Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I am looking for some advice. A little bit of background. My dad got me interested in stamp collecting as a young child which I continued through my teens. Then I stopped for a few decades and now am back into it and enjoying my time with my collection. I have sorted through much of my accumulation and am now ready to organize my general world wide collection.
My dad bought me a Statesman Stamp album when I was young and I continued to update the supplements until the mid nineties. Against everything that I read and against my dad's pleas I did a very very bad thing. I even hate to admit that I did this especially in a stamp forum and I apologize in advance to everyone for what I did. Instead of using hinges (they kept falling off and please remember I was young and foolish at the time) I used scotch tape. Sadly the damage has been done.
Now my question is this. Should I use my Statesman album (now about five binders because of the supplements) and place my new stamps in it (with hinges..I will never ever use tape again) and replace the ones that I damaged with the tape or should I start fresh? I am leaning towards using the Statesman albums mostly for sentimental reasons but know it will be a lot of work "fixing" what I did. Maybe I really can't fix what I did all those years ago. I just cannot make a decision so I have done nothing. Any thoughts, advice or comments to help me decide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much. Janinne
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12:52:27pm
This might not help. Did you put the tape behind the stamp as a little roll or did you tape over the stamp? I assume the latter. I made a bit of a mistake myself, but luckily did no damage to the stamps. I had some blocks that I put into clear mountings. The stamps used to slide out so I put small pieces of scotch tape over the openings of the mounting. This was about 20 years ago and eventually the tape fell off but the tape's glue left a few ugly brown stains that soaked right through the page. I only taped a couple blocks into the mounting, probably only half a douzen, so I can live with the results. It sounds like you might have a bigger problem, but maybe it depends on the kind of tape. Good luck and I bet other members will give more advice.
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Hi Janinne,
Sadly we all make mistakes, and hopefully we learn from them. Early on I did as you did, and do feel your pain. Moving on though, we start anew with greater knowledge.
Perhaps consider your Statesman albums as legacy/history/heirlooms with a story to share, and continuing with what you started in a wiser way. Know that there is no 'correct' way to collect-it is only that which brings you satisfaction. If you are able to embrace the early stuff, and can implement the new approach, whatever you decide IS the correct way to go about it.
Reaching out to our members here is exactly the right thing to do. There are many knowledgeable folk who will reach back.
Welcome aboard, and happy collecting.
Dan C.
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01:01:49pm
I just remembered reading something quite a while ago about early stamp collecting - in the pre-hinge era (PHE?). These very early collectors used to paste in the stamps. This is sort of considered acceptable now, especially if left in the original album and considered as a collectible on it's own. I know this is of no help to you, just though I'd mention it!
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A couple of years ago I bought a collection which had about 50 stamps stuck in with sellotape(on the back).I used alcohol to remove them.It worked fine.Go to your local Chemist and get a small bottle of pure stuff.You might have to sign a form,I had to.
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Assuming that you used something like Sello or Scotch tape try this :
There are a number of other things can be used but I need to know exactly what you used.A picture or two of a couple of pages would be helpful.
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I remove stamps (several hundred at a time) from cardboard, cellophane, packing tape, and paper a couple times per year for a major stamp company using 100% NATURAL NON AEROSOL PURE CITRUS ORANGE AIR FRESHENER. I obtain this product at Home Depot. I come across the tape you are talking about, and have removed it without difficulty. If it's been on the back of the stamp a long time, you may run into brown adhesive staining (not good). I will gladly mail out the original paper by Dr. Joanne Berkowitz describing this process to anyone interested.
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Is this the stuff you mean?:
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'
I am a Big Fan of Pure Citrus, and offer:
Use the Orange flavor, which seems to be available only from Home Depot. (I suspect that this was an early marketing concession that got them into that chain.) I tried another flavor, and it really lacked the kick of the original.
