using acid free grilled pages, Lighthouse mounts and to hold covers and larger multiples, Vario sheets. I don't fuss too much about writing up the pages - takes too much time which I don't have and the collection will never be exhibited. I have a system for identifying special varieties, so they stand apart from their ordinary sisters. The pages are all in matching Lighthouse three-ring binders. So I think the stamps are as well-protected as I can make them. I think assembling a complete collection of George VI is both doable and affordable and would be a great challenge. The stamps are engraved, for the most part, and there are many very beautiful sets. Go for it!
Ohhhh boy could I write a book here! 🙂 I have also recently "brickwalled" when it comes to hinges. I am also doing a major reorg/declutter of my massive holdings. ("Holdings?" Cue Alf "HA!" 😂) I will always love a good stamp album as I know you will. Regarding these two, your thought process is perfect. You're just at that bridge... 🤔 A few years ago, my father gave me his enormous boyhood album, which was printed in 1938. It was one of the pieces that founded and solidified my interest. It was the first time since childhood that I teared up in front of my dad 🥹 I will always leave this priceless treasure intact! I also have an old Russian album that a friend gave me several years ago. There's no emotional or other real attachment (except that she is one of my dearest friends). I also have about ten 4-inch binders to take apart but that was my own doing. I will be taking those apart and arranging them in Lighthouse stock pages. The duplicates will be arranged in glassine-lined stock books as I love that look. Finally, I have noticed a big difference in quality on hinges. The older ones usually peel off more easily and leave less damage. I like the stock book/ page idea because you can arrange things any way you like. And (as long as PVC is avoided, of course 👃), there's no risk of chemical reactions/damage. Have fun and keep us posted!
This is so useful. I have exactly this problem. I purchased a partially filled commonwealth album with the intension of adding my stamps to this album. The prospect of hinging my stamps has put me off this idea. I think I will print up a commonwealth album and combine all my stamps in this one new album. Thanks for this discussion it has been really helpful.
Keep one part of your collection as hinged…simply those that are not of great value - but of stuff you want to keep…then out of the better quality stuff, build your own system. You’ve got solid ideas and it will be “your’s”. One day, someone is going to take your collection apart anyway and then make it their own…and find the same joy in the sifting process. So enjoy your time with them and make it yours! 🤗😎
Excellent video as usual. Ran up against a similar problem after completing my Queen Elizabeth II Great Britain collection. Decided to start another collection based on Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth and British Empire Stamps 1840-1970. A huge undertaking especially as albums would be expensive. Solved the problem by purchasing two CDs of print your own album pages containing some 2500 plus Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II ready made pages. Printing them on heavy acid free A4 pages, adding clear mounts for the stamps and inserting the pages in clear four ring pouches which are again acid free and can be put in binders. Very flexible system as you only have to print the pages that interest you and can add additional pages as required. Perhaps not the way you want to do it but worth considering. Should you want to go down this route let me know and will be happy to email you some pictures and the suppliers details.
That's precisely the project I'm embarking on! And right away I faced the question of what to do with Aden... my best stamps are in June's album... you didn't save the size of mounts you used, by country, did you? I'm figuring there's a resource online, haven't tracked one down yet
Didn't need to keep the mount sizes as the pages from the CD have mount size boxes for every stamp. Boxes for all the stamps on over 2500 pages, together with descriptions, saved me a lot of work.
Wow. Big topic. I've read other people's comments here. Also, as I have gotten to know some dealers through my stamp club, I have heard their perspectives on stamp preservation and valuation (opinions vary, because most dealers are also collectors). Then there's my own stamp journey, which continues to evolve. My admittedly limited understanding thus far leads me to say that ultimately you have to be true to your own inclinations, which are informed by how you think about value. If "value" to you encompasses not only beauty (again, personal -- cancelled or uncancelled or both), but also the most pristine stamp quality you can afford, then it makes sense to care about preservation. To the point: I love June's album. It is a work of beauty in and of itself due to both quality of content and the care she took in mounting. But. We all know that hinging is sub-optimum, and today's hinges are inferior. If you have the money to spend on high quality hingeless albums, or on mounts, I say go for it. However, having myself just bought a 100-plus-year-old British album and removed and temporarily rehoused all the stamps into stock sheets, I will testify that it is a mammoth and exhausting and fiddly job, and stamps will be damaged, no matter how careful you are. You know that, I'm sure. But this feels like a turning point in your stamp journey, and frankly it opens up new horizons, so kudos to you for not being afraid to make big changes, and I will enjoy watching as the path unfolds.
I'd pull the stamps out and place them in a manner that best serves your collection and their longevity. There's no way I'd ever hinge a stamp now under any circumstances. Some good stuff in there and that area is absolutely brilliant.
The Stanley Gibbons King George VI album was definitely a big philatelic bargain because the former owner invested a huge amount of $$ (or British Pounds) to fill these pages. As a result, you got tons of key and semi key- vlues in this album. I assume that this album would have made a much better result on ebay Germany or another European platform. Anyway, well deserved, keep it up, and just try to fill more of these pages ! Greets from GER, U. P.S. My recommendation would be to use transparent mounts for your mint never hinged additions.
I don’t have any qualms about rehousing stamps from old albums that ultimately going to cause irreversible damage - we know so much more about preserving material. I have no doubts that someone will be tut tutting about my albums in the future! Our hobby is one of endless (hopefully!) renewal and refashioning. I’m quite jealous of your new direction. Bon voyage!
Albums are very expensive! I personally use stock books because I collect worldwide but also sell stamps. It allows me to add and remove items much easier than albums. I will place items in a hingeless album when I get older, but for my purposes today, I just use lighthouse stock books.
Philately is personal. That album was to June and your collection is to you. I don’t care what happens to mine after I go. It’s up to the recipient. I have a 1968 minkus worldwide album from my youth which I will continue to hinge stamps into (with 1968 dennisons)., buy blank pages for etc. but my adult collection will be housed differently. Mainly due to the completely different focuses (and values). And you are so right about the market. If someone thinks stamp collecting is dead try to buy topnotch quality at a decent price. Ha ha. Do as you like. We will watch.
I will just add one more thing to my previous comment: because you made that beautiful video of June's album, page by page, which I for one will watch again and again, you will always have June's album with you, even after you dismantle it and absorb it into your own collection. So it will live on.
I went through a similar impasse with my GB collection and switching to worldwide (19th & Early 20th century). As others have suggested my solution has been clear mounts in my 1909 Senf's album this both allows me to use a beautiful album from the early 20th century which has so much character but also house the stamps in a protected format which also doesn't impede too much on the design of the album page itself (which I personally feel black mounts do). I think June's is a lovely album and wonder whether this route for remounting might work for you :) I think one other thing you need to set is boundaries with a worldwide collection, mine has been only from 1840 to 1910/20 because unless you have that the task can become overwhelming in cost and space
You asked what I think and I will tell you. What seems to be exciting for you is terrifying for me. I cannot imagine myself removing those stamps and putting then back together on another medium. For me I am done with overthinking of the acidfree paper or anything else. If I were you I would mount the ones I have on top of the others already in the album. That looks like a pretry good album. If you don’t care much about it send it to me I would be happy to build on it. I believe the measures you can take or how far would you go depends on what gives you that spark. For me it would be more on some other type of stamps - where my heart lays- and also man! I am thinking how do you find the time? I am 42 and have a 6 year old daughter - whom I try every means to build an interest so that I can still be with her and spend time on the hobby. But there is so much work out of this mindset. May be you don’t sleep ?? And how can you shoot video, edit and upload and go through comments and everything??? Unimaginable 😮. I am pretry dead after my 8-5 work and my daughter jumping all over me until 9/10.. the house work waits on the side 😅 I stopped even unpacking after holidays 🤪 cannot take more work anymore - somebody please help! The only thing keeps my sanity is checking this videos or mails for stamps…
Well said... and I agree, I can't bring myself to pull all of the stamps out of June's album... I also can relate. 6 is a particularly time consuming age... one of my joys lately is realize how much time I have to myself and my hobbies, now that my kids are getting older.
