Beginning Stamp Collecting - One man's view and tutorial

choo · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 05:56:19 am

Hi waroff49,

Could you elaborate on protection of mint stamp? I collect MNH and use Prinz stock sheet (pro-fil-system) to house the stamps.

In view of Malaysia high humidity climate, i keep the album in a wooden box in an 8 hr air conditioned room. Was told better to provide means for "moisture absorption".

waroff49 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:43:51 am

Hi Choo,

Probably, one of the best people to answer this would be Cross crescent, who lives in Malaysia.

I know from visits to Singapore how humid it can get but the basic principles apply to all locations, all stamps and especially mint should be kept at an even temperature with little moisture .

Crosscrescent has previously advised of using desiccant sachets which absorb moisture from the air and hold it in the crystals. These have to be recharged from time to time by drying them out by heating them. How often, would depend on the humidity and the number of sachets( little bags) used.

The use of a wooden box, to store the stamps to some extent controls the temperature aspect but not the moisture. Frequent airing is also advised, as this helps to remove any fungus spores which may have got into the containers or albums.

In the end it comes down to providing the driest and coolest environment you can. Atmosphere control systems can often cost more than the stamps you are trying to protect and as such are not feasible.

iomoon · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:00:53 am

Choo

I am somewhat mystified here, why is someone listed as being in Dubai enquiring about the humidity of Malaysia?

I live in a desert so am probably not the best person to answer your question.

However, I was born in England which is wet, wet, wet, but cold, cold, cold.

Every chemical reaction takes place more rapidly under conditions of increasing temperature and humidity.

To lessen (not stop) those reactions, make the environment as dry and cool as possible.

You also need to control UV.
Which although is pretty good at killing the little nasties that cause rust, also takes its toll on the color of your stamps.

Sooooooooooooooooo

Just stick your stamps in a sub-zero refrigerator that doesn't make ice cubes and unscrew the light bulb and never open it!!

Just kidding!!

crosscrescent · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 13:01:48 pm

Choo,

I can't offer very much advice on keeping stamps in our humid climate.
You probably are doing a better job than me.
At the moment, I am trying putting them in good quality prinz mounts
and hoping for the best.
I do air them out once in awhile
but don't know how often you have to air them.

What I know is that I had some older Malaysian mint stamps
that were put in similar prinz mounts (got at the auction at PSM)
some 20 years ago and they still look good.

Found the dessicating stuff rather cumbersome because
after awhile they hold the moisture and if you are forgetful
or a little lackadaisical like me, you actually get more moisture in there.

Wonder whether they have some kind of device
that removes all air and seals the stamps so that nothing can harm them.

Cheers
Andrew

choo · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 16:57:32 pm

Hi Waroff49 ,

Thanks for the advices. I came across collectors in Malaysia keep their stamps in office... at least got temp and RH control during working hours. Only problem they hv to sort their stamps in office during off hrs ... :shock:

Hi iomoon,

Just to clear your doubt... i am malaysian and currently working in Dubai. Dubai here is very dry and with air conditioned room i got less problem here. Keep buying...

Hi Andrew,
Tried the stuff you mentioned and as you said is too troublesome.

So the key are cold, dry and no/less chemical reaction. Just found a website on care of stamps but a bit, at least to me, technically inclined.
http://www.stamps.org/care/pcpm.htm

crosscrescent · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 18:02:14 pm

Choo,

That link you added is informative and worth a read.
Just went through half of the stuff and
though some parts are more technical than others,
overall it has useful information
....but that's just my personal opinion.

Cheers
Happy storing of your stamps.

Andrew

waroff49 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 19:05:34 pm

Thanks for added knowledge, IoMoon and Andrew.
regards
Waroff.

QldCds · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2007 15:47:12 pm

For sale or removal: 20 1d KGV .....PINKS!

Somewhere Glen recommended Palmolive Green dishwashing soap...

