Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
As suggested by a couple of members, I've moved this to its own thread.
I did a quick search in prior discussions, but didn't really find answers to these questions. So, if you would take a moment to share your experiences.....
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
Thanks
Login to Like
this post
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
I use the black mounts. They look better outlining the stamps, and are more readily available.
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
I use the strips and cut them to size using a mount cutter. I collect world wide stamps, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Pre-cut are more expensive than the strips, and the pre-cut mounts don't come in all sizes.
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
I prefer the Prinz/Scott brand over the Showgard. Scott/Prinz mounts are thinner and more flexible than Showgard. There is no difference in appearance between the two brands, so I do use them interchangeably, but mostly I use the Scott/Prinz brand.
Login to Like
this post
I prefer the Prinz/Scott black mounts because the stamp colors seem to stand out better then the clear backed mounts.
I have a supply of both the sleeves and individual cut mounts. For US stamps I like the individual cut mounts as I can purchase a set for the entire year of issue. Also with individual mounts there is no cutting or waste to deal with.
As suggested in another members post Global Stamps seems to have the best prices on either sleeves or individual mounts.
http://www.globalstamps.com/scottmt1.htm
Global offers free shipping over $25.00 so stock up.
Login to Like
this post
"1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?"
Both. I prefer black mounts if the perforations are in good shape; if their are perf problems -- blunted, short, etc. -- and if the stamp is poorly centred, I use clear mounts which don't contrast with the stamp and therefore make it look a bit better. I rarely mount stamps in albums these days, but I do use them for stamp exhibits.
"2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?"
Sleeve type
"3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?"
I'm currently using Unisafe. I prefer the mounts that open at the top rather than those that are split across the back. The former are easier to use and can be cut to frame stamps precisely. The split-back ones are supposedly designed for stamps of particular sizes, but I find them hard to use and the stamps never look centred in them.
The top-opening styles don't lock the stamps in position very well, but I find if I put sheets in stamp protectors and protectors hold everything in place quite nicely.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
"1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?"
I prefer black mounts, because they enhance the stamp better than the clear mounts do.
"2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?"
Sleeve type because they are more economical and usually the precut mounts don't fit the stamps correctly anyway.
"3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?"
I prefer the split back since they seem to hold the stamps much better.
Whichever type of mount you choose, be sure that you always stand you albums up on end, never lay them down because the mounts will ruin the gum on some of the mint stamps and make them look like they have been shellaced.
Good luck with your choice.
Mike
Login to Like
this post
Hello friends!
1.- I use clear mount of Leuchutturm/Lighthouse because I can adding any quotation before to add the stamp in the album , example: Plate 4, Flaw "o", broke-line, etc.
2.- I not use precut mounts
3.- I prefer Lighthouse for the excellent quality
Regards!
Rodolfo
Login to Like
this post
09:21:45pm
I realise that many of you will find this to border blasphemy, but I mount my stamps with hinges. Yes, hinges.
Last year I won a nice thick comprehensive w/wn album from an auction house in Canada that had all the stamps encased within mounts. It was several times as difficult to pry the stamps loose than if they had been attached with (shush !)hinges. None were harmed by their incarceration but the thing that I noticed was that the collector must have spent several times the album's realised value for the mounts as the stamps were worth *** plus I suspect that the knowledgeable bidders who attendd the auction or participated by the internet seem to have backed away from counter bidding due to the difficulty of inspecting the .
So, despite the shipping cost, I am quite sure I got a bargain.
*** There were some exceptions, but overall even including those better stamps, the seller had to have spent a fortune on mounts.
Login to Like
this post
Charlie:
Stamp hinges as "blasphemy"? Not at all. To each his own, to have and to hold,
to adhere and adhere not.
The stamp-hinge industry has been sitting in the cemetery for over half a century
and has yet to be buried. You are not alone in your addiction and I commend you
for coming out of the closet to publicly declare your use of stamp hinges.
Plastic-obsessed, fair-weather stamp collectors may abandon you, but we
linen-wrapped, mummified relics accept your candid disclosure without judgement,
and admire your courage to stand fast.
"All is grace." (Attributed to St. Thérèse, whom I herewith nominate as
the patron saint of stamp-hinge users.)
John
Login to Like
this post
I use hinges in an old world wide "fun" album that I have. Mounts, however in my primary collection.
One thing that I am seeing more and more of is the use of adhesive tape and surgical tape instead of hinges. This is being done by collectors who ought to know better.
Login to Like
this post
Charlie,
I join you in the merry band of hingers...
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
I personally strongly dislike stamp hinges and do not use - the modern ones do not peel off unless you soak them in water, which is a huge pain. Plus they seem to warp or bulge the stamps.
My preference is to use Vario style plastic stock pages. I also really like Lindner's hingeless albums, but they cost way too much.
Josh
Login to Like
this post
I'm with Charlie and John. Give me a pretty used stamp mounted with an old stock Dennison hinge any day. Besides, life is short and money is scarce. Why spend all that cash on mounts when there are so many other great things do do out there.
Login to Like
this post
09:59:59am
".... My preference is to use Vario style plastic stock pages. ...."
I use the black Vario pages for my Machin Specialty collection. But the two 3" wide albums are so very heavy and with limited strength in my left arm I have a hard time pulling one from the shelf.
I can only immagine the physical size required to covert the Minkus Supreme Global World wide albums to Vario pages and then comes the expense.
I also find the Vario pages handy for some of the specialty themes, such as WW II and British Commonwealth Omnibus issues from the thirties, forties and fifties.
They are also very useful for assembling groups of stamps that will eventually be mounted with hinges on paper pages.
As for the issue of peel-ability, I suspect that out of a thousand stamps mounted less than fifty will ever be moved to another page by me and the collectors who acquire my pages after I'm gone will have their own ideas and problems to solve.
And actually for those few stamps, the GK hinges aren't that bad at all.
Login to Like
this post
I use hinges too. As I've said before, the key with hinges is to use the bare minimum of moisture. In fact I find a hinge that flakes off too easily a more common problem than a stubborn hinge.
I find mounts unaffordable, and costing more than the stamps are worth. Anything that mustn't be hinged goes into a stockbook. Maybe one day I'll get some mounts and try to arrange them nicely... maybe one day. Of course if you like collecting mint stamps or valuable items you can't afford to soak, then obviously hinges are a no-no.
What about hinging a transparent mount?. That way you can move the stamp easily without wasting a mount, and you can lift the stamp to inspect the back. Can anyone who has a spare mounts and some hinges try an experiment and see if it works?
If I may ask a side question, what do people feel about hinging CTO stamps? IMO they have original gum, so hinging them does them harm, however, I've heard different opinions.
Login to Like
this post
I have often seen collections where the stamps were in previously used mounts, and had hinges attached to the back of the mount. Just don't attach the hinge to the mount at any location where there is a separation in the mount, such as the middle, or else moisture will get inside the mount and damage the stamp. And, don't use tape to secure the mount on the page, or the stamp into the mount. (Just some additional observations I have seen in my various reviews of collections through the years.)
