Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I guess I'm not really sure how to go about starting my own albums. I certainly don't have enough stamps to fill an album since I'm just beginning. Should I leave spaces (in which case it will have more blanks than stamps) or do I put them in numerical order next to other and move them all around as I go? Then it seems I'll be moving them all the time.
I guess I'm looking for a smart way to start an album from scratch if there is such a thing.
Any suggestions??
Shannon
Login to Like
this post
A "solution" which seems to more and more popular is to use stock pages, like this one:
Stock pages fit a variety of binders come in a variety of pockets to fit different size stamps or covers, from eight rows for small stamps to a single large pocket for larger envelopes and documents, although the one-pocket size won't fit anything larger than 195 x 263mm (7.67" X 10.35"), too small for North American letter-size paper or European A4 paper, which is 210mm X 297mm).
Stock pages make it easy to move stamps about to make room for new acquisitions, and you can leave room to add slips of paper with printed information about the stamps and/or covers. You can buy manila stock pages with opaque pockets, but they wouldn't do for purposes of display.
A solution for stamps alone is the stock book, like these:
Stockbooks usually have narrow pockets only, so larger stamps aren't as protected as they would be by stock pages which fit them, but I have had many stock books over the years and never encountered a problem. As with stock pages, you can insert narrow slips of paper with pertinent information about the stamps.
Bob
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
I'd like to add that pre-printed albums or album pages that you printed yourself have built-in limitations that don't allow you to add new acquisitions. In addition, I don't think there's ever been a proprietary stamp album that included spaces for every stamp, and as you may soon learn, there are stamps that look alike but have minor differences that make them completely different stamp issues or varieties of the original stamp. You may also find cancelled stamps that you'd like to keep along with mint or used stamps that you already have.
I think that proprietary albums are fine for collectors who are just beginning, because they can teach a great deal, especially if the album is dedicated to a particular country or era. They are also good for collectors who aren't so interested in the minutia of collecting, but just want to collect lots and lots of face-different stamps, and perhaps form a
"complete" collection. Completeness, however, can be a chimera, depending on how "deep" you want to go in your collecting, or into your pockets. Many albums contain space for stamps that hardly anyone can afford, if they could find copies of the stamps for sale in the first place.
Bob
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
I faced the same question several years ago when I got back into collecting. I purchased the Mystic Heirloom album for my US collection to bring things up to date, but debated about how to move into other areas of interest.
I started with Germany since I had a nice starting point with my father's collection. I found the Scott album pages a bit pricey, so I went with Bill Steiner's pages in PDF format. (www.stampalbums.com). The set on CD or via subscription is inexpensive, and is worldwide and complete enough for even a seasoned collector.
It does mean you need to have a decent printer and be willing to shell out for paper (acid free!) and ink or toner, but the net is less than the pre-printed pages, even including a decent binder. Beyond the basic pages it is fun to add maps, history, and other details (the pages themselves are not easily editable). A potential disadvantage is that the pages do not include any catalog numbers: they need to be pencilled in. Plus you will need a catalog (need not be the latest and greatest) to positively identify the stamps since there are no images.
I now have about twenty binders over numerous countries that serve me very well. I do need to upgrade the binders.
BTW, this board is FULL of ideas on making stamp albums.
Cheers,
Geoff
Login to Like
this post
Shannon, whether you really need an "album" or not depends on your collecting interests. If you are like me - a sucker for used stamps and good postmarks - then you might find archival stock sheets the best option. I have been a happy user of those (Lighthouse Vario) for the last several years. In my opinion, they provide good archival protection to the stamps. I feel using hinges or mounts (where outside world is just a millimeter or two away) is criminal.
As an impressionable child, I often fantasized about owning one of the published country albums for myself. Today, I am so glad that I never spilled my money for any of that. Over the years, my own interests have developed primarily because there wasn't an album "guiding" me.
Without meaning offense to anyone, I feel the published albums (Heirloom, White Ace, etc.) are meant for people who will never specialize. For years, these companies have preyed on people who are willing to be told what to collect. Moreover, the missing stamps create an eyesore.
I am so glad you want to create your own album. An easy way to create those are to use the archival stock sheets, and then interleave information pages as and where needed. No hinges, no mounts, no worries.