DO NOT USE SUNLIGHT DISHWASHING LIQUID especially at 12.30 am after a fewfewfew rum and cokes.

COLIN · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2007 18:59:04 pm

Hi All

museums will advocate that the glue be removed from old stamps as glue tends to crack over time and will damage the paper.

also there is an old tip from the "international encyclopedia of stamps" that advocates a lite dusting of talcum powder on the back to stop stamps sticking. I have no idea if it works as i live in a very dry enviroment (central South Africa) with practically no humidity.

rgds

COLIN

waroff49 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2007 21:38:20 pm

That sounds like good advice COLIN, talc also absorbs moisture.

Eric Casagrande · **Posted:** Mon Dec 17, 2007 04:11:59 am

Wow ... quite an interesting thread.

I had often wondered why older stamps would be listed on Ebay as mint - no glue. It made me think that someone had attempted to wash off the postmarkings (if possible) from a used stamp, so as to make it appear to be a more valuable (as the individual case may be), mint stamp.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 17, 2007 05:13:52 am

I made an interesting discovery last night.

While trying to remove a sticky label, applied by Austpost, to say the letter had to be signed for, I used some of the well trusted eucalyptus oil. Worked like a charm, the label lifted off- then as I rubbed the excess glue from the face of the stamp, so did the printing, so I am now left with a ghost image. A really striking effect.

NO...NO...NO... I'm not going to put it up on Ebay.....

waroff49 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 00:34:16 am

I read a post by NATAN, and thought it was about time to elevate this thread back up near the top......

Where else do you look for information on beginning collecting......WELL RIGHT HERE........

My personal opinion is that to start any form of specialized collection, you must have a general collection first. You must understand the basics as presented in this and many other threads on Stampboards.

TIP:
Bulk stamps are usually sold at a discount to an individual stamp, as they may include stamps of lesser quality- centreing, perfs, toning etc.

Varieties and errors sell for a premium, because there are fewer of them and it takes time to find them (time= money).

Collections often sell for less than the total value of stamps within the collection, as there are often many stamps which have little value within the collection.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2008 17:07:22 pm

In another thread, on this board, there is serious discussion about whether or not to soak USED Peel and Stick stamps off the envelope/piece they were stuck to for postage.

Some seem to come away easily , others not for love or money.
My advice to beginners is to neatly trim the stamp about 2.5mm out from the edge of the perforation and not try to soak it. There is a high failure rate with these stamps being soaked. Try to get a copy on white backing which is white on the other side also (the inside of the envelope.)

You can always soak them later but you can't repair a stamp damaged by thinning or torn corners.

ozstamps · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2008 18:03:42 pm

waroff .. I'll move this thread to our new forum for NEW collectors, as threads like this are tailor made to assist them!

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:00:41 am

It's been some time since I posted in this new thread ,so here goes.

DECISION MAKING.

1. I have something I'd like to ask a question about.
Quickly write it down on paper before doing anything else, that way you won't be sidetracked when doing further study.

Steps....
1. Have I done any reading about my possible topic.
Yes, I've looked through similar topics on Stampboards and in catalogues, magazines etc. but can't find the answer I'm looking for.

No. - I would suggest that a look through Stampboards topics would help. We already have a wealth of information here and its building daily. The SEARCH function is a great help.

2. Is it a general question (about stamps/ stamp collecting in general) or specific ( about one issue - Flaws, varieties, colour, series etc.)
If it's general- then a beginning Forum would probably be the best place to ask.
If it's specific, then either add to the specific thread or start a new topic within the chosen thread.

Bulletin Board....>> Forum....>>Thread.....>> Topic....>>Post.
Forum...most general (only a few on this board)
Thread... more threads, more specific than forums.
Topics... part of a thread, maybe many topics...much more specific.
Posts...most specific. Maybe a question, an answer, or addition to a thread/topic.