Regarding the term "never hinged" or "unmounted" - as stated in the catalogs only refers to unused stamps that were issued with gum, thus the full term "mint, never hinged".
I prefer use of the terms like this:
"mint" = stamp has not seen postal duty and is never hinged as issued directly from the post office
"unused" = stamp has not seen postal duty, but is hinged, or could be never hinged if other damage or defects are present on the stamp
"used" = stamp has seen postal duty whether the stamp is canceled by the post office or not; can include CTO
Getting consistency with collectors is another thing. I do believe the term "mint, never hinged, CTO" is totally wrong, however. I have seen that quite often.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Michael, thanks for your observations on others' collections and albums. It is interesting to see how others have approached this.
as to achieving consistency of usage among us, you might as well put on Icharus' wings now. I do heartily agree that CTO effectively negates MNH.
David
Login to Like
this post
I don't always collect CTO, but when I do, I prefer never hinged. 
Login to Like
this post
George:
Do it your way.
For every member in Stamporama there are at least two opinions, usually a heck of a lot more.
I have tried every method conceivable for mounting stamps; each has its advantages and disadvantages.
If something vexes you, abandon it. Keep the enjoyment in your hobby and you'll keep the hobby.
John Derry
Login to Like
this post
Thanks for the advice John.
I would still like to hear whether hinging a mount actually works since it is plastic, not paper. Although judging from Michael's response, it does seem to adhere.
As for classifications, yeah, I think each person has a different POV. To me "mint" means in original condition. Technically speaking, "mint" cannot be defined in terms of gum because a few stamps were issued without gum and had to be pasted. "MNH" to me is the same as "mint".
However, I appreciate that in auctions, etc., it's practical to distinguish various categories of "unused". E.g., is a stamp essentially in mint condition except for the fact that it was hinged? Then "mint hinged" is a practical classification though a self-contradictory one (once hinged it is no longer in original condition). You want to distinguish that from a "mint no gum" contradiction or a "mint partial gum" contradiction. Oops, I meant classification. That way the buyer knows exactly what they're going to get.
I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used".
Login to Like
this post
George, hinges do hold onto the plastic mounts. It is common the see this in APS sales books.
Login to Like
this post
03:47:51pm
Here is a thought.
Most CTOs were printed somewhere and as a part of that process, a final step in the printing procedure was to add some marks that resembled a postal cancellation. Quite often those marks were applied exactly centered where the perforation lines were to be punched or ground in. (Yes, in many printing facilities perfiorations are ground into the stamp sheets or rolls, not punched as many seem to assume.) Then the rolls were passed through a perforator and a sheet or sheetlet cutter.
Thus the faux cancellation marks were a part of the process and the FDC stamps became: Mint, cancelled, and usually gummed.
For those stamps, mostly referred to as "Iron Curtains", "Sand Dunes" and "Jam Jar Labels" by knowledgeable collctors the title "used" is a misnomer.
They were never used.
Then were never intended to be used.
They had no postal validity from the moment the truck with the parcels left the printing facility.
And actually they were "Mint" since they remained in the condition they were as issued by the national authority.
With that in mind perhaps a trip back to the drawing board might be in order.
Login to Like
this post
Charlie,
I usually agree with you; in this case, I half agree. CTOs were never used, and CAN NEVER be used. They were created only to be sold, and never had postal validity under any circumstances. But to call them mint is not accurate either, in that it is not a mint stamp as issued, but a stamp that has been cancelled but retained its gum. It is more akin to a pre-cancelled or service-inscribed stamp, except that it still has NO postal value, while pre-cancels have that under some circumstances.
I think the best way to call a CTO is a CTO, as it is its own beast. It is not technically the same stamp as its bretheren without cancel, in that it has additional printing on it. Scott might have given all CTOs a minor letter and shown only "used" values; or created another value category for CTOs.
David
Login to Like
this post
Scott lists the CTO stamps for most countries as used, because that it the condition that the stamp is most often available.
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopedia definitions:
"CTO - Term used to describe stamps canceled, usually in quantity, by the issuing postal authority, for sale to the stamp trade, without the stamps having passed through the post."
"Mint - A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" - the intent here being that the stamp is not CTO, and that the stamp as issued is valid for postal use. Italicized text was added by me.
Login to Like
this post
10:49:19am
" ...... "Mint - A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" - the intent here being that the stamp is not CTO, and that the stamp as issued is valid for postal use. Italicized text was added by me. ....."
As you may know, I quite well understand that the custom of the hobby is to group CTOs under the column marked "used," sometimes with an advisory and sometimes without a note of explanation.
However my point is and remains that quite often that so called cancellation is applied as a part of the printing process, even before the gum is applied and the perforation holes ground into the sheets of printed stamps.
In those cases, and that includes many of the Iron Curtain issues, of fond memory, and Sand Dunes that were never, and will never be available at any legitimate post office for use in the country (sic) of supposed origin, these "CTO"s that are as issued are in pristine condition exactly as printed and issued, " .... unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum ...." exactly as released for sale at or by the postal administration..
That there are or were sheets that were run through a printing press after original issue, or as a secondary post printing step, to add a cancellation mark on otherwise unused stamps whose validity had expired that are properly called "remainders" and/or CTOs in not in despute. And I need to add, sometimes just to bump up the sales of their stamps and fill packet dealers requests.
An issue, such as the 1906 Netherlands Tuberculosis set, so often offered by unknowledgeable dealers to unsuspecting buyers as postally used, that all bear the beautifully clear, usually well centered Amsterdam cancel, dated January 31st, 1907,10-12N, is an example of remainders Cancelled To Order by the Netherlands Post. (NVPH #s 84-86)
And I can accept that Scott's and other philatelic sources have a limit of just how much complexity they can have in their listings so that it is convenient to call them "used-CTO".
But I know that, in actual fact, very many of these issues actually meet the definition of MINT just as several have quoted it.
" MINT.... A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" ...."
Login to Like
this post
When you make a point, Charlie, you make a point.
Stand your ground.
Hold fast.
John
Login to Like
this post
lol
It's a matter of how literal you want to take the definition, or accept what the intent of it is. 
Login to Like
this post
Charlie,
I like your reasoning and agree with it. I also wonder what we should consider official first day covers? My thought is that they are simply CTO's with better surrounding packaging.
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
01:43:29pm
To put fine points on these definitions I think that an FDC could be considered in two categories.
One an official FDC would be as you mention a CTO in a ballroomgown.
FDCs created through outside agencies are a form of favor cancel, similar to a handback. A difference would only be that some major company, such as ART CRAFT, has created a cached envelope, sent them off in bulk, either with a stamp affixed or with payment for a stamo to be affixed, and cancelled witin a few days or a month or more of the issue date, and sent back to the company for promopt dispatch to its customers.
Note that in 1969 when the Moon Landing stamp was issued and first day cancels were to be applied, the post office was still applying the stamps and the official first day cancel as long as a year later. The same thing happened when the Elvis stamp was issued.
As long as that occurs The words "First Day of Issue" are actually meaningless. At best the collector can only hoopenthat his treasured FDC might have been servicd on or about the actual first day of usage.