At this time, my premier collecting ( maps on stamps ) are going into Vario pages. Any used stamp or stamp that has been hinged is going into albums (not the traditional albums with pictures of many stamps - more like blank pages and including stamps I like) using some old, "70's" era Dennison hinges. Any truly valuable stamps, which I don't have very many of, are going into a quality mount. Focus is getting more important as I seem to be accumulating many WW stamps that I honestly have no interest in saving / adding to collections. When I get an old album, I remove the stamps. A few are added to my collection, many go into the "give 'em away" pile. While "June's" King George VI album looks like a nice, good condition album, as you noted, the paper is going to eventually damage the stamps. Best to rehome 'em. As many have said, "Collect what ya want, how you want," and have fun with it ! Just to toss this into the mix, what about your Space stamps??? ;-)
First, I’m a worldwide collector for the reasons you mentioned. Tired with a country? I just move to the next country! I collect mainly with Lighthouse Vario stock pages. Some countries have one binder. Some have more (I think Germany has sprouted to five!) I dislike fooling with mounts and seldom use them. I do have a Canada and a US album that I hinge into…more for nostalgia than anything else. I pull stamps from albums I buy all the time. And know that, someday in the future, another collector will do this with my binders. It’s your collection and you should do what brings you joy! (And just let us tag along for the ride!)
Clear mounts wouldn't clash as much in that album and black mounts would. Anyway a while back I bought an almost complete collection of Pitcairn Island stamps in an album perfectly mounted but with hinges. My plan was to transfer all of them to black mounts but soon after I lost the urge. I really don't want to spend $1000 on mounts.
That is a great idea to complete the album. I remember seeing it in the original video and thinking that it was a beautiful album. Here is my philosophy on hinges vs mounts. I collect worldwide mint only up through 1969. If a stamp is already hinged I rehinge it. Putting a second hinge is not going to devalue it more. As for mint never hinged, I think that if a stamp that is 50-70 years old or more and is still valued under $5 then that most likely will continue to be its value for a long time and the difference between hinged and never hinged is not enough to justify the cost and hassle of a mount. Any MNH stamp that is Cat Value over $5 I mount. Since I only collect older stamps most over $5 stamps that I find are already hinged so that situation does not come up that often. The only exception that I make is my US collection which goes up through 1999 and I am trying to get as much MNH as possible and I do mount all of those, even the 25c stamps. As for acidic pages, I would look at the back of stamps. The album is over 50 years old, If the stamps have not been damaged by now then what are the chances of them being damaged in the next 20 years? I do not know that answer but it is a consideration. Is it possible to take the pages out, copy them on acid free paper and rebind the album? That certainly would be more expensive but it would insure the integrity of the album and answer all your doubts. I would not do that for Robert's album but June's album is a nicer album. The advantages of being a worldwide collector is that I can go to a stamp show and there is always something for me to buy. I have some friends who have much more narrowly defined collections that I meet up with near the end of a show and show off what we purchased. One will say I purchased these 5 stamps, another will say I purchased these 3 stamps. I will pull my finds out and say I purchased these 200 stamps. They grumble and say that that they hate worldwide colectors. Lol!
Keep it as a stand-alone single -reign. The paper will not alter in your lifetime. Add hinged issues for a wonderful collection that will not get totally lost in a massive worldwide collection that will have an infinite number of unoccupied space. ...and who knows what kind of a mess you'll have when removing hinges. PLEASE, from a guy who broke up a KG collection for resale and wished he hadn't.
As for hinges --- depends on the degree of hinging and how aggressively they were affixed. Yes old hinges diminish value BUT there may be some where that is what you could only afford. If possible it would be great to remove the hinges and put them in mounts if you could do it under the guidance of a professional but as you note doing on your own your risk further damaging the stamp. The album is definitely a keeper as old Stanley Gibbons stamp albums have their own intrinsic value and the stamps are in beautiful condition aside from the hinging. Keep it and may it would be a great gift for a young collector in a few decades and the worth of the stamps will have increased.
Also…you can rearrange the world. For example, instead of arranging all your counties alphabetically… set aside three albums for the British Empire, an album for North America (US / Canada) one for Central America one for South America , two more for Europe, one for Russia, and one for Asia. I’d also have a separate album for each of France and German Empires. The regional approach will be a bit different from the norm and you can include some geographical maps. I show the region as the area looked in 1840 and at the back show the area as it appeared in December 1940 while WWII was in progress.
It is your collection and you can do whatever you want and whatever brings you joy. However, disagree with a few of the comments. Hinges on used stamps do not damage the stamps. Hinges on already hinged mint stamps do not damage the stamps. Hinges on MNH stamps does disturb the gum which does lower their value, agreed. The SG album is printed on high quality paper and would have browned in the last 50 years - it doesn't appear to have done so. It is a beautiful album and collection - If it were mine, I would simply fill the holes with nice used copies or mint hinged copies using hinges. There is an art to using good hinges that securely attaches the stamps to the album but minimizes the moisture used and extent of hinge that is actually sticking to the stamp. There is also an idea that collections like these are archival artifacts, and to preserve and extend them involves using methods and materials that are consistent with how the album was used during the original collector's lifetime. Finally, the idea that there is a "modern" way to collecting is an idea sold by the makers of contemporary supplies, who would love to have all collectors spend thousands on albums and mounts. I have seen so many collectors get caught up in this - it is worth it if your collection is small, specialized and expensive. It is not worth it if the collection is large and not particularly valuable. I have tens of thousands of worldwide stamps - I will continue to use hinges unless I have a particularly expensive stamp (i.e. over $5-10 retail). If someone wanted to collect a classic world collection, using something like Vario sheets would definitely be doable. If you are collecting world through the current era, you will quickly run out of space and funds for supplies. I have also seen different era's "modern supplies" like crystal mounts completely destroy collections.
Upon reflection... I should have scripted this episode out, been real busy lately. I would have chosen a few words a bit differently (made more clear that I'll continue to hinge used stamps, for example.) I also would have pointed out that what concerns me is the spaces missing in June's album are some of the more sought after stamps... as you'd expect... and so I'll have to spend good $$ to fill it. And since the album is full of very fine stamps, I'd try to do so too. The idea of putting a hinge on a very fine, unused stamp that I paid good money for... even when I purposely bought MLH... just makes me cringe. I've seen so many stamps torn up by hinges...
@@silkontheweb Regarding the expensive stamps I completely understand where you are coming from - it's not an easy problem as different approaches definitely have advantages and disadvantages. German-made hinges tend to work well if minimally moistened. In box lots when I remove used hinges even of recent vintage, it is rare to damage a stamp if they are carefully removed. Certain countries have very fragile paper like Switzerland non-engraved stamps but I will work around by soaking the stamp or just sliding the tweezers/tongs under the hinge and cutting it at the fold point. I am sure you will make the right choice for you and it will be great. The point is to enjoy your collection and the time you spend organizing it and making it uniquely yours - your videos show your love of the hobby and careful thought you put into collecting. Thanks for sharing your journey!
I have been struggling with the same dilemma with my Grandfather's Canada collection. It is hinged, but wonderful but it needs to be taken apart and redone properly. I just keep putting it off.
Oh my gosh, yes! When I first got my Dad's collection there was a pile of "Crystal" mounts...so I used them up. Even on used stamps. I've since ripped them all out because they looked horrible and barely held the stamps in place. Blech. They were old and looked yellowed in the albums.
Mr. Silk: I think you are making the right decision not hingeing stamps into that album (whether they're already hinged or not), and deciding to preserve June's KGVI stamps better than her album does. It is the right move, heartbreaking as it may be to disassemble her beautiful collection.
You're missing the obvious. The beauty of mint stamps is that they still have the original gum on them. Just lick em and stick em!!! Jokes aside, completing the album with mounts would not make it look weird at all. Quite the opposite, it will highlight her collection and keep it distinguished from your contribution. As far as the paper being acidic... well... not much to do about that. Make sure it's actually not acid-free, seeing that it lasted this long with no yellowing. Otherwise, yeah... you may have to spend a few weekends transferring it all to new pages.