3. Re-read your written down question, does it ask what I specifically want to know??
Yes....decide a thread and post.
No ... rewrite the question so that it does ask exactly what I want to know.
Example:
Is this stamp flawed.....(possibly OK)
Is this unknown stamp flawed .....(better)
Is this Indian stamp flawed or damaged....(better still)
Is this Sudanese, 1894, flawed or damaged stamp worth keeping.
PLUS a picture, if possible....Remember a Picture is worth a thousand words.

Your question should show you have done some work or tried to find information before asking the question.

Hope this helps.

iomoon · **Posted:** Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:18:54 am

Your advice is to the point.

However, after having taught at the university level for 30 years and having spent nearly 10 years on the eBay chat board, I'm sorry to write that it will largely go unheeded.

People will still write things like "I just inherited a collection of stamps, where can I go to find out what it's worth?"

Not appreciating that readers have no idea whether the person asking the question is living in a penthouse in Manhattan or is using a laptop from a tent in Antarctica.

People are basically lazy and want other people to do the work for them.

fromdownunder · **Posted:** Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:59:28 am

iomoon wrote:

People are basically lazy and want other people to do the work for them.

To a large extent I agree. But we are entering the instant information Wiki generation, where people simply look at Wiki as the new answering machine, or Google/Yahoo as the starting point to find the answers. The on line answering machine is the future - for better or worse.

And, if you notice some of the headers on our fora here (and on Stamporama, Stampwants, and any BB on pretty much any subject), we actually encourage this sort of thing - note the header of the forum we are presently posting on.

I am not saying this is a good thing, or where it will eventually lead, because as you allude to, a person ignorant of the nuances of philately, all of us actually in probably 90%+ of the diverse areas that is philately, will ask "dumb" questions from time to time, or worse, not even ask.

We are such a small niche market in the world, and some of our terms, none of which are global I might add, are confusing not only to non-believers, but even within the growing global market.

Hell, nobody can even agree on what VFU means, in many contexts. It is a subjective term, and patterned on 150 years of collecting habits over 5 different continents. And means different things in different countries.

I better stop. This is turning into an off topic rant.

Norm

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 01, 2008 17:50:53 pm

Hi IOMoon,
In the Army where most of the instructors are not teachers, they have EDP (explain, demonstrate, practice). I think we have explained what is required, now we have to demonstrate good questioning technique and then practice it.

Like students at all levels, some will learn quickly, some will take a while longer and some will never get it. Some will care a lot, some will care most of the time and some won't give a damn.

All we can do......is but try and try and try.

Billabong Bill · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2008 13:08:38 pm

Seeing so Waroff has been a bit slack lately, I took my stamps out for an air.

While they were having a gasp, one went Achooooooo. Looking down at this sorry state stamp with an allergy, I started talking to it.
After his sneezing fit ( I know it was a "he" because it had a picture of a man on it)he told me what am ideal world would be...

Not too hot, not too cold,
Not too humid, not too dry,
Dark, with some occasional light but never direct sunlight,
No dust as these help carry the rotten little rust spores,
A little air movement now and then,
Not to be with sick stamps,- rusty, toned, stained and the rest of their family.
To have some space of his own and not be crowded like a Londonbus.
To be kept on the straight and narrow.
To not be handled with fingers with sweat on them.

He seemed to ramble on for hours but the last thing he said was, " To be loved ......."

crosscrescent · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2008 13:34:27 pm

Billabong Bill wrote:

Quote:

Not too hot, not too cold,
Not too humid, not too dry,
Dark, with some occasional light but never direct sunlight,
No dust as these help carry the rotten little rust spores,
A little air movement now and then,
Not to be with sick stamps,- rusty, toned, stained and the rest of their family.
To have some space of his own and not be crowded like a Londonbus.
To be kept on the straight and narrow.
To not be handled with fingers with sweat on them.

Nice advice put across very succinctly.
Could almost put it on a small card and place it inside an album as a quick reminder.