To me the "FDC" designation is meaningless.
A genuine first day cancellation (Note small letters)would be a stamp that was affixed to an envelope and mailed that was processed on that first day of issue, period.
Login to Like
this post
It doesn't have to have anything to do with mounts, Bill. This is an uninhibited stamp club, populated with opinionated, iconoclastic members, and not a court of law. Although I'm not a sailor, I was told by an old salt that, "You can't turn the wind, so turn your sails." I have been turning my sails since I joined Stamporama.
Maybe Charlie had concluded that the stamp-mount discussion was exhausted. I, for one, will cut him some slack.
I request your indulgence.
Warm regards,
John Derry
Login to Like
this post
I couldn't agree more Charlie.
John right on the mark, the free flow is what makes this place home.
And to bring us to topic, you can mount your FDC in many ways, I believe one of the most popular methods is in vario type sheets.
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
I'm a minority on a colored background for the mounts..................I use Showguard clear in strips so I can make my own pages with stamp blocks on the page. The clear mounts allow for the stamps to fit into the space assigned easily. I add data and information under each stamp for reference and identification. I found the black mounts required too much space in my books. Perry
Login to Like
this post
12:48:01pm
You guys had me puzzled for a moment and I wondered what could have caused me to post something about "FDC"s in a topic that was clearly labelled "Mounts".
So I rolled the screen back and glanced at the preceeding messages.
One just before mine extends the discussion, as so often occurs from "mounts" to "FDC"s quite naturally;
" .... I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used". ...."
And that comment seems to have flowed from a previous post;
" .... I don't always collect CTO, but when I do, I prefer never hinged. ...."
As John mentioned, that is the way a free flowing discussion, well, ...."flows".
I doubt that there are very many twenty or more entry threads here that adhere strictly to the same subject other than where the entire thread is devoted to congratulations or possibly, condolences.
The big downside is that sometimes I recall some brilliant exposition about a subject that I'd love to quote or at least refer to, but because it is buried within a long twisting discussion with a completely unrelated title, either I give up or if it is important enough simply try to look through posts from about the same general time frame or with similar keywords that trigger a search engine.
C'est la vie !
The alternative would be to employ the oversight of a Topic's Management Committee to stricty enforce some repressive set of rules, as is done so often by another popular Discussion group that I am sure need not be named.
Login to Like
this post
Charlie,
" .... I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used". ...."
In that context, I agree with you.
Login to Like
this post
01:10:07pm
I know that because of long term convention most collectors and seemingly all catalogs ignore the fact that a significant number of "CTO"s had the supposed cancellation added to the stamp during the printing process, usually before the gum was added and dried and before the perforation holes were ground in, so that convenience will simply never change.
But for those of us who obsess over such minutae in the details of the actual printing process calling all "CTO"s used is a struggle, since when this is done in that sequence the Defaced stamps are precisely as produced and sold by the agency. They are Mint "CTO".
Login to Like
this post
Charlie, I look forward to your posts for their brilliance, their wit, and their on-the-markness. But I uncharactistically disagree here, not because much of your description is wrong (some CTOs are created in the same process at the same time as the stamp was printed) but because the stamp is no longer useful as postage. Better to do what Scott does with precancels (and, frankly, a CTO is little more than a precancel without ANY franking ability) and assign a minor number to it, regardless of when the CTO cancel is applied or how. If we follow your logic, that stamp is a different stamp from the non-CTO sister; if we don't follow your logic, then it's merely a cancelled stamp, albeit cancelled without doing postal duty, much like most stamps on FDCs, which are treated only as cancelled stamps (and as FDC, assuming that it can be identified as thus).
Of course, this is one of those arguments that differs little from those "heads of pins" debates, and is really the matter of 2 different subjective approaches.
An admirer and disagreeer
David
Login to Like
this post
Charlie, and you were doing so well......
Actually, Scott does mention when the cancel of a CTO has been printed on the stamp rather than handcanceled. Check out the early issues of Belize as an example.
Login to Like
this post
10:48:48am
Does anyone use mounting corners in lieu of mounts or hinges? I can't work with mounts & while the stock pages work fantastic I have to separate each album into separate sections (singles, blocks, s/s, FDCs). What's your advice on mounting corners?
Login to Like
this post
"Does anyone use mounting corners in lieu of mounts or hinges? I can't work with mounts & while the stock pages work fantastic I have to separate each album into separate sections (singles, blocks, s/s, FDCs). What's your advice on mounting corners?"
Not a good idea............bends the stamps over time and the glue on the back of the stamp will stick to the mount if any pressure or moisture is applied.
Login to Like
this post
Also, photo mounting corners generally use acidic paper, so the stamp/cover in the corner mounts will wind up with brown corners, ruining the value.
There are philatelic mounting corners. They are safe to use.
Login to Like
this post
03:24:40pm
Thanks for the responses. I was wondering about the philatelic mounting corners. This particular lot is all MNH so I don't want to do any damage to it, I was just curious about the pros and cons of the mounting corners. No doubt it would be easier if I could use the mounts, but I can't see that being an option for me. It works fine in the stock pages, it's just that way things end up being broken into sections and loses it's sense of flow for me.
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
The philatelic mounting corners are meant for postal stationary and large pieces. The corners are large in themselves (About 2 inches or so). They were not intended for regular stamps, and it would be cheaper to buy mounts for that purpose, if that is what you had in mind.
Login to Like
this post
I almost picked up some of those corner mounts today, but after looking at them.. I decided I just didn't like them at all. (and that was before I even saw the corner discussion here)
But I will take back what I said about just cutting the Scott/Showguard mounts down to "strips" and then attaching those strips in place to the paper.
I still dont think they're as good looking (but then again, I can't cut a straight line with a ruler and an exacto knife ) , but they're definitely more secure than I thought they'd be... and it looks like they'll be as affordable for holding stuff in place, and less damage to stamps than hinges directly attached to the stamp.
Login to Like
this post
06:01:19pm
Thanks Michael,
I noticed that they are available in "regular" and "jumbo" size but I haven't seen them to know exactly what size either of those are.
Guess I'll just stick with the stock pages :-)
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
SaintFan - you can find line cutters in craft stores for alot less than what you'd pay for the philatelic version.
Kelly - the standard sizes are 3/4" and 1 3/4"
Login to Like
this post
I got to thinking about checking the craft stores... probably should have done it on my way home...
I forgot how badly philately-based stores have to overcharge their customers.
Picked up one of those counterfeit dollar-bill pen lights for the UV/phosphorous comparisons... for like 10 bucks.. The stamp shop was charging like 60 dollars for a UV light.
The mount-slicer (for lack of a better word) was about 35 .. so I'm hoping I can get it for another 10 at a craft shop.
I just miss the days of the "bright green" peelable hinges that did no damage to stamps... what happened to the "Good ol' days"?
Login to Like
this post
07:10:03pm
I can't cut a straight line either. What does a mount cutter look like?