Login to Like
this post
Further to my previous post, the biggest "mistake" I ever made was purchasing Scott International Stamp Albums. I soon learned that I would never fill many pages, perhaps any pages! Mind you, I was young (maybe 14), and naive (really naive). Much to my chagrin, I figured out that several pages were missing, but didn't know that I could complain and have them mailed to me.
Not until relatively few years ago, when I started down the philatelic path once more, did I realize country albums were available. Soon I purchased a Canada "specialized" album, and avidly tried to fill the pages until I came to the pages designed for the Canadian Centennial postage due stamps (1967-1978), in my opinion the ugliest and most boring stamps ever issued in the Universe! It was then that I decided to start designing my own album pages for the stamps that I actually liked rather than the stamps that philatelic publishers said I should like. Even later, I realized that creating exhibits and web pages was far more satisfying than stuffing albums, which, once stuffed, mostly ignored.
Today I use stock pages and stockbooks to store stamps, souvenir sheets, booklet panes, covers, and collateral items that I will, someday, used to illustrate web pages and/or exhibits.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
09:39:14am
In the mid-seventies I realized that the Minkus Supreme Master World Wide Albums simply were not worth updating every year, due to the cost and the number of pages that were dedicated to the bountiful number of Jam-Jar Labels that were being issued and that I tossed aside.
That was when I began making my own album pages first for the countries I was most interested in and eventually for either all the countries I enjoyed collecting or small geographic areas such as the Baltic states or certain Caribbean Islands.
I had a few White Ace albums for Canada, Great Britain and Israel and 67# paper stock worked just fine, both for the new issues as well as inserting pages for specialty items that had been skipped by the manufacturer.
Then as time and tide brought additional examples, I began to put certain favored countries in self made albums, starting with some reasonable cut off date in the mid-early seventies that suited me and the stamps of that country.
Then came the Vario pages.
I had started accumulating the new Machin stamps by 1969 and soon realized that there was more than met the eye.
I began to use the eight row Varios for them so I could add things in place and then became aware of the far more sensible Value/color/variation/minor variety system that Doug had been creating.
Eventually I had first one, then three wide loose leaf binders filled with the ever increasing number of issues in that series. A three inch binder chock full of Vario pages is difficult to remove from the shelf I built over my desk. The problem is the weight and my decreasing ability to use my left arm. I haven't solved that problem yet but I have been trying to decide how to separate all the pages into a size that will fit comfortably
in a less thick binder.
I'll do that when I get home in September
The benefit of the Varios is that I can insert both the stamp and a note along side it and Deegam has provided a "profile" for every Machin issued showing all the details that identifies each Machin at all three levels of collecting this long and complex issue.
Login to Like
this post
Shannon; I started collecting stamps when I was 11 years old, My grandfather's best friend was a collector and showed me some tricks. The first album was given to me from George(my mentor),it was a stanley Gibbon's Simplex Medium stamp album which houses only Canadian Stamps, now almost 60 years old and 6 SG albums later(still housing just Canadian stamps) I am very satisfied. My U.S.A. and G.B. albums are 3 ring binders with printed pages off the computor and slip covers which have worked well too. I don't hold to the idea of buying a preprinted album with some pages and not having the spaces needed for extras stamps in a series,then need to buy more annually. Larry
Login to Like
this post
Thanks everyone for your replies. You have certainly given me alot to think about. That's part of the problem
If there were less options, it would certainly be much easier.
Login to Like
this post
" A three inch binder chock full of Vario pages is difficult to remove from the shelf I built over my desk. The problem is the weight and my decreasing ability to use my left arm. I haven't solved that problem yet but I have been trying to decide how to separate all the pages into a size that will fit comfortably in a less thick binder."
My entire collection is in Vario pages; and I prefer 1½" binders. Fifty sheets fill a binder just perfectly. Till some years ago, Vario pages were made with "narrow" holes, and so I would prefer the Avery Durable brand. The modern Vario pages have "wider" holes, and so it goes nicely into the Avery Heavy Duty brand.