Cheers
Andrew

waroff49 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2008 23:25:53 pm

Thanks Crossie, I'll pass that onto Billabong when he sobers up.
I let him on the computer today and he drank a fair few Ports. I'll take a closer watch on him in the future.
cya

crosscrescent · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 01:40:42 am

Perhaps Billabong can come up with a similar note on equipment to have.

Cheers
Andrew

kris · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 15:39:54 pm

can always count on someone with "Billabong" in their name to come up with the good oil. Hope thing are good on the banks of the Barcoo, Bill. good work

Billabong Bill · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 00:59:49 am

Well Crossie, you've dun it agen. Waroff gives me a wack ova the eer and says, Crossie says yuve gotta giv im sum good oil on wurkin condishions.

1. U need good lighting.
2. U need to feel comfortable, not too hot, not 2 cold. You can be board but not tyred.

**** At this point Waroff nudges Billabong off the computer****
Waroff: I just shoved Billabong off the computer, as his spelling is not up to scratch.
Waroff translation.:

Well Crosscrescent, you've done it again. Waroff has just asked me politely to write a new piece on working conditions, when working with stamps.

1. You need good lighting, especially when dealing with fine details on stamps such as perforations, varieties and shades.

2. You should feel comfortable, not too hot or cold. You can be bored but shouldn't be tired. Your stamps will quickly take away the boredom but can't take away tiredness.

** At this point Billabong is dictating his further points with spelling, grammar by Waroff.***

3. You should be organised.
Have your stamp-tongs ready,
Have your reference material open or handy,
Have a magnifier at hand for those difficult tasks,
Clear sufficient workspace on your desk for the task at hand.
- for sorting this may require your full desk or the whole kitchen table.
- for placing stamps into your album about double the size of the album laid flat,
Have your hinges or stampmounts within reach.

4. Make sure your work area is clean, as little dust as possible, no wine stains, coffee , sticky areas etc.

5. Don't work too long on the one thing. Your eyes need a break every now and then. The time between breaks depends on the complexity of the work. Fine details- short work, longer breaks, mundane tasks: longer but with shorter breaks.

6. Try to work undisturbed. This is an ideal, but if the kids or missus interrupts, take a break. Explain to the kids what you are doing and why. Remember they may own your collection one day
and it is better for them to know and understand when they are young, than just to whip them off to a dealer after your death.
In cases like soaking get them involved in helping you.

Billabong is getting tired now, so he says he's going home. It's 1:00 am here.

crosscrescent · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:23:50 am

Waroff49 and Billabong Bill,

Thanks for the very good advice.

Just to add my 2 sen (Malaysian currency) worth:
For those in warm countries like Malaysia where we tend to have the fan on,
make sure that it is not spinning too fast or you will create a mini storm with your stamps flying all around,
and make sure the dog is not around to take them for a walk.

Cheers
Andrew

malcolm197 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 01:26:38 am

Tiredness and eyestrain are the main enemies. If you are able to vary your tasks you can actually work longer without becoming too tired. In a typical evening I might start,while fresh, with identification of individual stamps using u.v lamp and magnifying class. After about an hour I have had enough so the stamps are put in a stockbook with slips of paper with the details on then I might spend some time sorting by country, soaking kiloware or checking postmarks. I might then spend perhaps another half hour on what I started on then usually that is enough. Checking shades and mounting in albums are always done in daylight - more accurate ( and more relaxing ). Always allow yourself sufficient time to deal with the results of your work in such a way that you can go back at any time without repeating the processes. Time and work management are of the essence and it takes practice - and always try to have sufficient work of each type "in progress" so that you can fully occupy the time available. If you organise yourself properly and have sufficient stockbooks/envelopes available sorting by country can be used to occupy the odd ten minutes ( try not to attempt too much ), while the other processes usually take much longer.