Login to Like
this post
it's the same thing as a paper slicer, lisa
Sample Cutter
Login to Like
this post
Here are the two mount cutters that I use:
The mount cutter above is by Showgard, and is their largest sized cutter. It will handle most of any collector's needs, but is now running around $60 retail.They have a smaller one that is very limited in what it does, and I don't recommend it.
The cutter above is by Prinze, and will cut any size mount. It is a line cutter, and I only use it for the very large souvenir sheets and full panes that the Showgard cutter isn't large enough to handle. In a craft store, this will be known as a "light paper cutter". It is about 15 inches long and about 4 inches wide. It has two cutters, a solid cutting wheel and a serrated cutting wheel.
Login to Like
this post
The nice thing about these cutters is that they last a very long time. I have never replaced the line cutter or either of its blades. I have had it since around 1990. I got my first Showgard cutter in the late 1970s. It lasted for almost 20 years when the handle broke. The current one has cut around 200,000 mounts and several other things, and is still going strong. It has two blades that interact making a perpetually sharp cutting blade.
Login to Like
this post
Lighthouse has two very nice low-cost UV lamps. They also now make a lost-cost UV lamp that has both short and long wave lamps contained together. Unless you are a heavy user of the UV lamps, the lighthouse lamps will last you a long time too. I've had mine for about 20 years.
Login to Like
this post
Re cutters or slicers or whatever.
I have the small showgard guillotine, which works fairly well. Although on occasion, it will ruin a mount. Walmart stocks a paper cutter manufactured by Westcott that works very well cutting showgard mounts.
Login to Like
this post
I have used a scrapbooking style cutter for years (Fiskars brand) and have been completely satisfied with its mount-cutting performance.
Randy
Login to Like
this post
I fear...I still use Hinges
Login to Like
this post
For the past week or so I have been breaking down a collection that was mounted using crystal mounts, and I have some advice. If you are using crystal mounts for mint stamps, stop right now. If you have already mounted your mint stamps with crystal mount make sure that you stand your album up on a bookshelf. The pressure of the foregoing album pages will sweat the gum of a mint stamp mounted in the crystal mount. Leaving the otherwise post office fresh gum with shiny spots. Don't use a crystal mount that is too small for the stamp! Leave the stamp room to breathe, or else you will be disappointed at the damage. I know that gum is overvalued, but any collector would have been better off by continuing to hinge the stamp rather than mounting in those destructive acetate tubes.
My experience has been that mint stamps correctly mounted using Showgard, Scott mounts, or Hawid will withstand the rigors of time and leave the gum just as if came out of the Postmasters vault.
Login to Like
this post
07:02:30pm
" ... I know that gum is overvalued, but any collector would have been better off by continuing to hinge the stamp rather than mounting in those destructive acetate tubes. ...."
I wonder how many readers have tried to be polite, by turning away from the screen and stifled a guffaw.
Login to Like
this post
09:42:41am
@cdj1122
Charlie, I don't think you really read Les' post and I think you should retract your post.
I agree with Les completely. You will note that he was talking about Crystal Mounts (a trade name, I added the capital letters for him), not mounts like Hawid and Showgard.
Les' warning is absolutely on track. I have been a dealer since 1975, and I have seen many, many collections destroyed by Crystal Mounts. They shrink and wrinkle the stamps, the adhesive strip along the top encourages excess moisture to migrate inside where it "glazes" the gum (if you get a mint stamp that has two shiny patches on the gum top right and top left, it has been in a Crystal mount).
I have learned my lesson so well with these mounts that I will no longer even look at a collection mounted in these, for the purpose buying. I go to many auctions, and If I open an album that has these mounts, I close it up immediately and move on the the next. Let somebody else have the problem of salvaging and selling all those damaged stamps.
Roy
Login to Like
this post
08:34:36am
I am quite sure I read his post and even copied the comment I thought was ironic. I have dismantled far too may collections over the years that had stamps damaged by several kinds of mounts, especially the ones that seal the stamp from ambiant air and often noticed that some collectors spent more on the mounts than the stamps they were trying to protect were, or ever will be, worth.
Thus, I wholeheartedly agree that most collectors would be far better off using good hinges.
Login to Like
this post
It is rarer than an "inverted Jenny" that Charlie and I agree on anything but I have
to agree with him here. People tell me not to use Crystal mount, they don't hold up over
the years ; well all the others don't either. Am beaking down a collection from the 70's where the mints are in Showgard black mounts and the mount is bonding with the stamp.
try to get the stamp out of the mount and little pieces of plastic stick to it. Anyway, bought 4 packs of old, old hinges at the stamp show last week at 5 bucks a pack.
they work great. BTW, the mint stamps that are in the albums I'm breaking that are hinged with old Dennison hinges come right out, the hinges come off easily and you can barely tell the stamps have been hinged.
Login to Like
this post
The demise of the Dennison hinges is probably going to be the biggest enigma in philately. With proper care, little to no damage was caused on a stamp from use of Dennison hinges.
$5.00 a pack? I hope you bought all of them. I have seen those packages go for upwards of $50.00 a pack in auctions. Auction box lots that contain packets of Dennison hinges will sell for great prices.
Login to Like
this post
Actually, I got the last of his Dennison's the last time. Got Old packs of Honorbuilt
(Harris) & Fold-O-Hinge. All green,too. Still much better than anything out today.
Login to Like
this post
BTW: photo corners, they also will turn stamps, covers, etc. brownish or blackish
as they get older. I'm no expert.just a guess but I don't think they are acid-free, either.
Login to Like
this post
02:26:55am
What is the best way to remove mnh from crystal mounts? I've recently come across a handful in a lot I got at some point. I absolutely do not want the stamps damaged & need to remove the mounts - advice?
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
11:12:41am
Along the same lines as Kelly, I have a MNH stamp from a torn up cardboard display page. The mount is clear and appears to be sealed on all four sides. How do I get that out? The mount is damaged as the display page was and I want it out!
Login to Like
this post
I have purchased a few inexpensive collections that used Crystal Mounts with mixed results. Even stamps in albums stored on end in a dry enviroment seem to be damaged by Crystal Mounts. Any MNH stamps that are glazed I figure I can use for postage. Crystal Mounts don't seem to damange used stamps without gum.
Try a hair dryer on low to medium heat to loosen stamps stuck in mounts.
Login to Like
this post
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
I mount my US & Liechtenstein collections (Australia, Canada & Poland hinge - all others on Vario pages). I prefer black mounts for no other reason than I like the way they seem to frame stamps.
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
I prefer to use the sleeve type and cut them myself. Why? It's more cost effective to use sleeves and a penny not spent on supplies is a penny to spend on stamps.
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
So long as they are of archival quality they are fine with me - I have no real brand loyalty when it comes to mounts.
Login to Like
this post
03:56:43pm
re: I want to know ...
As suggested by a couple of members, I've moved this to its own thread.
I did a quick search in prior discussions, but didn't really find answers to these questions. So, if you would take a moment to share your experiences.....
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
Thanks
Login to Like
this post
04:06:47pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
I use the black mounts. They look better outlining the stamps, and are more readily available.