Don't expect Pure Citrus to help with staining. It is a solvent, and will help you get the stamps away from the tape ... but it won't reverse chemical reactions.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey (whose big brother introduced him to the hobby by handing over a maybe green maybe hardcover album with words along the lines of "I licked the stamps, but that's the wrong way, so find out the right way, and don't do what I did")
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YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE CARBON TETRACHLORIDE!!! It is highly toxic and a well-known, serious cancer causing agent that was used in the dry cleaning business.
As regards to the tape on stamps, I think Dan hinted that it would be best to consider those stamps a loss and move on. The album pages will most likely have the adhesive (highly acidic) on them as well. Using the pages will only cause the acidic adhesive to leech onto any stamp that you place on the page.
Used albums, usually in great condition are easily found on online shopping sites (like Ebay), and in box lots from stamp dealers.
It's unfortunate, but sometimes you just have to regroup and start over.
That, at least, is my opinion.
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We've all made mistakes along the way.
Mine was licking the stamps and pasting them into books.
Fortunately, I was still able to redeem them for a nice two-slice toaster.
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Yes, I too did not know better when I started collecting around age 12 just after WWII. I couldn't make hinges stick good so I went to Scotch tape also. I don't remember what happened to the album but I think a few of the stamps are in a glassine some where in the hundred or so shoe boxes of stamps that I have.
Jim
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Dollars to donuts (whatever that means!), the "scotched" stamps are probably all common and easy to replace. It would probably be inexpensive and even fun to replace them. And the album? Recycle it. You can probably find many of them on eBay or Amazon for next to nothing, except for shipping.
The pleasure of philately comes more from the search, not the actual ownership. I have stamps and covers that I paid big bucks for and now rarely look at. You might want to forget commercial albums altogether and make your own albums using your computer and a printer. Stockbooks can make attractive, practical albums as well. Whatever you do, welcome back to collecting!
Bob
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'
My own bottom line is that I'd keep the childhood album, as is.
I would treat nothing, remove nothing.
It is still a keepsake from your dad ... that doesn't change.
Was it ever about the stamps?
If it was, is it now?
Start fresh, as an adult: "Okay, Dad, this time I'll listen, and do it right."
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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12:10:10pm
Now that I've seen a bunch of replies I would agree with IkeyPikey 100%! Leave the album the way it is and either start over or build on what is there. Even with tape you still have the stamp to look at and your father to remember. There's an "urban myth" out there about the little old lady who inherited her husband's stamp collection when he died and noticed some f the stamps were loose. Not knowing about stamp collecting, she taped many of the valuable stamps in the book. I wonder if anyone knows if this ever happened!
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Thanks so much to everyone that has offered help on my dilemma. I went back to my albums to check on the condition. Sadly it is not just the stamps but the marks left on the album. I am thinking that it is not a good idea to put new stamps in the album at this point. As well I am noticing that the album pages themselves are yellowing which doesn't bode well for my stamps. I will keep the albums as they are very special to me and perhaps one day I will replace the damaged stamps but for now I think I will leave it as it is.
Now my dilemma is what reasonably priced worldwide album should I look to purchase or should I try my hand at making my own pages with some software. On ebay what is considered a reasonable price on a used album?
The good news is that while I was checking out if I had damaged any high value stamps (there were none
) I found another potential topical stamp collection. There are penguins on stamps!!! My new collection has begun.
Thanks again for all your responses. They were so encouraging and have given me much food for thought. Thank you.
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08:22:41pm
Best of luck - happy collecting!
As far as a world album goes, anything half decent is very expensive. I hate to think what volumes of Scott's international would cost now. You are probably better off designing your own printing pages as you need them. It's not the way I do it so take advice from the many people on SOR that approach it that way.
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Penguin17 re penguins on stamps
That is a very good choice.I don,t collect them but have been very impressed with the stamps I have seen.Some of the penguin related stamps from Chile are really attractive.