But today I have a new problem! I stuck with Avery because they used the D-rings on their binders. Their newer products use the slant-D-rings, which I dislike. It is becoming hard to find binders from the old stock.
Login to Like
this post
09:04:34am
"... Till some years ago, Vario pages were made with "narrow" holes, ...."
When I had the auto repair business on Long Island, New York, we held a safety inspection license. To comply with the various laws the annual sticker had to be punched on the appropriate month with a hole puncher that made a 3/8 inch diameter hole.
Thus I bought a hand held too that complied with the law and later used it on both manila and Vario pages. I would enlarge the top and bottom holes, leaving the middle hole he smaller size.
Thus he middle hole kept every thing aligned an the larger holes did not interfere with the pages when they were being turned.
I do not recall which supply store I bought the tool but I still use it to avoid the tendency of stock pages to jam up when you try to find the page I want.
Login to Like
this post
I've been meaning for some time to take some pictures of my new binders. This thread seems to be the right place to post them.
The binders are standard three-ring binders in various sizes, as you can see. I bought them at London Drugs in Vancouver. (I checked two office supply stores (Grand & Toy and Staples) and they only had D-ring binders, which I really dislike.) Each binder has a transparent overlay so I can insert labels. In the past, with similar binders, the ink on the labels has transferred to the transparent plastic, rendering them unusable for different labels. This time, I also bought a cheap laminator to ensure that the ink on the labels doesn't leach into the plastic.
My collection (stamps, covers, and collateral items) is now better organized than ever, which means that I can normally find items that I'm looking for instead of going into a panic, sure that I've been robbed! I think that the pictures are self-explanatory, but if you have questions, ask away!
Bob
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Your photographs certainly convey the impression of organization, Bob, but begs the question: "What next?"
Do you now enjoy the fruits of your years' long labours and peruse your gatherings to life's endpoint, or do you start construction of more shelving for the expansion of this hobby?
I admire organization such as you display, Bob, but only in other people. I also admire your work ethic and thank you
for showing us lesser mortals what it can achieve.
Now, where was it I put my stamp tongs?
John Derry
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
"I think that the pictures are self-explanatory, but if you have questions, ask away!"
It is interesting that you use binders that are "side-mounted" - meaning that the rings are bound on the spine. This is typical of the round-ring binders, so am I right in assuming yours are too? For me, spine-bound rings were a no-no since the pages don't lie flat down when the binder is horizontal. So I chose D-ring binders, which I felt are really good (not the newer slant-D).
For anyone interested in the ring "types", here are some illustrations (not listing the basic round ring):
(Courtesy KopyKatGP.com) EZ-Turn D-ring. My "preferred" choice. Were used on Avery Durable binders. Not anymore. Lighthouse binders (which cost an arm and a leg) also use rings "similar" to this.
(Courtesy Amazon.com) One-Touch EZ-D-ring. Were used on Avery Heavy Duty binders. The rings are thicker and nice for flipping pages / sheets. Can still find a few lying around in some stores.
(Courtesy Amazon.com) The newer Slant-D-ring. I don't know who these are designed for, but clearly not for archivists. All new Avery products seem to carry these rings. I avoid these like the plague.
Login to Like
this post
@John: The impression may be one of organization, but I will tell you, and my wife will tell you, that I am far more a "scattered" person than an organized one. In our small apartment, our desks sit side by side, and the one that's a mess isn't my wife's! I have recently had a diagnosis of "Complex PTSD," which is a combination of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from childhood trauma and combat trauma, in my case from combat in Vietnam. The symptoms include reliving or re-experiencing the trauma, attempts to avoid thoughts, situations, or people that are reminders of the trauma, and increased anxiety or arousal, including being constantly on guard for danger, and being easily startled. Mostly, I have difficulty concentrating on anything for sustained periods, which includes keeping my desk tidy! That I was able to start and mostly complete the organization of those new binders amazes me! Perhaps all the counselling I've had in recent years has paid off!