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
I use the strips and cut them to size using a mount cutter. I collect world wide stamps, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Pre-cut are more expensive than the strips, and the pre-cut mounts don't come in all sizes.
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
I prefer the Prinz/Scott brand over the Showgard. Scott/Prinz mounts are thinner and more flexible than Showgard. There is no difference in appearance between the two brands, so I do use them interchangeably, but mostly I use the Scott/Prinz brand.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I prefer the Prinz/Scott black mounts because the stamp colors seem to stand out better then the clear backed mounts.
I have a supply of both the sleeves and individual cut mounts. For US stamps I like the individual cut mounts as I can purchase a set for the entire year of issue. Also with individual mounts there is no cutting or waste to deal with.
As suggested in another members post Global Stamps seems to have the best prices on either sleeves or individual mounts.
http://www.globalstamps.com/scottmt1.htm
Global offers free shipping over $25.00 so stock up.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
"1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?"
Both. I prefer black mounts if the perforations are in good shape; if their are perf problems -- blunted, short, etc. -- and if the stamp is poorly centred, I use clear mounts which don't contrast with the stamp and therefore make it look a bit better. I rarely mount stamps in albums these days, but I do use them for stamp exhibits.
"2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?"
Sleeve type
"3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?"
I'm currently using Unisafe. I prefer the mounts that open at the top rather than those that are split across the back. The former are easier to use and can be cut to frame stamps precisely. The split-back ones are supposedly designed for stamps of particular sizes, but I find them hard to use and the stamps never look centred in them.
The top-opening styles don't lock the stamps in position very well, but I find if I put sheets in stamp protectors and protectors hold everything in place quite nicely.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
"1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?"
I prefer black mounts, because they enhance the stamp better than the clear mounts do.
"2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?"
Sleeve type because they are more economical and usually the precut mounts don't fit the stamps correctly anyway.
"3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?"
I prefer the split back since they seem to hold the stamps much better.
Whichever type of mount you choose, be sure that you always stand you albums up on end, never lay them down because the mounts will ruin the gum on some of the mint stamps and make them look like they have been shellaced.
Good luck with your choice.
Mike
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Hello friends!
1.- I use clear mount of Leuchutturm/Lighthouse because I can adding any quotation before to add the stamp in the album , example: Plate 4, Flaw "o", broke-line, etc.
2.- I not use precut mounts
3.- I prefer Lighthouse for the excellent quality
Regards!
Rodolfo
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
01 Apr 2012
09:21:45pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I realise that many of you will find this to border blasphemy, but I mount my stamps with hinges. Yes, hinges.
Last year I won a nice thick comprehensive w/wn album from an auction house in Canada that had all the stamps encased within mounts. It was several times as difficult to pry the stamps loose than if they had been attached with (shush !)hinges. None were harmed by their incarceration but the thing that I noticed was that the collector must have spent several times the album's realised value for the mounts as the stamps were worth *** plus I suspect that the knowledgeable bidders who attendd the auction or participated by the internet seem to have backed away from counter bidding due to the difficulty of inspecting the .
So, despite the shipping cost, I am quite sure I got a bargain.
*** There were some exceptions, but overall even including those better stamps, the seller had to have spent a fortune on mounts.
Login to Like
this post
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
02 Apr 2012
10:04:14pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie:
Stamp hinges as "blasphemy"? Not at all. To each his own, to have and to hold,
to adhere and adhere not.
The stamp-hinge industry has been sitting in the cemetery for over half a century
and has yet to be buried. You are not alone in your addiction and I commend you
for coming out of the closet to publicly declare your use of stamp hinges.
Plastic-obsessed, fair-weather stamp collectors may abandon you, but we
linen-wrapped, mummified relics accept your candid disclosure without judgement,
and admire your courage to stand fast.
"All is grace." (Attributed to St. Thérèse, whom I herewith nominate as
the patron saint of stamp-hinge users.)
John
Login to Like
this post
11:39:30pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I use hinges in an old world wide "fun" album that I have. Mounts, however in my primary collection.
One thing that I am seeing more and more of is the use of adhesive tape and surgical tape instead of hinges. This is being done by collectors who ought to know better.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie,
I join you in the merry band of hingers...
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I personally strongly dislike stamp hinges and do not use - the modern ones do not peel off unless you soak them in water, which is a huge pain. Plus they seem to warp or bulge the stamps.
My preference is to use Vario style plastic stock pages. I also really like Lindner's hingeless albums, but they cost way too much.
Josh
Login to Like
this post
09:08:04pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I'm with Charlie and John. Give me a pretty used stamp mounted with an old stock Dennison hinge any day. Besides, life is short and money is scarce. Why spend all that cash on mounts when there are so many other great things do do out there.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
05 Apr 2012
09:59:59am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
".... My preference is to use Vario style plastic stock pages. ...."
I use the black Vario pages for my Machin Specialty collection. But the two 3" wide albums are so very heavy and with limited strength in my left arm I have a hard time pulling one from the shelf.
I can only immagine the physical size required to covert the Minkus Supreme Global World wide albums to Vario pages and then comes the expense.
I also find the Vario pages handy for some of the specialty themes, such as WW II and British Commonwealth Omnibus issues from the thirties, forties and fifties.
They are also very useful for assembling groups of stamps that will eventually be mounted with hinges on paper pages.
As for the issue of peel-ability, I suspect that out of a thousand stamps mounted less than fifty will ever be moved to another page by me and the collectors who acquire my pages after I'm gone will have their own ideas and problems to solve.
And actually for those few stamps, the GK hinges aren't that bad at all.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I use hinges too. As I've said before, the key with hinges is to use the bare minimum of moisture. In fact I find a hinge that flakes off too easily a more common problem than a stubborn hinge.
I find mounts unaffordable, and costing more than the stamps are worth. Anything that mustn't be hinged goes into a stockbook. Maybe one day I'll get some mounts and try to arrange them nicely... maybe one day. Of course if you like collecting mint stamps or valuable items you can't afford to soak, then obviously hinges are a no-no.
What about hinging a transparent mount?. That way you can move the stamp easily without wasting a mount, and you can lift the stamp to inspect the back. Can anyone who has a spare mounts and some hinges try an experiment and see if it works?
If I may ask a side question, what do people feel about hinging CTO stamps? IMO they have original gum, so hinging them does them harm, however, I've heard different opinions.
Login to Like
this post
10:13:51am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I have often seen collections where the stamps were in previously used mounts, and had hinges attached to the back of the mount. Just don't attach the hinge to the mount at any location where there is a separation in the mount, such as the middle, or else moisture will get inside the mount and damage the stamp. And, don't use tape to secure the mount on the page, or the stamp into the mount. (Just some additional observations I have seen in my various reviews of collections through the years.)
Regarding the term "never hinged" or "unmounted" - as stated in the catalogs only refers to unused stamps that were issued with gum, thus the full term "mint, never hinged".