Here’s what I would do-keep the album and every time you add a stamp, remount the whole page with black mounts. They will protect the stamps from any minor acid worry. Actually, what I would do is make my own albums for these stamps.
Seeing all those hinged mint stamps, I was wondering about their value. I come out of German philately, and here hinged mint stamps a usually worth only a fraction of the mnh value. I personally think that stamps, even used ones, should nowadays put into mounts unless they are put into stock books (although I even place the more expensive ones into mounts before I put them into my stock books). What’s your approach going to be? Make up your own pages? And with that worldwide approach, how do you decide which stamps to include? Or are you going to focus on a period of time? I am quite curious how this is going to develop. Best regards!
In the current market, the collectors of hinged stamps are the winners. Neither type of collector will ultimately see a reasonable return on their investment.
@@paleogCollectors of hinged mint stamps are the winners? Why do you consider this to be the case? As far as I can see, these stamps are hard to sell, unless they are a mlh version of an expensive stamp.
June one's is to be preserved, it is a complete era and a nice album. I would put the most valuable pages under clear mounts, hinges traces on page would be hidden by stamps. I would keep less valuable pages as it, they will mostly be full, stamps wills survive and it shows the example of what to do for high class collecting. It speaks about the old school way to do it. But it is my opinion! Dismantle Robert's album, it is too much 'hordic' and it will be better in separate albums, it would give lot of pleasure (and time!) to do. It would give you time to convert June's best pages properly and extend her journey! Make it yours!
The George the 5th-George to 6th era of British stamps are truly beautiful. Is there a way to find out if the Stanley Gibbons album is safe for stamps, the paper doesn't look like it is discoloring. I don't know about E-bay being the cause of the dip I believe the dip happened before E-bay existed, in the early 80's.
There is a special ph test pen that you can get which lets you know how acidic paper is. Make a mark in an inconspicuous place in the album and the mark will change color to indicate the acidity that is in the paper. That being said, some stamps are very acidic themselves. For instance, I have had copies of Azerbaijan 1-10 which had caused a discoloration in the album. Stamp collecting gives you great freedom in what to do with your stamps; how that they should be arranged. I would suggest that if you place unused, hinged stamps in a mount, make a notation under the stamps that they are hinged. I have purchased collections where everything was in mounts, only to find that unused stamps that I thought were never hinged were hinged.
Currently Germany for me is like collecting multiple countries, but I’m sure I’ll hit a snag somewhere lol. Maybe then I’ll do something with my random worldwide stamps, or bring more order into my future planned (old) Latin America focused collection. I want to try my hand at creating a custom album sometime even if I enjoy my Lindner one a lot currently.
Go play in another part of your mental house... read a few good books... Picnic with fam... Fishing is nice... the best part of the baseball season is upcoming... !!! Lots of ideas!!
Hmm I’m thinking of what I would do... the album looks indeed to be in really great condition, possibly acid free? (Maybe a test is warranted)I see a few options to consider (haven’t watched the rest of the video yet): Put all new stamps you have in modern hinges and leave the rest of the stamps of the album as is. Downside: might not look cohesive. Don’t put these mint stamps you just bought in, put in used versions of that stamp with hinges. That way, if it’s necessary you can remove those hinges from the stamps without damaging any gum. Pro: the album will look cohesive Downsides: the stamps have a higher chance of being damaged in the future. Also I recently removed some older British stamps from an album, should’ve researched probably, but anyways one bled quite badly when removing the hinge (not all) not sure if these are the same or not. Another option would be to remove all stamps from the album and put them back in with hingeless mounts instead. For the MH ones remove as much of the hinge as you like with whatever method (just leaving it on, removing the gum and hinge, cutting it off with a knife or shortening it with scissors etc.) and place them in the mounts too. The last option would be to take out the stamps and move them somewhere different, something I would in this case (since the albums still so nice) only do if I have a nicer album with many other stamps in it already waiting. That way I wouldn’t have my collection in two separate albums. Otherwise I would in this case (surprisingly for my tendencies to destroy albums not mine so far lol) probably use the album myself, but just the option to replace the hinges with mounts. Curious to hear what you’ll be doing! :)
Use transparent mounts if you want to use them in those books.Or take them out and make a stock book country by country. I would never use hinges even on used stamps.
This is a really nice collection and you have many stamps/sets in there which are quite seldom. I saw for example the first set of Bawahalpur (is in Pakistan today), which is not easy to find. I also have the crocodile set, same condition. And to make an example, because I would not try to complete this book is the fact, that you have 2/3 of the set in cancelled condition in the book. How will you solve the problem to include your hinged set? I do not hinge any of my stamps, even if they are hinged. I own from auctions several books like this, even older from the 1920/40s. Hinged stamps tend to stick to the album, when you look through the book there is a risk to damage them (this happened several times to me) and if you have one or more nice cancelled examples you like to have in your collection or varieties you get fast to your limits. With all of this I´m not a big fan of these sorts of books. Even if especially the green one you presented is outstanding. From my side I use cards (A5) to be flexible as possible. But with this solution you also have some challenges like: How to include big letters or is it worth, especially for older envelopes to use smaller cards (I do) and with this the collection is divided. Nothing is perfect. But with the cards I can include stamps in every condition, can make remarks like the number etc (whatever I want) and when I get additional stamps from this set I can include them very easy. I started with my "new" system 2 years ago and I don´t think I will get anytime ready with it. But it is so much fun and looking through the parts I finished is yery nice, that I like the solution, even with the challenges. I think you must find the best way which fits to you how yo want to organize your stamps. But hinging, no, never. Same for these sorts of books.
I wouldn't do anything as it could cause worse trouble than just leaving it as it is. The George VI album is attractive as it is, leave it be. Hopefully no one ever even considers doing this to FDR's collection in the Smithsonian; it would RUIN it!
I have a dream to put my entire worldwide collection in a system of albums or binders. I haven't started because I'm not sure how I want to do it. I have many many thousands of worldwide stamps from many countries. I'd like to discuss further with you to get some advice. Are you interested in helping me?
It is a devilish dilemma. I would want to do June's album justice also. But hinging stamps....no way. And on that older paper that is not acid-free, no way. And using mounts ibstead in June's album would indeed look weird. Maybe keep June's album and start your own from scratch and not using any of June's stamps? Maybe thw inspiration June gave you from looking at the album is a tribute enough?
Looks to me like you have an issue with a very very fine album cover (and the life of its original collector), but in contrast to I-don't-know-what-kind-of-amazing-content, and its preservation. Plus the issue of life in the present, in our time (together with preserving for the future). One factor does appear that the album makers don't seem to have made a bad job of things from more than 50 years ago. Getting down to the nitty-gritty it seems to me that removal of the stamps for a bright new contemporary setting does mean throwing the album in the bin or allowing someone else to purchase it and start from the start, in 2024, rather than 1968 with 1968 know-how. King George remains a moving figure for me personally, so it is gratifying to encounter careful attention with respect to related matters! I am sincerely,
Why not mount your collection with the face down and display the gum? You seem to judge the stamp primarily with the gum condition. Who cares about the beauty of the stamp if the gum has been “damaged”? Did you do an acid test on the paper in this album or just leap to the assumption it is not acid free? Just wondering.
While I agree in principle, the problem lies in the fact that the philatelic world has taken a lesson from the numismatic world. I've seen coins go from $100 to $1000 dollars because some guy in a grading factory decided that the MS-62 should be an MS-63. At the end of the day, it's still the same coin. Likewise in philately.. the market now seems to be putting much more value in condition than in the beauty of the stamp itself. On the plus side, I'm more than happy about paying a fraction of the catalog value because someone stuck a hinge to the back, or if, god forbid, one of the 72 perfs is missing. On the down side, with the new financial incentive, people are starting to soak and re-gum hinged stamps and selling them as MNH. That's why I would hesitate to pay a large premium for MNH on a stamp of high value. But at the end of my days, when my kids end up selling off my collection, it's in their best interested (and by extension, my best interest) that I do what I can to not devalue the stamps.