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'
https://penguinstamps.org/
The Penguins on Stamps Study Unit #267 of the American Topical Association (ATA) might offer checklists of stamps featuring penguins as part of their membership.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey (American Topical Association ATA 57527)
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"Dollars to donuts (whatever that means!)"
Back when that phrase was coined, donuts only cost a dime or so. If you were dead sure about something, and wanted to give someone good odds on a bet, you would wager 5 dollars, while your opponent only had to risk 5 donuts. With the price of donuts, these days, the odds are now reversed.
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The Penguins on Stamps Study Unit does offer a checklist as part of membership.
I'm not just a member, I'm 2nd VP. 
Jeff
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Hi Anglo Bob
It was actually the stamps from Chile that I saw in the Scott catalogue that made me aware of penguins on stamps. They are next on my "wish list" 
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the stories reminded me of one...
back when I was a kid I collected stamps. My uncle was a stamp collector and when he came to visit he brought me a nice little packet of plate blocks. I was thrilled.
After he left my whiny little sister was crying, "why uncle didn't give her any stamps?" She wanted stamps too! (not that she ever did so before this) So my mother grabbed the packet from me and said, "don't be greedy, you have four of each stamp" and tore the plate blocks in half, giving my sister and I each a half!
Of course sister toddled off triumphantly (because she was able to take something from me) and immediately licked and stuck all her stamps onto furniture in her room.
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06:52:24pm
Thank God I did't have a whiny sister. I collected Marvel comics when I was a kid in the 1960's and even had Spiderman #1 from 1963. I still collect Marvel comics and what I started with then (including SM#1 ) is the base of a collection of about 3000 silver age Marvel comics. A lot of my friends had mothers who threw everything away when they left home - I was smarter, I took my stuff with me! I started collecting stamps in about 1972. This is not really a stamp collecting mistake, I haven't really made one yet. There's still lots of time for that!!!
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12:28:38pm
Hi Everyone
I am looking for some advice. A little bit of background. My dad got me interested in stamp collecting as a young child which I continued through my teens. Then I stopped for a few decades and now am back into it and enjoying my time with my collection. I have sorted through much of my accumulation and am now ready to organize my general world wide collection.
My dad bought me a Statesman Stamp album when I was young and I continued to update the supplements until the mid nineties. Against everything that I read and against my dad's pleas I did a very very bad thing. I even hate to admit that I did this especially in a stamp forum and I apologize in advance to everyone for what I did. Instead of using hinges (they kept falling off and please remember I was young and foolish at the time) I used scotch tape. Sadly the damage has been done.
Now my question is this. Should I use my Statesman album (now about five binders because of the supplements) and place my new stamps in it (with hinges..I will never ever use tape again) and replace the ones that I damaged with the tape or should I start fresh? I am leaning towards using the Statesman albums mostly for sentimental reasons but know it will be a lot of work "fixing" what I did. Maybe I really can't fix what I did all those years ago. I just cannot make a decision so I have done nothing. Any thoughts, advice or comments to help me decide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much. Janinne
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
16 Jul 2019
12:52:27pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
This might not help. Did you put the tape behind the stamp as a little roll or did you tape over the stamp? I assume the latter. I made a bit of a mistake myself, but luckily did no damage to the stamps. I had some blocks that I put into clear mountings. The stamps used to slide out so I put small pieces of scotch tape over the openings of the mounting. This was about 20 years ago and eventually the tape fell off but the tape's glue left a few ugly brown stains that soaked right through the page. I only taped a couple blocks into the mounting, probably only half a douzen, so I can live with the results. It sounds like you might have a bigger problem, but maybe it depends on the kind of tape. Good luck and I bet other members will give more advice.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Hi Janinne,
Sadly we all make mistakes, and hopefully we learn from them. Early on I did as you did, and do feel your pain. Moving on though, we start anew with greater knowledge.