I prefer use of the terms like this:
"mint" = stamp has not seen postal duty and is never hinged as issued directly from the post office
"unused" = stamp has not seen postal duty, but is hinged, or could be never hinged if other damage or defects are present on the stamp
"used" = stamp has seen postal duty whether the stamp is canceled by the post office or not; can include CTO
Getting consistency with collectors is another thing. I do believe the term "mint, never hinged, CTO" is totally wrong, however. I have seen that quite often.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Michael, thanks for your observations on others' collections and albums. It is interesting to see how others have approached this.
as to achieving consistency of usage among us, you might as well put on Icharus' wings now. I do heartily agree that CTO effectively negates MNH.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I don't always collect CTO, but when I do, I prefer never hinged.
Login to Like
this post
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
09 Apr 2012
09:15:22pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
George:
Do it your way.
For every member in Stamporama there are at least two opinions, usually a heck of a lot more.
I have tried every method conceivable for mounting stamps; each has its advantages and disadvantages.
If something vexes you, abandon it. Keep the enjoyment in your hobby and you'll keep the hobby.
John Derry
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Thanks for the advice John.
I would still like to hear whether hinging a mount actually works since it is plastic, not paper. Although judging from Michael's response, it does seem to adhere.
As for classifications, yeah, I think each person has a different POV. To me "mint" means in original condition. Technically speaking, "mint" cannot be defined in terms of gum because a few stamps were issued without gum and had to be pasted. "MNH" to me is the same as "mint".
However, I appreciate that in auctions, etc., it's practical to distinguish various categories of "unused". E.g., is a stamp essentially in mint condition except for the fact that it was hinged? Then "mint hinged" is a practical classification though a self-contradictory one (once hinged it is no longer in original condition). You want to distinguish that from a "mint no gum" contradiction or a "mint partial gum" contradiction. Oops, I meant classification. That way the buyer knows exactly what they're going to get.
I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used".
Login to Like
this post
10:26:56pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
George, hinges do hold onto the plastic mounts. It is common the see this in APS sales books.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
11 Apr 2012
03:47:51pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Here is a thought.
Most CTOs were printed somewhere and as a part of that process, a final step in the printing procedure was to add some marks that resembled a postal cancellation. Quite often those marks were applied exactly centered where the perforation lines were to be punched or ground in. (Yes, in many printing facilities perfiorations are ground into the stamp sheets or rolls, not punched as many seem to assume.) Then the rolls were passed through a perforator and a sheet or sheetlet cutter.
Thus the faux cancellation marks were a part of the process and the FDC stamps became: Mint, cancelled, and usually gummed.
For those stamps, mostly referred to as "Iron Curtains", "Sand Dunes" and "Jam Jar Labels" by knowledgeable collctors the title "used" is a misnomer.
They were never used.
Then were never intended to be used.
They had no postal validity from the moment the truck with the parcels left the printing facility.
And actually they were "Mint" since they remained in the condition they were as issued by the national authority.
With that in mind perhaps a trip back to the drawing board might be in order.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie,
I usually agree with you; in this case, I half agree. CTOs were never used, and CAN NEVER be used. They were created only to be sold, and never had postal validity under any circumstances. But to call them mint is not accurate either, in that it is not a mint stamp as issued, but a stamp that has been cancelled but retained its gum. It is more akin to a pre-cancelled or service-inscribed stamp, except that it still has NO postal value, while pre-cancels have that under some circumstances.
I think the best way to call a CTO is a CTO, as it is its own beast. It is not technically the same stamp as its bretheren without cancel, in that it has additional printing on it. Scott might have given all CTOs a minor letter and shown only "used" values; or created another value category for CTOs.
David
Login to Like
this post
01:55:44am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Scott lists the CTO stamps for most countries as used, because that it the condition that the stamp is most often available.
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopedia definitions:
"CTO - Term used to describe stamps canceled, usually in quantity, by the issuing postal authority, for sale to the stamp trade, without the stamps having passed through the post."
"Mint - A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" - the intent here being that the stamp is not CTO, and that the stamp as issued is valid for postal use. Italicized text was added by me.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
15 Apr 2012
10:49:19am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
" ...... "Mint - A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" - the intent here being that the stamp is not CTO, and that the stamp as issued is valid for postal use. Italicized text was added by me. ....."
As you may know, I quite well understand that the custom of the hobby is to group CTOs under the column marked "used," sometimes with an advisory and sometimes without a note of explanation.
However my point is and remains that quite often that so called cancellation is applied as a part of the printing process, even before the gum is applied and the perforation holes ground into the sheets of printed stamps.
In those cases, and that includes many of the Iron Curtain issues, of fond memory, and Sand Dunes that were never, and will never be available at any legitimate post office for use in the country (sic) of supposed origin, these "CTO"s that are as issued are in pristine condition exactly as printed and issued, " .... unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum ...." exactly as released for sale at or by the postal administration..
That there are or were sheets that were run through a printing press after original issue, or as a secondary post printing step, to add a cancellation mark on otherwise unused stamps whose validity had expired that are properly called "remainders" and/or CTOs in not in despute. And I need to add, sometimes just to bump up the sales of their stamps and fill packet dealers requests.
An issue, such as the 1906 Netherlands Tuberculosis set, so often offered by unknowledgeable dealers to unsuspecting buyers as postally used, that all bear the beautifully clear, usually well centered Amsterdam cancel, dated January 31st, 1907,10-12N, is an example of remainders Cancelled To Order by the Netherlands Post. (NVPH #s 84-86)
And I can accept that Scott's and other philatelic sources have a limit of just how much complexity they can have in their listings so that it is convenient to call them "used-CTO".
But I know that, in actual fact, very many of these issues actually meet the definition of MINT just as several have quoted it.
" MINT.... A stamp in pristine condition, exactly as issued by the post office - unused, unfaded, undamaged, and with original gum" ...."
Login to Like
this post
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
15 Apr 2012
08:12:17pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
When you make a point, Charlie, you make a point.
Stand your ground.
Hold fast.
John
Login to Like
this post
10:24:41pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
lol
It's a matter of how literal you want to take the definition, or accept what the intent of it is.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie,
I like your reasoning and agree with it. I also wonder what we should consider official first day covers? My thought is that they are simply CTO's with better surrounding packaging.
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
16 Apr 2012
01:43:29pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
To put fine points on these definitions I think that an FDC could be considered in two categories.
One an official FDC would be as you mention a CTO in a ballroomgown.
FDCs created through outside agencies are a form of favor cancel, similar to a handback. A difference would only be that some major company, such as ART CRAFT, has created a cached envelope, sent them off in bulk, either with a stamp affixed or with payment for a stamo to be affixed, and cancelled witin a few days or a month or more of the issue date, and sent back to the company for promopt dispatch to its customers.
Note that in 1969 when the Moon Landing stamp was issued and first day cancels were to be applied, the post office was still applying the stamps and the official first day cancel as long as a year later. The same thing happened when the Elvis stamp was issued.
As long as that occurs The words "First Day of Issue" are actually meaningless. At best the collector can only hoopenthat his treasured FDC might have been servicd on or about the actual first day of usage.
To me the "FDC" designation is meaningless.