I agree that an album such as this does look especially beautiful with the way the pages look full and how the stamps fit together perfectly as though they are all pieces of one jigsaw puzzle. I LOVE seeing that, but the problem is that albums like this simply deteriorate over time and it is nearly impossible to preserve them. I inherited a collection from my Grandparents and many of the stamps, some of them fairly rare, were just in such poor condition from being hinged to an album page (in contact with moisture, other stamps, and from moving around over time) that it greatly decreased the value of the album. Most albums are not kept this well, and even if they were, it is just so difficult to keep them that way. I am all for mounting stamps. Gum condition doesn't matter as much as the condition of the front, but it DOES matter. I have a 15c Columbian that is absolutely gorgeous but the gum on the back is destroyed because it looked like it was glued to black construction paper. You can't tell this by looking at the front, but stamps in that condition almost feel like a lie or like they're hiding a dirty little secret, and I want to replace that US 238 as soon as I can find one for a good price. Hinged is acceptable, but I would, of course, prefer MNH. I've learned to accept hinged stamps in my collection, and I enjoy used stamps as well with the extra dimension of collectibility and storytelling they add to my stamps, but if I am looking for mint stamps, I want the back as close to pristine as possible. It doesn't mean I'm looking at it wrong. Don't deliberately devalue your stamps by hingeing them just to preserve the look of this album. In fact, it may be better to remove the hinged stamps from this album and place them in mounts in order to preserve them for longer. Either find a newer King George VI album that has the room to accommodate mounts, or do your best to refill this same album with the stamps in mounts. Maybe for stamps that are in slots adjacent to each other and that are the same size, you cut custom-length mount strips that will hold 2 or 3 or more stamps all in a row. Just a thought. But honestly, I think you may need a new album for these altogether because through the addition of mounts, the beauty and symmetry of the album will be the destroyed. There is just no way around it with such full pages. The arts-and-crafts-ing you will have to perform to keep these stamps in the same order will ultimately make the page look cramped, busy, and disorganized. Right now, it is almost a work of art, but that symmetry and beauty of the arrangement is harming the collection itself. Either preserve the beauty of the album-- for now--by hinge-ing these and all future stamps (which will also devalue the stamps SEVERELY) even though the album will eventually start to degrade on its own regardless of what you do, or start a new album and preserve THE COLLECTION that this woman put together. I believe the stamps on the pages are more important than the album itself. I suppose you simply have to figure out what is more important TO YOU, but I bristle at the idea of hingeing valuable Mint stamps, and even stamps that are not valuable. I just don't think introducing more moisture and more adhesive is a good idea even to cheap, common stamps, whether MNH or used. Just my slightly-more-than-2 cents.
Actually, in the 70s hinge-less mounting was quite common and already preferred for mounting mint stamps. Today, using hinges on mint stamps of any value is completely taboo. ;-) There is a technique for removing hinges from the gum of mint stamps. I use a Q-tip, water, patience and some surgeon's steady hand but leaves the gum intact, albeit disturbed.
Hello. Sir, I sent you a message on TH-cam about the stamp collection and you said to send me an email. I sent an email but you haven't replied yet. please answer
What would I do if I were you? June's collection IS now your collection, as it stands. No matter how it's housed. I might be weird, but I view old albums themselves as collectible. Old album designs are cool. I would carefully remount the stamps in June's album in a modern clear mount as to not disturb the original look of her collection. The process would be fun for me. Put on some good music, pour a nice Scotch, and have at it. That would protect the stamps from your concerns with the acidic paper. I would continue to build upon her work by adding my new KGVI stamps to her album using the same clear mounts. I would also write a brief notation in the front of the book (probably in pencil) of my name, the date I acquired the collection, and what work I did to the album...kinda like a watchmaker does when he services a watch or clock.
You never see a hearse followed a by a U-Haul... You own it!! Use it as it suits you...!!
Do achieve your GOAL AT THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE MEANS- is to use vario stock pages placed into three ring binders. You can then cover each binder in hand made paper covers or cloth or even leather book covers which will preserve a uniform look on the book shelf. Plus you can add varieties you come across. Bear in mind…both those albums are GENERAL ALBUMS. And you will come across shade varieties you want to keep. Use your two albums as reference so you can keep your stamps in a relative semblance Of date order. I have gone down this same mental gymnastic rabbit hole and this solution met ALL the goals. When I get bored… or low on funds… I focus on adding printed labels as inserts into a blank row above the stamp issues OR redesign the album cover, while keeping to the theme so the albums keep their uniformity and look similar on the shelf. I’ve never been happier. In addition… I’ll occasionally upgrade the individual stamps and take great care and time to remove any hinge remnants. Over time…it keeps me involved while actively working on my collection even when I am not accumulating new material. The worst thing I ever experienced was the completion of my US collection goal. Once I was done…and all stamps were placed into my Lighthouse Hingeless albums….I never again took them off the shelf to look at them. Yet…my world wide 1840-1940 Vario binders….have kept me up late into the night every day since 2020 and I have never been so happy joyous and FREE. Free to collect, inspect, and manipulate the collection. Plus it got my family interested as they now know that I’ll never sell my stamps as long as I draw breath but… it will be soooo much easier to liquidate the stamps as the future buyer will know they are all annotated and easily removed. Even the future blank pages can be sold as the vario stock pages last over two generations before they might need to be replaced. I envy the fun you are about to taste! Good luck and enjoy 😊
Damn it! Just when I thought I'd decided on a process... I really like the idea of making my own albums, but it would be SO costly between the mounts and the card stock. I do have a lot of Vario pages already..... and.... you can combine your souvenir sheets and sheets of mint stamps easily enough into one binder...... hmmmmmmmmm
Do you put little slips of paper into your stock sheets for catalogue info?
I think your concern on preservation is valid. My own solution is to obtain stamp ring binders and stamp sheets which accommodate typically 7 rows of stamps per side ie 14 rows total for both sides of the sheet. This allows me to insert the stamps into a protective, hinge less environment. The transposition is quick but does require inserting information about the stamps. No different from writing up a collection.
It also has the advantage that I can rearrange the collection if required. This can happen if a particular series becomes of greater interest and requires additional material.
An example might be the Liberty Series going from a basic collection to one which includes tagging, gum, paper and perforation differences.
I can completely relate to the feeling of being "burnt out" while collecting a specific topic. Personally I was a British Commonwealth collector up to the early '60's. Eventually I got tired of staring at the same royalties so I decided to "augment" my collection to be able to look at some other motifs. I decided to go Worldwide 1840-1919 mint ("new" as you like to call it) and purchased the two editions of the re-issued Scott Brown Worldwide pages for those years. I'm having a blast alternating between my British Commonwealth and the Worldwide collection. It keeps my collecting feeling fresh and exciting. For the Worldwide album I use clear mounts, but not for the stamps, individually, unless the printed spot in the album shows separation from other stamps. I put a strip along the whole "series" keep filling up the empty spaces as I encounter the stamps. A word of caution; make sure that you're clear with which era you want to collect. 1840-1919 by itself includes close to 2,000 pages of stamps. Collecting Worldwide can become overwhelming quite fast. I look forward to follow your journey and see what you decide. You have a truly great and inspiring channel. Keep collecting.
That King George album is gorgeous. I'd have a hard time gutting it, but if the pages are acidic...ugh. I have 6 Scott Bluebook world-wide albums that take me up to 1959. Those pages are not nearly as nice looking as the album u want to gut, but hopefully have non-acidic paper. There is no way in heck I could ever afford to mount all the world-wide stamps I have and need. The majority of my collection is used and hinged, but when I do come across mint stamps, I put them in clear mounts and it honestly doesn't detract much from the overall look of a page.