Perhaps consider your Statesman albums as legacy/history/heirlooms with a story to share, and continuing with what you started in a wiser way. Know that there is no 'correct' way to collect-it is only that which brings you satisfaction. If you are able to embrace the early stuff, and can implement the new approach, whatever you decide IS the correct way to go about it.
Reaching out to our members here is exactly the right thing to do. There are many knowledgeable folk who will reach back.
Welcome aboard, and happy collecting.
Dan C.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
16 Jul 2019
01:01:49pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
I just remembered reading something quite a while ago about early stamp collecting - in the pre-hinge era (PHE?). These very early collectors used to paste in the stamps. This is sort of considered acceptable now, especially if left in the original album and considered as a collectible on it's own. I know this is of no help to you, just though I'd mention it!
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
A couple of years ago I bought a collection which had about 50 stamps stuck in with sellotape(on the back).I used alcohol to remove them.It worked fine.Go to your local Chemist and get a small bottle of pure stuff.You might have to sign a form,I had to.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Assuming that you used something like Sello or Scotch tape try this :
There are a number of other things can be used but I need to know exactly what you used.A picture or two of a couple of pages would be helpful.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
I remove stamps (several hundred at a time) from cardboard, cellophane, packing tape, and paper a couple times per year for a major stamp company using 100% NATURAL NON AEROSOL PURE CITRUS ORANGE AIR FRESHENER. I obtain this product at Home Depot. I come across the tape you are talking about, and have removed it without difficulty. If it's been on the back of the stamp a long time, you may run into brown adhesive staining (not good). I will gladly mail out the original paper by Dr. Joanne Berkowitz describing this process to anyone interested.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Is this the stuff you mean?:
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
'
I am a Big Fan of Pure Citrus, and offer:
Use the Orange flavor, which seems to be available only from Home Depot. (I suspect that this was an early marketing concession that got them into that chain.) I tried another flavor, and it really lacked the kick of the original.
Don't expect Pure Citrus to help with staining. It is a solvent, and will help you get the stamps away from the tape ... but it won't reverse chemical reactions.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey (whose big brother introduced him to the hobby by handing over a maybe green maybe hardcover album with words along the lines of "I licked the stamps, but that's the wrong way, so find out the right way, and don't do what I did")
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06:10:02pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE CARBON TETRACHLORIDE!!! It is highly toxic and a well-known, serious cancer causing agent that was used in the dry cleaning business.
As regards to the tape on stamps, I think Dan hinted that it would be best to consider those stamps a loss and move on. The album pages will most likely have the adhesive (highly acidic) on them as well. Using the pages will only cause the acidic adhesive to leech onto any stamp that you place on the page.
Used albums, usually in great condition are easily found on online shopping sites (like Ebay), and in box lots from stamp dealers.
It's unfortunate, but sometimes you just have to regroup and start over.
That, at least, is my opinion.
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07:50:56pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
We've all made mistakes along the way.
Mine was licking the stamps and pasting them into books.
Fortunately, I was still able to redeem them for a nice two-slice toaster.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Yes, I too did not know better when I started collecting around age 12 just after WWII. I couldn't make hinges stick good so I went to Scotch tape also. I don't remember what happened to the album but I think a few of the stamps are in a glassine some where in the hundred or so shoe boxes of stamps that I have.
Jim
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Dollars to donuts (whatever that means!), the "scotched" stamps are probably all common and easy to replace. It would probably be inexpensive and even fun to replace them. And the album? Recycle it. You can probably find many of them on eBay or Amazon for next to nothing, except for shipping.
The pleasure of philately comes more from the search, not the actual ownership. I have stamps and covers that I paid big bucks for and now rarely look at. You might want to forget commercial albums altogether and make your own albums using your computer and a printer. Stockbooks can make attractive, practical albums as well. Whatever you do, welcome back to collecting!
Bob
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
'
My own bottom line is that I'd keep the childhood album, as is.
I would treat nothing, remove nothing.
It is still a keepsake from your dad ... that doesn't change.
Was it ever about the stamps?