Malcolm

waroff49 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 09:38:46 am

Thanks for that insight Malcolm197. Organisation and time management are not my strong points. Neither is the housework... :lol:

waroff49 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 21:36:22 pm

To ALL Beginners,

Dont be afraid to ask people for stamps.

You may be surprised by their reaction.

You might just be given a GEM.
Recently while visiting my sister in the country, she gave me a large envelope of stamps. She had told one of her friends, that I collected stamps, so the next time she called around to her friend's place, she was given the envelope which she gave to me.

Haven't checked them yet but who knows??????

p.s. The friend has a nice collection of entires, sent from Viet-Nam during the war, but I don't think there's much chance of prying them out of the husband's grasp. He wrote the letters home to his girlfriend/wife.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2008 07:25:58 am

I have just finished looking through the big envelope, all decimal period but some nice Papua-New Guinea postmarks, lots of tatty stamps-corners off, creases and folds, rubs etc. Most will finish up in the kids collection bin for giving away. The tatty ones will be donated to the garbologist.

Different story::::::
The other month, I received a padded envelope from Great Mitten, it had 2 miniature sheets on it- #1 was four monarchs with I think 1 Q2E £3.08 stamp, the other was 2x30p-2x68p of Charles & her wedding. From the sheets and selvage, all that I could retrieve was 1x30p and 1x 68p, the other bits just disintegrated. Reason- they had been stuck on with what looked like PVA glue. The glue was stronger than the paper and no way was it going to come off. The two I did get are damaged with a strong orange squiggle on the back- the colour of the paper envelope. The PVA remains underneath it.

If the original glue has gone- use a waterbased adhesive to stick MNG stamps to an envelope, so at least they can be soaked off.

ToivoK · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2008 21:28:26 pm

This has been discussed before but I didn't find original topic via search so I write my thoughts in here... A newbie thoughts!

Catalogue prices - are they in many cases obviously set falsely? If I look at what I have (amount of certain stamps) and at what prices they are sold or IF they are wanted at all, then certain stamps that are so seldom seen or very rare are priced sometimes 2-3 lower or more and certain things I have a album full of are prices relatively high compared to this other stamp and nobody seems to want them even at 10%?
Is this some sort if hidden cunning strategy in cooperation with auction houses and big dealers? In how many cases? Everybody knows but nobody talks about it?

The more I learn and study and deal with philately the more obvious it becomes it's ultimately more difficult than militaria was for me for exsample and that it will become harder and harder as I start to dabble with rarities but I'm no compaining about it because I always like the steep learning curve. So I'm not expecting 100% advice or honesty here just some thoughts.
Perhaps with trades it's even harder, yes/no?

waroff49 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 29, 2008 04:33:36 am

Catalogue prices can be all over the place. Their bottom prices(low) are generally just a handling fee and do not reflect the demand for a stamp. Some of their higher prices are because there is no demand for the stamp and it is based on recent market value. Some of the top shelf prices are based on demand and scarcity.

Many Australian stamps are listed at $1.00 but they are so common they are sold at $2.00 per 100 by many people.

Then, as with all catalogues, there is lead time from setting to printing to sale. If sales of a particular country are slow, then revision of their prices falls to the bottom of the pile. If there is a boom, especially for high value/scarce stamps then these will outstrip catalogue prices.

Irregardless of Catalogue prices, market prices are a combination of supply, demand and turnover. No dealer wants to hold $1,000's stock for 12 months with little or few sales. They buy at a price, add their markup + government taxes and charges then sell at a price. They also take into account the frequency of sales. The longer they may have to keep the stamp, the more markup they put on it.

Remember catalogue Value is only a guide. It is the market that sets the price, that's why they can be, at times, so hopelessly out.

ToivoK · **Posted:** Sat Mar 29, 2008 04:54:02 am

Ok it makes sense. Thanks for some good input! :wink:

waroff49 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 31, 2008 02:19:05 am

Just add to my last exposition, the cost of the same stamp varies from country to country. Stamps are generally more costly in the country that prints them because more people also collect their own country.