Although I have inherited an extensive US collection as well, I've felt that "ugh!" feeling u describe just thinking about dealing with it. For one, I'll never afford the expensive/ rare ones...and just identifying all the Washington and Franklin stamps is a headache I'm not looking forward to.
If I had that king George album, I'd have a blast relocating the stamps to the specific country pages in the Scott albums, where they would make more sense to me. Good luck with whatever direction your new quest takes you in. Thanks for your wonderful videos! They are something I look forward to and enjoy immensely:)
First off, it's up to you. I worry about folks implying so strongly that the only unused stamps worth collecting are never hinged and the only used stamps worth collecting are postally used and rejecting CTO.
I feel rather strongly that stamps will never boom like they did 50, 60, 100 years ago. That $20 set you buy today won't go up 2x inflation in your lifetime, whether hinged, not hinged, etc etc. Will you ever be able to sell it for a real / significant profit? Unlikely. So enjoy it! Buy it for a price that suits its condition and enjoy it.
Language certainly impacts one's view of things. You say a 100 year old stamp is 'new', I say 'unused'. You say hinged, unused stamps are 'damaged', I say they might have a mark on the back. Some say used stamps with a catalogue number on the back are damaged, others say album pages with catalogue numbers penciled on are damaged. Damaged is an awfully strong word for these things. Less desirable? Depends on the stamp and the buyer.
I wouldn't pay a premium for a mnh stamp and then hinge it. Then again, I wouldn't buy a mnh stamp for that album. I would take the money I save by not buying mnh and buy a pack of the good old Dennison hinges.
Those permanent bound albums will bulge much more with thick mounts. You risk doing more damage to the album binding by filling it up with mounts than damage to the stamps from a good hinge.
And album quality varied even back in the days when crystal mount were destroying the first wave of mnh stamps. Yes, the kids albums yellowed, but not all. It's worth testing the paper. Your album is as lovely as the stamps in it.
One last thought - you might look at this as a chance to learn a new skill - proper hinging. Can you place new stamps in that album with the skill and dexterity of the original owner? (heck, can you place clear mounts with her skill? She did a great job!)
In the end, do what you like, for sure. And share where your boindaries are. Every collector has a different take on this which varies across age ranges and experience levels. So keep speaking your truth, while acknowledging there is no single truth to this "debate" . 😊
You've received lots of feedback and suspect you've already made up your mind; but I'll add some thoughts anyway. I've been collecting since childhood and have a substantial collection - mainly New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and selected British Commonwealth countries. I gave up hinging over twenty years ago and now mount my stamps using acid free grilled pages, Lighthouse mounts and to hold covers and larger multiples, Vario sheets. I don't fuss too much about writing up the pages - takes too much time which I don't have and the collection will never be exhibited. I have a system for identifying special varieties, so they stand apart from their ordinary sisters. The pages are all in matching Lighthouse three-ring binders. So I think the stamps are as well-protected as I can make them. I think assembling a complete collection of George VI is both doable and affordable and would be a great challenge. The stamps are engraved, for the most part, and there are many very beautiful sets. Go for it!
ya, i agree, i cannot tell you how many stamps i soaked out of old albums. best luck on removal!
Ohhhh boy could I write a book here! 🙂 I have also recently "brickwalled" when it comes to hinges. I am also doing a major reorg/declutter of my massive holdings. ("Holdings?" Cue Alf "HA!" 😂) I will always love a good stamp album as I know you will. Regarding these two, your thought process is perfect. You're just at that bridge... 🤔
A few years ago, my father gave me his enormous boyhood album, which was printed in 1938. It was one of the pieces that founded and solidified my interest. It was the first time since childhood that I teared up in front of my dad 🥹 I will always leave this priceless treasure intact!
I also have an old Russian album that a friend gave me several years ago. There's no emotional or other real attachment (except that she is one of my dearest friends). I also have about ten 4-inch binders to take apart but that was my own doing. I will be taking those apart and arranging them in Lighthouse stock pages. The duplicates will be arranged in glassine-lined stock books as I love that look.
Finally, I have noticed a big difference in quality on hinges. The older ones usually peel off more easily and leave less damage. I like the stock book/ page idea because you can arrange things any way you like. And (as long as PVC is avoided, of course 👃), there's no risk of chemical reactions/damage. Have fun and keep us posted!
This is so useful. I have exactly this problem. I purchased a partially filled commonwealth album with the intension of adding my stamps to this album. The prospect of hinging my stamps has put me off this idea. I think I will print up a commonwealth album and combine all my stamps in this one new album. Thanks for this discussion it has been really helpful.
Keep one part of your collection as hinged…simply those that are not of great value - but of stuff you want to keep…then out of the better quality stuff, build your own system. You’ve got solid ideas and it will be “your’s”.
One day, someone is going to take your collection apart anyway and then make it their own…and find the same joy in the sifting process. So enjoy your time with them and make it yours! 🤗😎
Excellent video as usual.
Ran up against a similar problem after completing my Queen Elizabeth II Great Britain collection. Decided to start another collection based on Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth and British Empire Stamps 1840-1970. A huge undertaking especially as albums would be expensive. Solved the problem by purchasing two CDs of print your own album pages containing some 2500 plus Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II ready made pages. Printing them on heavy acid free A4 pages, adding clear mounts for the stamps and inserting the pages in clear four ring pouches which are again acid free and can be put in binders. Very flexible system as you only have to print the pages that interest you and can add additional pages as required. Perhaps not the way you want to do it but worth considering.
Should you want to go down this route let me know and will be happy to email you some pictures and the suppliers details.
That's precisely the project I'm embarking on! And right away I faced the question of what to do with Aden... my best stamps are in June's album... you didn't save the size of mounts you used, by country, did you? I'm figuring there's a resource online, haven't tracked one down yet
Didn't need to keep the mount sizes as the pages from the CD have mount size boxes for every stamp. Boxes for all the stamps on over 2500 pages, together with descriptions, saved me a lot of work.
Wow. Big topic. I've read other people's comments here. Also, as I have gotten to know some dealers through my stamp club, I have heard their perspectives on stamp preservation and valuation (opinions vary, because most dealers are also collectors). Then there's my own stamp journey, which continues to evolve. My admittedly limited understanding thus far leads me to say that ultimately you have to be true to your own inclinations, which are informed by how you think about value. If "value" to you encompasses not only beauty (again, personal -- cancelled or uncancelled or both), but also the most pristine stamp quality you can afford, then it makes sense to care about preservation. To the point: I love June's album. It is a work of beauty in and of itself due to both quality of content and the care she took in mounting. But. We all know that hinging is sub-optimum, and today's hinges are inferior. If you have the money to spend on high quality hingeless albums, or on mounts, I say go for it. However, having myself just bought a 100-plus-year-old British album and removed and temporarily rehoused all the stamps into stock sheets, I will testify that it is a mammoth and exhausting and fiddly job, and stamps will be damaged, no matter how careful you are. You know that, I'm sure. But this feels like a turning point in your stamp journey, and frankly it opens up new horizons, so kudos to you for not being afraid to make big changes, and I will enjoy watching as the path unfolds.
I'd pull the stamps out and place them in a manner that best serves your collection and their longevity. There's no way I'd ever hinge a stamp now under any circumstances. Some good stuff in there and that area is absolutely brilliant.
The Stanley Gibbons King George VI album was definitely a big philatelic bargain because the former owner invested a huge amount of $$ (or British Pounds) to fill these pages. As a result, you got tons of key and semi key- vlues in this album. I assume that this album would have made a much better result on ebay Germany or another European platform. Anyway, well deserved, keep it up, and just try to fill more of these pages ! Greets from GER, U.
P.S. My recommendation would be to use transparent mounts for your mint never hinged additions.
I don’t have any qualms about rehousing stamps from old albums that ultimately going to cause irreversible damage - we know so much more about preserving material. I have no doubts that someone will be tut tutting about my albums in the future! Our hobby is one of endless (hopefully!) renewal and refashioning. I’m quite jealous of your new direction. Bon voyage!