@ThePhilatelist: I've tried every type of binder there is, and the only ones that have ever worked for me are ones with circular rings mounted on the binder spine. I rather liked the "EZ-Turn" type that I found in a binder I bought at Staples, but the rings and the binder itself were for "light" use. Soon after I started using it, the rings wouldn't close properly, and the binder sagged badly when it was standing upright. The London Drug binders are sturdier, and work just fine for me.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
More @John: You asked, ""What next?" I have always built my collection with an eye towards exhibiting or using individual items as web page illustrations. I once believed that once I had "enough" stamps, covers, and collateral items that I could stop buying and start publishing web pages. But, alas, I'm still buying, but I'm also more or less constantly working on new web pages, especially since our son gifted us with software of his own design which greatly enhances our ability to create and publish web pages.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
Me again! I should add (for John's benefit!) that I take great pleasure in just looking through my collection. My stamps, and especially my covers, allow me to do a lot of "time travel" to different places and periods, and experience, vicariously, something of the circumstances that people were living with. A cover, say, from a Canadian soldier in Korea makes history come just a bit more alive for me. To me, a letter written by an Irish school boy in 1890 seems to make the "Irish experience" more real than any book or film. I think of my collection as a collection not of stamps and covers and collateral items, but of artifacts that hold the answers to many questions.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
"Thanks everyone for your replies. You have certainly given me alot to think about. That's part of the problem. Happy If there were less options, it would certainly be much easier."
There used to be less options, and people weren't happy. Thus we have so many options now, and people still aren't happy with those, and create a new option to fit their needs. I think the end of the sentence is the key. Chose the options that are available and/or create a new option to fit your collecting needs/wants. No two collections are the same. Have fun and try all the options you can think of if you want. You'll settle on those that work best for you.
Login to Like
this post
For "Bobstamp" (and somewhat off topic):
Was remiss and neglectful in not emphasizing how much I enjoy and have learned from your
Stamporama commentary on a wide range of philatelic and other issues; and how much I appreciate
the quality of the illustrations you include in your discussions.
John Derry
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
I've got an album I purchased for my Canadian collection but have decided to make my own albums for Poland, Hungary, Australia and the US. I just have my stamps in envelopes for now for those countries. I'm going to start with albums for the US and Hungary as I don't have unlimited resources to do them all at once.
I guess I'm not really sure how to go about starting my own albums. I certainly don't have enough stamps to fill an album since I'm just beginning. Should I leave spaces (in which case it will have more blanks than stamps) or do I put them in numerical order next to other and move them all around as I go? Then it seems I'll be moving them all the time.
I guess I'm looking for a smart way to start an album from scratch if there is such a thing.
Any suggestions??
Shannon
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
A "solution" which seems to more and more popular is to use stock pages, like this one:
Stock pages fit a variety of binders come in a variety of pockets to fit different size stamps or covers, from eight rows for small stamps to a single large pocket for larger envelopes and documents, although the one-pocket size won't fit anything larger than 195 x 263mm (7.67" X 10.35"), too small for North American letter-size paper or European A4 paper, which is 210mm X 297mm).
Stock pages make it easy to move stamps about to make room for new acquisitions, and you can leave room to add slips of paper with printed information about the stamps and/or covers. You can buy manila stock pages with opaque pockets, but they wouldn't do for purposes of display.
A solution for stamps alone is the stock book, like these:
Stockbooks usually have narrow pockets only, so larger stamps aren't as protected as they would be by stock pages which fit them, but I have had many stock books over the years and never encountered a problem. As with stock pages, you can insert narrow slips of paper with pertinent information about the stamps.
Bob
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Making your own album
I'd like to add that pre-printed albums or album pages that you printed yourself have built-in limitations that don't allow you to add new acquisitions. In addition, I don't think there's ever been a proprietary stamp album that included spaces for every stamp, and as you may soon learn, there are stamps that look alike but have minor differences that make them completely different stamp issues or varieties of the original stamp. You may also find cancelled stamps that you'd like to keep along with mint or used stamps that you already have.
I think that proprietary albums are fine for collectors who are just beginning, because they can teach a great deal, especially if the album is dedicated to a particular country or era. They are also good for collectors who aren't so interested in the minutia of collecting, but just want to collect lots and lots of face-different stamps, and perhaps form a
"complete" collection. Completeness, however, can be a chimera, depending on how "deep" you want to go in your collecting, or into your pockets. Many albums contain space for stamps that hardly anyone can afford, if they could find copies of the stamps for sale in the first place.