If it was, is it now?
Start fresh, as an adult: "Okay, Dad, this time I'll listen, and do it right."
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
17 Jul 2019
12:10:10pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Now that I've seen a bunch of replies I would agree with IkeyPikey 100%! Leave the album the way it is and either start over or build on what is there. Even with tape you still have the stamp to look at and your father to remember. There's an "urban myth" out there about the little old lady who inherited her husband's stamp collection when he died and noticed some f the stamps were loose. Not knowing about stamp collecting, she taped many of the valuable stamps in the book. I wonder if anyone knows if this ever happened!
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06:44:31pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Thanks so much to everyone that has offered help on my dilemma. I went back to my albums to check on the condition. Sadly it is not just the stamps but the marks left on the album. I am thinking that it is not a good idea to put new stamps in the album at this point. As well I am noticing that the album pages themselves are yellowing which doesn't bode well for my stamps. I will keep the albums as they are very special to me and perhaps one day I will replace the damaged stamps but for now I think I will leave it as it is.
Now my dilemma is what reasonably priced worldwide album should I look to purchase or should I try my hand at making my own pages with some software. On ebay what is considered a reasonable price on a used album?
The good news is that while I was checking out if I had damaged any high value stamps (there were none) I found another potential topical stamp collection. There are penguins on stamps!!! My new collection has begun.
Thanks again for all your responses. They were so encouraging and have given me much food for thought. Thank you.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
17 Jul 2019
08:22:41pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Best of luck - happy collecting!
As far as a world album goes, anything half decent is very expensive. I hate to think what volumes of Scott's international would cost now. You are probably better off designing your own printing pages as you need them. It's not the way I do it so take advice from the many people on SOR that approach it that way.
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10:26:02pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Penguin17 re penguins on stamps
That is a very good choice.I don,t collect them but have been very impressed with the stamps I have seen.Some of the penguin related stamps from Chile are really attractive.
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
'
https://penguinstamps.org/
The Penguins on Stamps Study Unit #267 of the American Topical Association (ATA) might offer checklists of stamps featuring penguins as part of their membership.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey (American Topical Association ATA 57527)
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
"Dollars to donuts (whatever that means!)"
Back when that phrase was coined, donuts only cost a dime or so. If you were dead sure about something, and wanted to give someone good odds on a bet, you would wager 5 dollars, while your opponent only had to risk 5 donuts. With the price of donuts, these days, the odds are now reversed.
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09:35:46am
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
The Penguins on Stamps Study Unit does offer a checklist as part of membership.
I'm not just a member, I'm 2nd VP.
Jeff
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10:24:20am
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Hi Anglo Bob
It was actually the stamps from Chile that I saw in the Scott catalogue that made me aware of penguins on stamps. They are next on my "wish list"
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re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
the stories reminded me of one...
back when I was a kid I collected stamps. My uncle was a stamp collector and when he came to visit he brought me a nice little packet of plate blocks. I was thrilled.
After he left my whiny little sister was crying, "why uncle didn't give her any stamps?" She wanted stamps too! (not that she ever did so before this) So my mother grabbed the packet from me and said, "don't be greedy, you have four of each stamp" and tore the plate blocks in half, giving my sister and I each a half!
Of course sister toddled off triumphantly (because she was able to take something from me) and immediately licked and stuck all her stamps onto furniture in her room.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
18 Jul 2019
06:52:24pm
re: Help with a very big stamp collecting mistake
Thank God I did't have a whiny sister. I collected Marvel comics when I was a kid in the 1960's and even had Spiderman #1 from 1963. I still collect Marvel comics and what I started with then (including SM#1 ) is the base of a collection of about 3000 silver age Marvel comics. A lot of my friends had mothers who threw everything away when they left home - I was smarter, I took my stuff with me! I started collecting stamps in about 1972. This is not really a stamp collecting mistake, I haven't really made one yet. There's still lots of time for that!!!
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