Albums are very expensive! I personally use stock books because I collect worldwide but also sell stamps. It allows me to add and remove items much easier than albums. I will place items in a hingeless album when I get older, but for my purposes today, I just use lighthouse stock books.
Philately is personal. That album was to June and your collection is to you. I don’t care what happens to mine after I go. It’s up to the recipient. I have a 1968 minkus worldwide album from my youth which I will continue to hinge stamps into (with 1968 dennisons)., buy blank pages for etc. but my adult collection will be housed differently. Mainly due to the completely different focuses (and values). And you are so right about the market. If someone thinks stamp collecting is dead try to buy topnotch quality at a decent price. Ha ha. Do as you like. We will watch.
I will just add one more thing to my previous comment: because you made that beautiful video of June's album, page by page, which I for one will watch again and again, you will always have June's album with you, even after you dismantle it and absorb it into your own collection. So it will live on.
I went through a similar impasse with my GB collection and switching to worldwide (19th & Early 20th century). As others have suggested my solution has been clear mounts in my 1909 Senf's album this both allows me to use a beautiful album from the early 20th century which has so much character but also house the stamps in a protected format which also doesn't impede too much on the design of the album page itself (which I personally feel black mounts do). I think June's is a lovely album and wonder whether this route for remounting might work for you :)
I think one other thing you need to set is boundaries with a worldwide collection, mine has been only from 1840 to 1910/20 because unless you have that the task can become overwhelming in cost and space
You asked what I think and I will tell you. What seems to be exciting for you is terrifying for me. I cannot imagine myself removing those stamps and putting then back together on another medium. For me I am done with overthinking of the acidfree paper or anything else. If I were you I would mount the ones I have on top of the others already in the album. That looks like a pretry good album. If you don’t care much about it send it to me I would be happy to build on it. I believe the measures you can take or how far would you go depends on what gives you that spark. For me it would be more on some other type of stamps - where my heart lays- and also man! I am thinking how do you find the time? I am 42 and have a 6 year old daughter - whom I try every means to build an interest so that I can still be with her and spend time on the hobby. But there is so much work out of this mindset. May be you don’t sleep ?? And how can you shoot video, edit and upload and go through comments and everything??? Unimaginable 😮. I am pretry dead after my 8-5 work and my daughter jumping all over me until 9/10.. the house work waits on the side 😅 I stopped even unpacking after holidays 🤪 cannot take more work anymore - somebody please help! The only thing keeps my sanity is checking this videos or mails for stamps…
Well said... and I agree, I can't bring myself to pull all of the stamps out of June's album... I also can relate. 6 is a particularly time consuming age... one of my joys lately is realize how much time I have to myself and my hobbies, now that my kids are getting older.
At this time, my premier collecting ( maps on stamps ) are going into Vario pages. Any used stamp or stamp that has been hinged is going into albums (not the traditional albums with pictures of many stamps - more like blank pages and including stamps I like) using some old, "70's" era Dennison hinges. Any truly valuable stamps, which I don't have very many of, are going into a quality mount. Focus is getting more important as I seem to be accumulating many WW stamps that I honestly have no interest in saving / adding to collections. When I get an old album, I remove the stamps. A few are added to my collection, many go into the "give 'em away" pile. While "June's" King George VI album looks like a nice, good condition album, as you noted, the paper is going to eventually damage the stamps. Best to rehome 'em. As many have said, "Collect what ya want, how you want," and have fun with it ! Just to toss this into the mix, what about your Space stamps??? ;-)
A super project. That collection is just superb!!
As always do what you feel most comfortable with! It is your collection after all. And just a thought, there are some men named June!! 🙂
First, I’m a worldwide collector for the reasons you mentioned. Tired with a country? I just move to the next country! I collect mainly with Lighthouse Vario stock pages. Some countries have one binder. Some have more (I think Germany has sprouted to five!) I dislike fooling with mounts and seldom use them. I do have a Canada and a US album that I hinge into…more for nostalgia than anything else. I pull stamps from albums I buy all the time. And know that, someday in the future, another collector will do this with my binders. It’s your collection and you should do what brings you joy! (And just let us tag along for the ride!)
Clear mounts wouldn't clash as much in that album and black mounts would. Anyway a while back I bought an almost complete collection of Pitcairn Island stamps in an album perfectly mounted but with hinges. My plan was to transfer all of them to black mounts but soon after I lost the urge. I really don't want to spend $1000 on mounts.
That is a great idea to complete the album. I remember seeing it in the original video and thinking that it was a beautiful album. Here is my philosophy on hinges vs mounts. I collect worldwide mint only up through 1969. If a stamp is already hinged I rehinge it. Putting a second hinge is not going to devalue it more. As for mint never hinged, I think that if a stamp that is 50-70 years old or more and is still valued under $5 then that most likely will continue to be its value for a long time and the difference between hinged and never hinged is not enough to justify the cost and hassle of a mount. Any MNH stamp that is Cat Value over $5 I mount. Since I only collect older stamps most over $5 stamps that I find are already hinged so that situation does not come up that often. The only exception that I make is my US collection which goes up through 1999 and I am trying to get as much MNH as possible and I do mount all of those, even the 25c stamps. As for acidic pages, I would look at the back of stamps. The album is over 50 years old, If the stamps have not been damaged by now then what are the chances of them being damaged in the next 20 years? I do not know that answer but it is a consideration. Is it possible to take the pages out, copy them on acid free paper and rebind the album? That certainly would be more expensive but it would insure the integrity of the album and answer all your doubts. I would not do that for Robert's album but June's album is a nicer album. The advantages of being a worldwide collector is that I can go to a stamp show and there is always something for me to buy. I have some friends who have much more narrowly defined collections that I meet up with near the end of a show and show off what we purchased. One will say I purchased these 5 stamps, another will say I purchased these 3 stamps. I will pull my finds out and say I purchased these 200 stamps. They grumble and say that that they hate worldwide colectors. Lol!
There are Princess Diana albums set up too!!
Keep it as a stand-alone single -reign. The paper will not alter in your lifetime. Add hinged issues for a wonderful collection that will not get totally lost in a massive worldwide collection that will have an infinite number of unoccupied space. ...and who knows what kind of a mess you'll have when removing hinges. PLEASE, from a guy who broke up a KG collection for resale and wished he hadn't.
Good luck my friend!
I will keep my fingers crossed for your success!
Best regards! 🤩
As for hinges --- depends on the degree of hinging and how aggressively they were affixed. Yes old hinges diminish value BUT there may be some where that is what you could only afford. If possible it would be great to remove the hinges and put them in mounts if you could do it under the guidance of a professional but as you note doing on your own your risk further damaging the stamp.
The album is definitely a keeper as old Stanley Gibbons stamp albums have their own intrinsic value and the stamps are in beautiful condition aside from the hinging. Keep it and may it would be a great gift for a young collector in a few decades and the worth of the stamps will have increased.
ill be here watching and learning..
Also…you can rearrange the world. For example, instead of arranging all your counties alphabetically… set aside three albums for the British Empire, an album for North America (US / Canada) one for Central America one for South America , two more for Europe, one for Russia, and one for Asia. I’d also have a separate album for each of France and German Empires. The regional approach will be a bit different from the norm and you can include some geographical maps. I show the region as the area looked in 1840 and at the back show the area as it appeared in December 1940 while WWII was in progress.
Oh that's brilliant... great ideas
I normally use black Showgards. But, I would add mint stamps to that collection with clear mounts. I have no issue with hinging used stamps.
you are absolutely right my friend. awesome collections.
you could take out the stamps put mounts in the old album and then put the stamps back in??
Ooh if you do decide to pull the stamps for a different album that you make yourself might be cool for us to see the planning/doing or it in a video.
It is your collection and you can do whatever you want and whatever brings you joy. However, disagree with a few of the comments. Hinges on used stamps do not damage the stamps. Hinges on already hinged mint stamps do not damage the stamps. Hinges on MNH stamps does disturb the gum which does lower their value, agreed.