Bob
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
09:22:27pm
re: Making your own album
I faced the same question several years ago when I got back into collecting. I purchased the Mystic Heirloom album for my US collection to bring things up to date, but debated about how to move into other areas of interest.
I started with Germany since I had a nice starting point with my father's collection. I found the Scott album pages a bit pricey, so I went with Bill Steiner's pages in PDF format. (www.stampalbums.com). The set on CD or via subscription is inexpensive, and is worldwide and complete enough for even a seasoned collector.
It does mean you need to have a decent printer and be willing to shell out for paper (acid free!) and ink or toner, but the net is less than the pre-printed pages, even including a decent binder. Beyond the basic pages it is fun to add maps, history, and other details (the pages themselves are not easily editable). A potential disadvantage is that the pages do not include any catalog numbers: they need to be pencilled in. Plus you will need a catalog (need not be the latest and greatest) to positively identify the stamps since there are no images.
I now have about twenty binders over numerous countries that serve me very well. I do need to upgrade the binders.
BTW, this board is FULL of ideas on making stamp albums.
Cheers,
Geoff
Login to Like
this post
05:47:58pm
re: Making your own album
Shannon, whether you really need an "album" or not depends on your collecting interests. If you are like me - a sucker for used stamps and good postmarks - then you might find archival stock sheets the best option. I have been a happy user of those (Lighthouse Vario) for the last several years. In my opinion, they provide good archival protection to the stamps. I feel using hinges or mounts (where outside world is just a millimeter or two away) is criminal.
As an impressionable child, I often fantasized about owning one of the published country albums for myself. Today, I am so glad that I never spilled my money for any of that. Over the years, my own interests have developed primarily because there wasn't an album "guiding" me.
Without meaning offense to anyone, I feel the published albums (Heirloom, White Ace, etc.) are meant for people who will never specialize. For years, these companies have preyed on people who are willing to be told what to collect. Moreover, the missing stamps create an eyesore.
I am so glad you want to create your own album. An easy way to create those are to use the archival stock sheets, and then interleave information pages as and where needed. No hinges, no mounts, no worries.
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
Further to my previous post, the biggest "mistake" I ever made was purchasing Scott International Stamp Albums. I soon learned that I would never fill many pages, perhaps any pages! Mind you, I was young (maybe 14), and naive (really naive). Much to my chagrin, I figured out that several pages were missing, but didn't know that I could complain and have them mailed to me.
Not until relatively few years ago, when I started down the philatelic path once more, did I realize country albums were available. Soon I purchased a Canada "specialized" album, and avidly tried to fill the pages until I came to the pages designed for the Canadian Centennial postage due stamps (1967-1978), in my opinion the ugliest and most boring stamps ever issued in the Universe! It was then that I decided to start designing my own album pages for the stamps that I actually liked rather than the stamps that philatelic publishers said I should like. Even later, I realized that creating exhibits and web pages was far more satisfying than stuffing albums, which, once stuffed, mostly ignored.
Today I use stock pages and stockbooks to store stamps, souvenir sheets, booklet panes, covers, and collateral items that I will, someday, used to illustrate web pages and/or exhibits.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Jul 2014
09:39:14am
re: Making your own album
In the mid-seventies I realized that the Minkus Supreme Master World Wide Albums simply were not worth updating every year, due to the cost and the number of pages that were dedicated to the bountiful number of Jam-Jar Labels that were being issued and that I tossed aside.
That was when I began making my own album pages first for the countries I was most interested in and eventually for either all the countries I enjoyed collecting or small geographic areas such as the Baltic states or certain Caribbean Islands.
I had a few White Ace albums for Canada, Great Britain and Israel and 67# paper stock worked just fine, both for the new issues as well as inserting pages for specialty items that had been skipped by the manufacturer.
Then as time and tide brought additional examples, I began to put certain favored countries in self made albums, starting with some reasonable cut off date in the mid-early seventies that suited me and the stamps of that country.
Then came the Vario pages.
I had started accumulating the new Machin stamps by 1969 and soon realized that there was more than met the eye.