A genuine first day cancellation (Note small letters)would be a stamp that was affixed to an envelope and mailed that was processed on that first day of issue, period.
Login to Like
this post
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
16 Apr 2012
03:09:23pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
It doesn't have to have anything to do with mounts, Bill. This is an uninhibited stamp club, populated with opinionated, iconoclastic members, and not a court of law. Although I'm not a sailor, I was told by an old salt that, "You can't turn the wind, so turn your sails." I have been turning my sails since I joined Stamporama.
Maybe Charlie had concluded that the stamp-mount discussion was exhausted. I, for one, will cut him some slack.
I request your indulgence.
Warm regards,
John Derry
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I couldn't agree more Charlie.
John right on the mark, the free flow is what makes this place home.
And to bring us to topic, you can mount your FDC in many ways, I believe one of the most popular methods is in vario type sheets.
Alyn
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I'm a minority on a colored background for the mounts..................I use Showguard clear in strips so I can make my own pages with stamp blocks on the page. The clear mounts allow for the stamps to fit into the space assigned easily. I add data and information under each stamp for reference and identification. I found the black mounts required too much space in my books. Perry
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
29 Apr 2012
12:48:01pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
You guys had me puzzled for a moment and I wondered what could have caused me to post something about "FDC"s in a topic that was clearly labelled "Mounts".
So I rolled the screen back and glanced at the preceeding messages.
One just before mine extends the discussion, as so often occurs from "mounts" to "FDC"s quite naturally;
" .... I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used". ...."
And that comment seems to have flowed from a previous post;
" .... I don't always collect CTO, but when I do, I prefer never hinged. ...."
As John mentioned, that is the way a free flowing discussion, well, ...."flows".
I doubt that there are very many twenty or more entry threads here that adhere strictly to the same subject other than where the entire thread is devoted to congratulations or possibly, condolences.
The big downside is that sometimes I recall some brilliant exposition about a subject that I'd love to quote or at least refer to, but because it is buried within a long twisting discussion with a completely unrelated title, either I give up or if it is important enough simply try to look through posts from about the same general time frame or with similar keywords that trigger a search engine.
C'est la vie !
The alternative would be to employ the oversight of a Topic's Management Committee to stricty enforce some repressive set of rules, as is done so often by another popular Discussion group that I am sure need not be named.
Login to Like
this post
12:50:39pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie,
" .... I disagree about CTO, though. They're not used stamps because they were deliberately cancelled to avoid postal use. Sure, they're no longer mint, but while you can call them "cancelled", they are not "used". ...."
In that context, I agree with you.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
29 Apr 2012
01:10:07pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I know that because of long term convention most collectors and seemingly all catalogs ignore the fact that a significant number of "CTO"s had the supposed cancellation added to the stamp during the printing process, usually before the gum was added and dried and before the perforation holes were ground in, so that convenience will simply never change.
But for those of us who obsess over such minutae in the details of the actual printing process calling all "CTO"s used is a struggle, since when this is done in that sequence the Defaced stamps are precisely as produced and sold by the agency. They are Mint "CTO".
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie, I look forward to your posts for their brilliance, their wit, and their on-the-markness. But I uncharactistically disagree here, not because much of your description is wrong (some CTOs are created in the same process at the same time as the stamp was printed) but because the stamp is no longer useful as postage. Better to do what Scott does with precancels (and, frankly, a CTO is little more than a precancel without ANY franking ability) and assign a minor number to it, regardless of when the CTO cancel is applied or how. If we follow your logic, that stamp is a different stamp from the non-CTO sister; if we don't follow your logic, then it's merely a cancelled stamp, albeit cancelled without doing postal duty, much like most stamps on FDCs, which are treated only as cancelled stamps (and as FDC, assuming that it can be identified as thus).
Of course, this is one of those arguments that differs little from those "heads of pins" debates, and is really the matter of 2 different subjective approaches.
An admirer and disagreeer
David
Login to Like
this post
02:41:06pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Charlie, and you were doing so well......
Actually, Scott does mention when the cancel of a CTO has been printed on the stamp rather than handcanceled. Check out the early issues of Belize as an example.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
02 Jun 2012
10:48:48am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Does anyone use mounting corners in lieu of mounts or hinges? I can't work with mounts & while the stock pages work fantastic I have to separate each album into separate sections (singles, blocks, s/s, FDCs). What's your advice on mounting corners?
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
"Does anyone use mounting corners in lieu of mounts or hinges? I can't work with mounts & while the stock pages work fantastic I have to separate each album into separate sections (singles, blocks, s/s, FDCs). What's your advice on mounting corners?"
Not a good idea............bends the stamps over time and the glue on the back of the stamp will stick to the mount if any pressure or moisture is applied.
Login to Like
this post
01:35:51pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Also, photo mounting corners generally use acidic paper, so the stamp/cover in the corner mounts will wind up with brown corners, ruining the value.
There are philatelic mounting corners. They are safe to use.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
02 Jun 2012
03:24:40pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Thanks for the responses. I was wondering about the philatelic mounting corners. This particular lot is all MNH so I don't want to do any damage to it, I was just curious about the pros and cons of the mounting corners. No doubt it would be easier if I could use the mounts, but I can't see that being an option for me. It works fine in the stock pages, it's just that way things end up being broken into sections and loses it's sense of flow for me.
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
04:27:53pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
The philatelic mounting corners are meant for postal stationary and large pieces. The corners are large in themselves (About 2 inches or so). They were not intended for regular stamps, and it would be cheaper to buy mounts for that purpose, if that is what you had in mind.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I almost picked up some of those corner mounts today, but after looking at them.. I decided I just didn't like them at all. (and that was before I even saw the corner discussion here)
But I will take back what I said about just cutting the Scott/Showguard mounts down to "strips" and then attaching those strips in place to the paper.
I still dont think they're as good looking (but then again, I can't cut a straight line with a ruler and an exacto knife ) , but they're definitely more secure than I thought they'd be... and it looks like they'll be as affordable for holding stuff in place, and less damage to stamps than hinges directly attached to the stamp.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
02 Jun 2012
06:01:19pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Thanks Michael,
I noticed that they are available in "regular" and "jumbo" size but I haven't seen them to know exactly what size either of those are.
Guess I'll just stick with the stock pages :-)
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
06:15:06pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
SaintFan - you can find line cutters in craft stores for alot less than what you'd pay for the philatelic version.
Kelly - the standard sizes are 3/4" and 1 3/4"
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I got to thinking about checking the craft stores... probably should have done it on my way home...
I forgot how badly philately-based stores have to overcharge their customers.
Picked up one of those counterfeit dollar-bill pen lights for the UV/phosphorous comparisons... for like 10 bucks.. The stamp shop was charging like 60 dollars for a UV light.
The mount-slicer (for lack of a better word) was about 35 .. so I'm hoping I can get it for another 10 at a craft shop.
I just miss the days of the "bright green" peelable hinges that did no damage to stamps... what happened to the "Good ol' days"?
Login to Like
this post
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
02 Jun 2012
07:10:03pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I can't cut a straight line either. What does a mount cutter look like?