The SG album is printed on high quality paper and would have browned in the last 50 years - it doesn't appear to have done so. It is a beautiful album and collection - If it were mine, I would simply fill the holes with nice used copies or mint hinged copies using hinges. There is an art to using good hinges that securely attaches the stamps to the album but minimizes the moisture used and extent of hinge that is actually sticking to the stamp. There is also an idea that collections like these are archival artifacts, and to preserve and extend them involves using methods and materials that are consistent with how the album was used during the original collector's lifetime.
Finally, the idea that there is a "modern" way to collecting is an idea sold by the makers of contemporary supplies, who would love to have all collectors spend thousands on albums and mounts. I have seen so many collectors get caught up in this - it is worth it if your collection is small, specialized and expensive. It is not worth it if the collection is large and not particularly valuable.
I have tens of thousands of worldwide stamps - I will continue to use hinges unless I have a particularly expensive stamp (i.e. over $5-10 retail). If someone wanted to collect a classic world collection, using something like Vario sheets would definitely be doable. If you are collecting world through the current era, you will quickly run out of space and funds for supplies. I have also seen different era's "modern supplies" like crystal mounts completely destroy collections.
Upon reflection... I should have scripted this episode out, been real busy lately. I would have chosen a few words a bit differently (made more clear that I'll continue to hinge used stamps, for example.) I also would have pointed out that what concerns me is the spaces missing in June's album are some of the more sought after stamps... as you'd expect... and so I'll have to spend good $$ to fill it. And since the album is full of very fine stamps, I'd try to do so too. The idea of putting a hinge on a very fine, unused stamp that I paid good money for... even when I purposely bought MLH... just makes me cringe. I've seen so many stamps torn up by hinges...
@@silkontheweb Regarding the expensive stamps I completely understand where you are coming from - it's not an easy problem as different approaches definitely have advantages and disadvantages. German-made hinges tend to work well if minimally moistened. In box lots when I remove used hinges even of recent vintage, it is rare to damage a stamp if they are carefully removed. Certain countries have very fragile paper like Switzerland non-engraved stamps but I will work around by soaking the stamp or just sliding the tweezers/tongs under the hinge and cutting it at the fold point.
I am sure you will make the right choice for you and it will be great. The point is to enjoy your collection and the time you spend organizing it and making it uniquely yours - your videos show your love of the hobby and careful thought you put into collecting. Thanks for sharing your journey!
I have been struggling with the same dilemma with my Grandfather's Canada collection. It is hinged, but wonderful but it needs to be taken apart and redone properly. I just keep putting it off.
Oh, and avoid Crystal Mount, assuming you can still even find that garbage 😂
Oh my gosh, yes! When I first got my Dad's collection there was a pile of "Crystal" mounts...so I used them up. Even on used stamps. I've since ripped them all out because they looked horrible and barely held the stamps in place. Blech. They were old and looked yellowed in the albums.
Mr. Silk: I think you are making the right decision not hingeing stamps into that album (whether they're already hinged or not), and deciding to preserve June's KGVI stamps better than her album does. It is the right move, heartbreaking as it may be to disassemble her beautiful collection.
You're missing the obvious. The beauty of mint stamps is that they still have the original gum on them. Just lick em and stick em!!!
Jokes aside, completing the album with mounts would not make it look weird at all. Quite the opposite, it will highlight her collection and keep it distinguished from your contribution.
As far as the paper being acidic... well... not much to do about that. Make sure it's actually not acid-free, seeing that it lasted this long with no yellowing. Otherwise, yeah... you may have to spend a few weekends transferring it all to new pages.
Here’s what I would do-keep the album and every time you add a stamp, remount the whole page with black mounts. They will protect the stamps from any minor acid worry. Actually, what I would do is make my own albums for these stamps.
Seeing all those hinged mint stamps, I was wondering about their value. I come out of German philately, and here hinged mint stamps a usually worth only a fraction of the mnh value. I personally think that stamps, even used ones, should nowadays put into mounts unless they are put into stock books (although I even place the more expensive ones into mounts before I put them into my stock books).
What’s your approach going to be? Make up your own pages? And with that worldwide approach, how do you decide which stamps to include? Or are you going to focus on a period of time?
I am quite curious how this is going to develop. Best regards!
In the current market, the collectors of hinged stamps are the winners. Neither type of collector will ultimately see a reasonable return on their investment.
@@paleogCollectors of hinged mint stamps are the winners? Why do you consider this to be the case? As far as I can see, these stamps are hard to sell, unless they are a mlh version of an expensive stamp.
June one's is to be preserved, it is a complete era and a nice album. I would put the most valuable pages under clear mounts, hinges traces on page would be hidden by stamps. I would keep less valuable pages as it, they will mostly be full, stamps wills survive and it shows the example of what to do for high class collecting. It speaks about the old school way to do it. But it is my opinion!
Dismantle Robert's album, it is too much 'hordic' and it will be better in separate albums, it would give lot of pleasure (and time!) to do. It would give you time to convert June's best pages properly and extend her journey! Make it yours!
The George the 5th-George to 6th era of British stamps are truly beautiful. Is there a way to find out if the Stanley Gibbons album is safe for stamps, the paper doesn't look like it is discoloring. I don't know about E-bay being the cause of the dip I believe the dip happened before E-bay existed, in the early 80's.
The previous owner was a good guardian of that heritage, the baton passed to you and need to preserve best you can.
I would mount the stamps as you go
There is a special ph test pen that you can get which lets you know how acidic paper is. Make a mark in an inconspicuous place in the album and the mark will change color to indicate the acidity that is in the paper. That being said, some stamps are very acidic themselves. For instance, I have had copies of Azerbaijan 1-10 which had caused a discoloration in the album. Stamp collecting gives you great freedom in what to do with your stamps; how that they should be arranged. I would suggest that if you place unused, hinged stamps in a mount, make a notation under the stamps that they are hinged. I have purchased collections where everything was in mounts, only to find that unused stamps that I thought were never hinged were hinged.
Great advice!
Currently Germany for me is like collecting multiple countries, but I’m sure I’ll hit a snag somewhere lol. Maybe then I’ll do something with my random worldwide stamps, or bring more order into my future planned (old) Latin America focused collection. I want to try my hand at creating a custom album sometime even if I enjoy my Lindner one a lot currently.
That's next for me! Going to use Steiner Pages
My Tuesdays with Morrie... with stamps??
Go play in another part of your mental house... read a few good books... Picnic with fam... Fishing is nice... the best part of the baseball season is upcoming... !!! Lots of ideas!!
Hmm I’m thinking of what I would do... the album looks indeed to be in really great condition, possibly acid free? (Maybe a test is warranted)I see a few options to consider (haven’t watched the rest of the video yet):
Put all new stamps you have in modern hinges and leave the rest of the stamps of the album as is. Downside: might not look cohesive.
Don’t put these mint stamps you just bought in, put in used versions of that stamp with hinges. That way, if it’s necessary you can remove those hinges from the stamps without damaging any gum. Pro: the album will look cohesive Downsides: the stamps have a higher chance of being damaged in the future. Also I recently removed some older British stamps from an album, should’ve researched probably, but anyways one bled quite badly when removing the hinge (not all) not sure if these are the same or not.
Another option would be to remove all stamps from the album and put them back in with hingeless mounts instead. For the MH ones remove as much of the hinge as you like with whatever method (just leaving it on, removing the gum and hinge, cutting it off with a knife or shortening it with scissors etc.) and place them in the mounts too.
The last option would be to take out the stamps and move them somewhere different, something I would in this case (since the albums still so nice) only do if I have a nicer album with many other stamps in it already waiting. That way I wouldn’t have my collection in two separate albums.
Otherwise I would in this case (surprisingly for my tendencies to destroy albums not mine so far lol) probably use the album myself, but just the option to replace the hinges with mounts. Curious to hear what you’ll be doing! :)
RE: Found for song... Was the song "God Save the King"/
Use transparent mounts if you want to use them in those books.Or take them out and make a stock book country by country. I would never use hinges even on used stamps.