I began to use the eight row Varios for them so I could add things in place and then became aware of the far more sensible Value/color/variation/minor variety system that Doug had been creating.
Eventually I had first one, then three wide loose leaf binders filled with the ever increasing number of issues in that series. A three inch binder chock full of Vario pages is difficult to remove from the shelf I built over my desk. The problem is the weight and my decreasing ability to use my left arm. I haven't solved that problem yet but I have been trying to decide how to separate all the pages into a size that will fit comfortably
in a less thick binder.
I'll do that when I get home in September
The benefit of the Varios is that I can insert both the stamp and a note along side it and Deegam has provided a "profile" for every Machin issued showing all the details that identifies each Machin at all three levels of collecting this long and complex issue.
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
Shannon; I started collecting stamps when I was 11 years old, My grandfather's best friend was a collector and showed me some tricks. The first album was given to me from George(my mentor),it was a stanley Gibbon's Simplex Medium stamp album which houses only Canadian Stamps, now almost 60 years old and 6 SG albums later(still housing just Canadian stamps) I am very satisfied. My U.S.A. and G.B. albums are 3 ring binders with printed pages off the computor and slip covers which have worked well too. I don't hold to the idea of buying a preprinted album with some pages and not having the spaces needed for extras stamps in a series,then need to buy more annually. Larry
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
Thanks everyone for your replies. You have certainly given me alot to think about. That's part of the problem If there were less options, it would certainly be much easier.
Login to Like
this post
09:19:25pm
re: Making your own album
" A three inch binder chock full of Vario pages is difficult to remove from the shelf I built over my desk. The problem is the weight and my decreasing ability to use my left arm. I haven't solved that problem yet but I have been trying to decide how to separate all the pages into a size that will fit comfortably in a less thick binder."
My entire collection is in Vario pages; and I prefer 1½" binders. Fifty sheets fill a binder just perfectly. Till some years ago, Vario pages were made with "narrow" holes, and so I would prefer the Avery Durable brand. The modern Vario pages have "wider" holes, and so it goes nicely into the Avery Heavy Duty brand.
But today I have a new problem! I stuck with Avery because they used the D-rings on their binders. Their newer products use the slant-D-rings, which I dislike. It is becoming hard to find binders from the old stock.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
24 Jul 2014
09:04:34am
re: Making your own album
"... Till some years ago, Vario pages were made with "narrow" holes, ...."
When I had the auto repair business on Long Island, New York, we held a safety inspection license. To comply with the various laws the annual sticker had to be punched on the appropriate month with a hole puncher that made a 3/8 inch diameter hole.
Thus I bought a hand held too that complied with the law and later used it on both manila and Vario pages. I would enlarge the top and bottom holes, leaving the middle hole he smaller size.
Thus he middle hole kept every thing aligned an the larger holes did not interfere with the pages when they were being turned.
I do not recall which supply store I bought the tool but I still use it to avoid the tendency of stock pages to jam up when you try to find the page I want.
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
I've been meaning for some time to take some pictures of my new binders. This thread seems to be the right place to post them.
The binders are standard three-ring binders in various sizes, as you can see. I bought them at London Drugs in Vancouver. (I checked two office supply stores (Grand & Toy and Staples) and they only had D-ring binders, which I really dislike.) Each binder has a transparent overlay so I can insert labels. In the past, with similar binders, the ink on the labels has transferred to the transparent plastic, rendering them unusable for different labels. This time, I also bought a cheap laminator to ensure that the ink on the labels doesn't leach into the plastic.
My collection (stamps, covers, and collateral items) is now better organized than ever, which means that I can normally find items that I'm looking for instead of going into a panic, sure that I've been robbed! I think that the pictures are self-explanatory, but if you have questions, ask away!
Bob
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
24 Jul 2014
06:07:39pm
re: Making your own album
Your photographs certainly convey the impression of organization, Bob, but begs the question: "What next?"
Do you now enjoy the fruits of your years' long labours and peruse your gatherings to life's endpoint, or do you start construction of more shelving for the expansion of this hobby?
I admire organization such as you display, Bob, but only in other people. I also admire your work ethic and thank you
for showing us lesser mortals what it can achieve.