An example of this is: Australia International Post, more expensive in Australia than some European countries. The reason being that they are used on international mail and not domestically. Supplies of Used in Europe are greater than in Aust. Many of the lots offered on Ebay are sold to Aussie bidders.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2008 01:17:02 am

COLLECTING POSTMARKS.

I have been collecting postmarks for a while now and thought it about time to add something about it, to this thread.

Postmark collecting can be very rewarding and cheap. The two main ways to collect postmarks are on cover (an entire envelope) or on piece ( a part of the envelope with just the stamp and postmark/slogan.) It is fairly uncommon to get a full postmark on just the stamp,- this is usually called-Socked on the nose or SOTN.

Entire envelopes present no problems apart from the fact that they take a deal of storage space.

Cut pieces on the other hand need to have special care taken in their removal from the rest of the envelope. Ideally, they should be cut from the envelope so that the complete postmark remains. In the case of slogan postmarks, this includes two parts- the post office details and the slogan. Just saving the slogan loses most of the relevant details about when and where.

If the postmark or slogan is ripped from the envelope, it should be sufficient that the postmark or slogan can be trimmed and still leave all the detail of the Post Office, and date (and slogan).

Postmarks should be clear, readable and not smudged. The stamp should be undamaged.

The top row are good examples. The middle row are OK but of llesser quality due to blurring. The bottom row are of a lesser quality due to the postmark being too light and losing some of the detail.

Ideally, the postmark should cover no more than a quarter of the stamp and not cover the main focus of it, like the ones in the third row.

grovyk · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2008 14:08:43 pm

How do you generally store/display these as they vary greatly in shape and size?

waroff49 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2008 17:19:02 pm

In a suitcase. hehehe

I generally just keep them in large tins. At this stage I am still accumulating and have done little sorting.

You are correct, however they are difficult to store, it would be nice if they all were 50mm x 50 mm but such is not the case.

I have 5 plastic tubs 260mm x 350mm x 100mm absolutely crammed full (contents of the infamous case)+ another four or five the same size which I have collected from the 1980's. Many of them have never been trimmed, just as they were received- ripped envelope sections.

Just how to show them off to best advantage is a question I have never thought about. Generally they take up the space of 3-4 stamps, so are best stored in a bulk container until you have a specific project.

At the moment- there is the ongoing FOOTSCRAY p/m -my birthplace. Now I have started a Family Tree project, which is towns that are associated with my parents, grand-parents, aunts and uncles. Unfortunately we have had little to do with NSW, where most of the suitcase postmarks eminate from. Another possible collection could be your birthdate or that of your kids, from as many places as you can find.

I bought two Victorian town postmarks on Sat. at the Royal Bourse that set me back $30.00 and they were the cheap ones. Some were in the $100-300 range, but many are 10c dreadfuls as there are so many of them.

I think many WA towns and settlements may be worth a bit, as their usage was low. Browny could probably help you, if you decide to collect WA postmarks.

So looooooooong for now. Ask another question, when you feel the urge.

Bill.

grovyk · **Posted:** Tue Apr 29, 2008 19:22:47 pm

Is there a postmark cat. for dates and designs?

waroff49 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 17:45:54 pm

To hazard a guess. No, not in one place, as you are looking at 3 different areas- cds, slogan postmarks and pictorial. Pictorial for Aust. would be in ozpictormarks catalogue, slogans- there has been much discussion in another thread- but it seems nothing recent. Aust cds's- I don't know, but don't think so. That would be a huge area. Maybe posting this in another thread may get more results.

Bill.

malcolm197 · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2008 05:28:27 am

How do you intend to arrange your Australian postmarks, by state, alphabetically or by present-day postcode?

At the moment I have only a small number of Oz pmks. These are currently arranged by state then alphabetically - as are most of my countries collections.