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
it's the same thing as a paper slicer, lisa
Sample Cutter
Login to Like
this post
07:38:24pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Here are the two mount cutters that I use:
The mount cutter above is by Showgard, and is their largest sized cutter. It will handle most of any collector's needs, but is now running around $60 retail.They have a smaller one that is very limited in what it does, and I don't recommend it.
The cutter above is by Prinze, and will cut any size mount. It is a line cutter, and I only use it for the very large souvenir sheets and full panes that the Showgard cutter isn't large enough to handle. In a craft store, this will be known as a "light paper cutter". It is about 15 inches long and about 4 inches wide. It has two cutters, a solid cutting wheel and a serrated cutting wheel.
Login to Like
this post
07:43:37pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
The nice thing about these cutters is that they last a very long time. I have never replaced the line cutter or either of its blades. I have had it since around 1990. I got my first Showgard cutter in the late 1970s. It lasted for almost 20 years when the handle broke. The current one has cut around 200,000 mounts and several other things, and is still going strong. It has two blades that interact making a perpetually sharp cutting blade.
Login to Like
this post
07:45:38pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Lighthouse has two very nice low-cost UV lamps. They also now make a lost-cost UV lamp that has both short and long wave lamps contained together. Unless you are a heavy user of the UV lamps, the lighthouse lamps will last you a long time too. I've had mine for about 20 years.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Re cutters or slicers or whatever.
I have the small showgard guillotine, which works fairly well. Although on occasion, it will ruin a mount. Walmart stocks a paper cutter manufactured by Westcott that works very well cutting showgard mounts.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I have used a scrapbooking style cutter for years (Fiskars brand) and have been completely satisfied with its mount-cutting performance.
Randy
Login to Like
this post
04:03:59am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I fear...I still use Hinges
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
For the past week or so I have been breaking down a collection that was mounted using crystal mounts, and I have some advice. If you are using crystal mounts for mint stamps, stop right now. If you have already mounted your mint stamps with crystal mount make sure that you stand your album up on a bookshelf. The pressure of the foregoing album pages will sweat the gum of a mint stamp mounted in the crystal mount. Leaving the otherwise post office fresh gum with shiny spots. Don't use a crystal mount that is too small for the stamp! Leave the stamp room to breathe, or else you will be disappointed at the damage. I know that gum is overvalued, but any collector would have been better off by continuing to hinge the stamp rather than mounting in those destructive acetate tubes.
My experience has been that mint stamps correctly mounted using Showgard, Scott mounts, or Hawid will withstand the rigors of time and leave the gum just as if came out of the Postmasters vault.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
25 Jun 2012
07:02:30pm
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
" ... I know that gum is overvalued, but any collector would have been better off by continuing to hinge the stamp rather than mounting in those destructive acetate tubes. ...."
I wonder how many readers have tried to be polite, by turning away from the screen and stifled a guffaw.
Login to Like
this post
BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
26 Jun 2012
09:42:41am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
@cdj1122
Charlie, I don't think you really read Les' post and I think you should retract your post.
I agree with Les completely. You will note that he was talking about Crystal Mounts (a trade name, I added the capital letters for him), not mounts like Hawid and Showgard.
Les' warning is absolutely on track. I have been a dealer since 1975, and I have seen many, many collections destroyed by Crystal Mounts. They shrink and wrinkle the stamps, the adhesive strip along the top encourages excess moisture to migrate inside where it "glazes" the gum (if you get a mint stamp that has two shiny patches on the gum top right and top left, it has been in a Crystal mount).
I have learned my lesson so well with these mounts that I will no longer even look at a collection mounted in these, for the purpose buying. I go to many auctions, and If I open an album that has these mounts, I close it up immediately and move on the the next. Let somebody else have the problem of salvaging and selling all those damaged stamps.
Roy
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
27 Jun 2012
08:34:36am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I am quite sure I read his post and even copied the comment I thought was ironic. I have dismantled far too may collections over the years that had stamps damaged by several kinds of mounts, especially the ones that seal the stamp from ambiant air and often noticed that some collectors spent more on the mounts than the stamps they were trying to protect were, or ever will be, worth.
Thus, I wholeheartedly agree that most collectors would be far better off using good hinges.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
It is rarer than an "inverted Jenny" that Charlie and I agree on anything but I have
to agree with him here. People tell me not to use Crystal mount, they don't hold up over
the years ; well all the others don't either. Am beaking down a collection from the 70's where the mints are in Showgard black mounts and the mount is bonding with the stamp.
try to get the stamp out of the mount and little pieces of plastic stick to it. Anyway, bought 4 packs of old, old hinges at the stamp show last week at 5 bucks a pack.
they work great. BTW, the mint stamps that are in the albums I'm breaking that are hinged with old Dennison hinges come right out, the hinges come off easily and you can barely tell the stamps have been hinged.
Login to Like
this post
10:24:31am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
The demise of the Dennison hinges is probably going to be the biggest enigma in philately. With proper care, little to no damage was caused on a stamp from use of Dennison hinges.
$5.00 a pack? I hope you bought all of them. I have seen those packages go for upwards of $50.00 a pack in auctions. Auction box lots that contain packets of Dennison hinges will sell for great prices.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Actually, I got the last of his Dennison's the last time. Got Old packs of Honorbuilt
(Harris) & Fold-O-Hinge. All green,too. Still much better than anything out today.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
BTW: photo corners, they also will turn stamps, covers, etc. brownish or blackish
as they get older. I'm no expert.just a guess but I don't think they are acid-free, either.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
30 Jun 2012
02:26:55am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
What is the best way to remove mnh from crystal mounts? I've recently come across a handful in a lot I got at some point. I absolutely do not want the stamps damaged & need to remove the mounts - advice?
Kelly
Login to Like
this post
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
30 Jun 2012
11:12:41am
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
Along the same lines as Kelly, I have a MNH stamp from a torn up cardboard display page. The mount is clear and appears to be sealed on all four sides. How do I get that out? The mount is damaged as the display page was and I want it out!
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
I have purchased a few inexpensive collections that used Crystal Mounts with mixed results. Even stamps in albums stored on end in a dry enviroment seem to be damaged by Crystal Mounts. Any MNH stamps that are glazed I figure I can use for postage. Crystal Mounts don't seem to damange used stamps without gum.
Try a hair dryer on low to medium heat to loosen stamps stuck in mounts.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp mounts -- recommendations?
1. If you "mount" your stamps, do you use clear or black mounts.... and why?
I mount my US & Liechtenstein collections (Australia, Canada & Poland hinge - all others on Vario pages). I prefer black mounts for no other reason than I like the way they seem to frame stamps.
2. Do you use pre-cut mounts or do you use the "sleeve" type and cut it to length... and why?
I prefer to use the sleeve type and cut them myself. Why? It's more cost effective to use sleeves and a penny not spent on supplies is a penny to spend on stamps.
3. Do you prefer one brand of product over another... and why?
So long as they are of archival quality they are fine with me - I have no real brand loyalty when it comes to mounts.
Login to Like
this post