Now, where was it I put my stamp tongs?
John Derry
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
06:08:15pm
re: Making your own album
"I think that the pictures are self-explanatory, but if you have questions, ask away!"
It is interesting that you use binders that are "side-mounted" - meaning that the rings are bound on the spine. This is typical of the round-ring binders, so am I right in assuming yours are too? For me, spine-bound rings were a no-no since the pages don't lie flat down when the binder is horizontal. So I chose D-ring binders, which I felt are really good (not the newer slant-D).
For anyone interested in the ring "types", here are some illustrations (not listing the basic round ring):
(Courtesy KopyKatGP.com) EZ-Turn D-ring. My "preferred" choice. Were used on Avery Durable binders. Not anymore. Lighthouse binders (which cost an arm and a leg) also use rings "similar" to this.
(Courtesy Amazon.com) One-Touch EZ-D-ring. Were used on Avery Heavy Duty binders. The rings are thicker and nice for flipping pages / sheets. Can still find a few lying around in some stores.
(Courtesy Amazon.com) The newer Slant-D-ring. I don't know who these are designed for, but clearly not for archivists. All new Avery products seem to carry these rings. I avoid these like the plague.
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
@John: The impression may be one of organization, but I will tell you, and my wife will tell you, that I am far more a "scattered" person than an organized one. In our small apartment, our desks sit side by side, and the one that's a mess isn't my wife's! I have recently had a diagnosis of "Complex PTSD," which is a combination of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from childhood trauma and combat trauma, in my case from combat in Vietnam. The symptoms include reliving or re-experiencing the trauma, attempts to avoid thoughts, situations, or people that are reminders of the trauma, and increased anxiety or arousal, including being constantly on guard for danger, and being easily startled. Mostly, I have difficulty concentrating on anything for sustained periods, which includes keeping my desk tidy! That I was able to start and mostly complete the organization of those new binders amazes me! Perhaps all the counselling I've had in recent years has paid off!
@ThePhilatelist: I've tried every type of binder there is, and the only ones that have ever worked for me are ones with circular rings mounted on the binder spine. I rather liked the "EZ-Turn" type that I found in a binder I bought at Staples, but the rings and the binder itself were for "light" use. Soon after I started using it, the rings wouldn't close properly, and the binder sagged badly when it was standing upright. The London Drug binders are sturdier, and work just fine for me.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
More @John: You asked, ""What next?" I have always built my collection with an eye towards exhibiting or using individual items as web page illustrations. I once believed that once I had "enough" stamps, covers, and collateral items that I could stop buying and start publishing web pages. But, alas, I'm still buying, but I'm also more or less constantly working on new web pages, especially since our son gifted us with software of his own design which greatly enhances our ability to create and publish web pages.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
re: Making your own album
Me again! I should add (for John's benefit!) that I take great pleasure in just looking through my collection. My stamps, and especially my covers, allow me to do a lot of "time travel" to different places and periods, and experience, vicariously, something of the circumstances that people were living with. A cover, say, from a Canadian soldier in Korea makes history come just a bit more alive for me. To me, a letter written by an Irish school boy in 1890 seems to make the "Irish experience" more real than any book or film. I think of my collection as a collection not of stamps and covers and collateral items, but of artifacts that hold the answers to many questions.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
09:44:53pm
re: Making your own album
"Thanks everyone for your replies. You have certainly given me alot to think about. That's part of the problem. Happy If there were less options, it would certainly be much easier."
There used to be less options, and people weren't happy. Thus we have so many options now, and people still aren't happy with those, and create a new option to fit their needs. I think the end of the sentence is the key. Chose the options that are available and/or create a new option to fit your collecting needs/wants. No two collections are the same. Have fun and try all the options you can think of if you want. You'll settle on those that work best for you.
Login to Like
this post
The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
24 Jul 2014
10:58:01pm
re: Making your own album
For "Bobstamp" (and somewhat off topic):
Was remiss and neglectful in not emphasizing how much I enjoy and have learned from your
Stamporama commentary on a wide range of philatelic and other issues; and how much I appreciate
the quality of the illustrations you include in your discussions.
John Derry
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.