However in these days of concentrated mail sorting I am conscious that this is perhaps not the best way.

What I would LIKE to do is take the present postmark identity and then beneath it include previous postmarks of the smaller identity that make up that, and then any further subdivision within each of those divisions and so on - in a pyramidical order if not a pyramidical layout.

Large Division

Smaller Division 1

subdivisions of 1

Smaller Division 2

subdivisions of 2

etc.

If there is a logical postcode system i.e. the first 2 digits signify the large division, the third the smaller division and the subsequent numbers the subdivisions so much the better. Norway works exactly on this premise.

However for a country as large and complex as Australia I am not sure of the feasibility of this ( or how to sort out the geography and ancient history as well as the postal management system) , and for the UK it is very difficult as the postal regions do not at all correspond with County boundaries and I have to be content with a very vague regional approach ( but obviously as a native I have knowledge as to the relative whereabouts of most of the places). Fortunately at the moment none of my country postmark collections have reached the critical decision stage, but I am anxious that when the time comes I do not make the wrong decision and finish up in a dead end as I did with some of my one country stamp collections in the early days ( and had to spend valuable time rescuing myself).

I suppose I can use Auspost postcodes and country maps to sort out the present day but this is unlikely to be of assistance with the historical or consequential concentration of postal facilities which should really be relevant if the collection is to tell a story, and not just be an accumulation.

I can see that like my stamp collection every country will have to be tackled in its own way. As far as Australia is concerned I have been looking at the threads on here to do with States postmarks, and I can see that if all these post offices are still in business the task is going to be somewhat difficult.

Malcolm

Alastair · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2008 08:27:03 am

This thread is full of very good information.

I would just like to ask a question or two about "soaking".
I read on the web site of a reputed stamp stamp dealer that soaking was a bad idea and that "floating" is what you should do. That is, just float the stamp paper down in water which means that the surface of the stamp will not get wet and thus eliminates potetntial damage to the stamp face itself. Of course, this also imples that the face will not get "cleaned" either. I have tried this and it is OK except that the gum generally has to be removed stamp by stamp using one finger. Any comments?

Also, I hear about adding a drop or two of washing up liquid to the wash, whereas Glen warns this could be dangerous to the colours.

I saw in an earlier post in this thread the mention of eucalyptus. As there are no koalas where I live, I have never heard of this before ( though I do have an eucalyptus tree in the garden :wink:

).

I guess there is no fool proof of a) removing the stamp from the paper (especially for those horrible self-adhesives they use now), and b) "cleaning" heavily post-marked stamps, but I would appreciate your advice.

thanks,
Alastair

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 01:31:09 am

Alistair,
I don't think there is any 100% sure method. If as you say, you basically steam them off, you are left with the problem of gum. If you soak ( in different types of water-cold, tepid, hot, with detergent etc.) there are other problems like loss of ink.

You have to be able to select the method that suits you best. Most modern (say 1950's on) stamps are pretty colorfast and unless there is some form of bleach involved retain their colour and often come out cleaner.

Personally, I soak in warm-hot water, with 2-3 drops of detergent and give the stamps a gentle rub on the back, with wetted fingers to remove any gum. I start taking the stamps out as soon as the glue on a few has let go. I then put them into my Desert Magic, drying book and when finished weigh the whole lot down. For better or High Val. stamps, I give them a dip in clean water without detergent.

With P & S stamps, I like everyone else have problems, some come off well, some stick in patches and some----well it doesn't matter what you do, they're not coming off.

In the end, it comes down to what you are happy doing. You may lose stamps along the way but that is also part of the hobby.

A hint is to not try to do too many at one time.

Alastair · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 01:52:22 am

Waroff49, thanks for that.

The "floating" method does not involve steaming. It is just laying the stamps on the top of cold/tepid water, face up.

I personally have never tried adding any detergent or anything else, though I appreciate that could also "clean" at the same time.