Stock book? No no no.
It's kind of neat to see how much Queen Elizabeth II looks like her mom.
This is a really nice collection and you have many stamps/sets in there which are quite seldom. I saw for example the first set of Bawahalpur (is in Pakistan today), which is not easy to find. I also have the crocodile set, same condition. And to make an example, because I would not try to complete this book is the fact, that you have 2/3 of the set in cancelled condition in the book. How will you solve the problem to include your hinged set? I do not hinge any of my stamps, even if they are hinged.
I own from auctions several books like this, even older from the 1920/40s. Hinged stamps tend to stick to the album, when you look through the book there is a risk to damage them (this happened several times to me) and if you have one or more nice cancelled examples you like to have in your collection or varieties you get fast to your limits. With all of this I´m not a big fan of these sorts of books. Even if especially the green one you presented is outstanding.
From my side I use cards (A5) to be flexible as possible. But with this solution you also have some challenges like: How to include big letters or is it worth, especially for older envelopes to use smaller cards (I do) and with this the collection is divided. Nothing is perfect. But with the cards I can include stamps in every condition, can make remarks like the number etc (whatever I want) and when I get additional stamps from this set I can include them very easy. I started with my "new" system 2 years ago and I don´t think I will get anytime ready with it. But it is so much fun and looking through the parts I finished is yery nice, that I like the solution, even with the challenges.
I think you must find the best way which fits to you how yo want to organize your stamps. But hinging, no, never. Same for these sorts of books.
I wouldn't do anything as it could cause worse trouble than just leaving it as it is. The George VI album is attractive as it is, leave it be. Hopefully no one ever even considers doing this to FDR's collection in the Smithsonian; it would RUIN it!
I have a dream to put my entire worldwide collection in a system of albums or binders. I haven't started because I'm not sure how I want to do it. I have many many thousands of worldwide stamps from many countries. I'd like to discuss further with you to get some advice. Are you interested in helping me?
You've got me thinking about the virtual stampclub idea folks discussed a few months ago... that could be a lot of fun. I'll look into it
@silkontheweb ok I will touch base with you again soon thanks!
It is a devilish dilemma. I would want to do June's album justice also. But hinging stamps....no way. And on that older paper that is not acid-free, no way. And using mounts ibstead in June's album would indeed look weird.
Maybe keep June's album and start your own from scratch and not using any of June's stamps? Maybe thw inspiration June gave you from looking at the album is a tribute enough?
I recently bought a Scott 1840-1940 album (empty). I plan on putting used stamps into it using hinges! In contrast I have a hinge-less USA collection.
Most people start-off as Generalists and then pocus... you went the other way...!!
start with portugal
Hello .
We sent you an email about the stamp collection that you said, please check it
OOps, focus NOT Pocus... pocus makes no sense!!
Looks to me like you have an issue with a very very fine album cover (and the life of its original collector), but in contrast to I-don't-know-what-kind-of-amazing-content, and its preservation. Plus the issue of life in the present, in our time (together with preserving for the future). One factor does appear that the album makers don't seem to have made a bad job of things from more than 50 years ago. Getting down to the nitty-gritty it seems to me that removal of the stamps for a bright new contemporary setting does mean throwing the album in the bin or allowing someone else to purchase it and start from the start, in 2024, rather than 1968 with 1968 know-how. King George remains a moving figure for me personally, so it is gratifying to encounter careful attention with respect to related matters! I am sincerely,
Sorry if alll of this is useless... Sometimes I go into Advice Mode and annoy people...... If I have done so I'm sorry..!!! Only Child syndrome?
Why not mount your collection with the face down and display the gum? You seem to judge the stamp primarily with the gum condition. Who cares about the beauty of the stamp if the gum has been “damaged”? Did you do an acid test on the paper in this album or just leap to the assumption it is not acid free? Just wondering.
While I agree in principle, the problem lies in the fact that the philatelic world has taken a lesson from the numismatic world. I've seen coins go from $100 to $1000 dollars because some guy in a grading factory decided that the MS-62 should be an MS-63. At the end of the day, it's still the same coin.
Likewise in philately.. the market now seems to be putting much more value in condition than in the beauty of the stamp itself. On the plus side, I'm more than happy about paying a fraction of the catalog value because someone stuck a hinge to the back, or if, god forbid, one of the 72 perfs is missing. On the down side, with the new financial incentive, people are starting to soak and re-gum hinged stamps and selling them as MNH. That's why I would hesitate to pay a large premium for MNH on a stamp of high value.
But at the end of my days, when my kids end up selling off my collection, it's in their best interested (and by extension, my best interest) that I do what I can to not devalue the stamps.
I agree that an album such as this does look especially beautiful with the way the pages look full and how the stamps fit together perfectly as though they are all pieces of one jigsaw puzzle. I LOVE seeing that, but the problem is that albums like this simply deteriorate over time and it is nearly impossible to preserve them. I inherited a collection from my Grandparents and many of the stamps, some of them fairly rare, were just in such poor condition from being hinged to an album page (in contact with moisture, other stamps, and from moving around over time) that it greatly decreased the value of the album. Most albums are not kept this well, and even if they were, it is just so difficult to keep them that way. I am all for mounting stamps. Gum condition doesn't matter as much as the condition of the front, but it DOES matter. I have a 15c Columbian that is absolutely gorgeous but the gum on the back is destroyed because it looked like it was glued to black construction paper. You can't tell this by looking at the front, but stamps in that condition almost feel like a lie or like they're hiding a dirty little secret, and I want to replace that US 238 as soon as I can find one for a good price. Hinged is acceptable, but I would, of course, prefer MNH. I've learned to accept hinged stamps in my collection, and I enjoy used stamps as well with the extra dimension of collectibility and storytelling they add to my stamps, but if I am looking for mint stamps, I want the back as close to pristine as possible. It doesn't mean I'm looking at it wrong. Don't deliberately devalue your stamps by hingeing them just to preserve the look of this album. In fact, it may be better to remove the hinged stamps from this album and place them in mounts in order to preserve them for longer. Either find a newer King George VI album that has the room to accommodate mounts, or do your best to refill this same album with the stamps in mounts. Maybe for stamps that are in slots adjacent to each other and that are the same size, you cut custom-length mount strips that will hold 2 or 3 or more stamps all in a row. Just a thought. But honestly, I think you may need a new album for these altogether because through the addition of mounts, the beauty and symmetry of the album will be the destroyed. There is just no way around it with such full pages. The arts-and-crafts-ing you will have to perform to keep these stamps in the same order will ultimately make the page look cramped, busy, and disorganized. Right now, it is almost a work of art, but that symmetry and beauty of the arrangement is harming the collection itself. Either preserve the beauty of the album-- for now--by hinge-ing these and all future stamps (which will also devalue the stamps SEVERELY) even though the album will eventually start to degrade on its own regardless of what you do, or start a new album and preserve THE COLLECTION that this woman put together. I believe the stamps on the pages are more important than the album itself. I suppose you simply have to figure out what is more important TO YOU, but I bristle at the idea of hingeing valuable Mint stamps, and even stamps that are not valuable. I just don't think introducing more moisture and more adhesive is a good idea even to cheap, common stamps, whether MNH or used. Just my slightly-more-than-2 cents.
Don't hinge!!!...damage the stamps more...just my views...
Maybe you burned yourself out? Too much stamp show stuff?
Actually, in the 70s hinge-less mounting was quite common and already preferred for mounting mint stamps. Today, using hinges on mint stamps of any value is completely taboo. ;-) There is a technique for removing hinges from the gum of mint stamps. I use a Q-tip, water, patience and some surgeon's steady hand but leaves the gum intact, albeit disturbed.
Hello. Sir, I sent you a message on TH-cam about the stamp collection and you said to send me an email. I sent an email but you haven't replied yet. please answer
Hmmm... I didn't receive an email from you, my channel's address is in the description of this video...
@@silkontheweb
Well, I told them to email you again.
And I can talk to you on Instagram؟