I guess it's important to know the age of the stamp. There certainly is a difference in texture between the "old" stamps and those produced nowadays.

Any comments on the use of eucalyptus?

Thanks,
Alastair

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 02:13:20 am

Malcoim197,

Sorting by postcodes in Australia is similar.
We use a 4 digit system. The first represents the state.
A x000 number is the state capital or x001.

Northern Terr. has only 3 digit post codes, NSW 2xxx: Vic,3xxx: Queensland 4xxx: Sth Aust 5xxx: West Aust. 6xxx: Tasmania 7xxx.
ACT 26xx.
If you sort by first number, your sorting into States- a good start.

From what I can figure out 20xx, 30xx, etc refer to inner suburbs and work from west to east. 21xx,31xx refer to outer suburbs and nearby country (W-> E)...22xx to 25xx, 32xx to 39xx etc. to country areas. Exception is 26xx which is Aust. Cap. Terr
There are some special postcodes in each state for postal boxes and RMB ( rural mailbox) delivery.

If you sort by 1st two numbers- your sorting into localities. If you sort by all 4 (3 for NT) you're sorting down to a local area.
Because mail collection and distribution is regionalized, some p/m only come on cds. to tie the article to a PO. Others just have a slogan or increasingly an inkjet number.

Several suburbs may share a common postcode e.g. Croydon and Croydon Hills, Vic. share 3136. With amalgamation of postal delivery, several postcodes may be delivered from a central point ( 3135,3136,3140,3137)

Personally, I haven't decided how to sort yet- that is a long term project (if I live that long).

cheers
Bill W.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 03:38:08 am

Alistair....
Eucalyptus.
An oil derived from the leaves of the eucalyptus (gum) tree and distilled. A clear liquid with a highly aromatic smell. Highly volatile.
Used as an inhalant for blocked noses etc.

It can be used to remove the adhesive of sticky-tape, PO labels etc, but generally not recommended for stamp adhesive. It can has disastrous effects when rubbed on the ink of modern stamps.

It can lessen the stain left by old sticky tape.

Two stories:
1. I bought a £1.0.0 Kangaroo. it was heavily stained by what looked like grease. I got it for a song. I gently cleaned it on the back with E.O on a cotton tip. The oil dissipated the oil/grease and the stain was considerably lessened. Probably increased its value by $100.00 The EO dried and there was no sign that it had been used and the stamp smelled beautiful.

2. A very recent German stamp. The AustPost had stuck a sign-for label over part of the stamp. Gently applied EO with a cotton tip and waited a while. Glue softened and label was removed. Only problem, was the glue remained on the face of the stamp. Gentle rubbing with more EO on the face of the stamp removed all the colour. Must have been an oil soluble ink.
Stamp ruined.

I have had great success with it and I've also had failures. It works well on recent non-stamp adhesives, but like soaking- some inks don't like it.

Alastair · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 06:27:10 am

Thanks for the stories, Bill.

I guess I'll just play it safe and just stick to water for now. :wink:

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2008 18:23:35 pm

with a couple of drops of Palmolive green....I hope.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Fri May 16, 2008 01:50:21 am

FOR ALL COLLECTORS WHO POST SCANS.

When scanning stamps for this board that include perfins.

The easiest way to see perfins is on a black background. This makes both the perfin and the perforations stand out.

Ideally both sides of the stamp should be scanned, as sometimes the cancellation and design can hide perforations on the front. These become very evident when the plain colour back is scanned.

You can see the difference in the perfs on the top right stamps where there is white on white----very hard to see. Much easier black on white.

waroff49 · **Posted:** Sun May 25, 2008 01:09:34 am

Building Rapport.

As a beginning member, it is often hard to know how to get stamps with little outlay.

The best way is to build some rapport with family, friends, the local postman, the local stamp shop owner or even ebay dealers.

To friends and family, let them know you collect stamps- ask them to keep any stamps they get for you. No matter what their condition or country. Accept everything- never turn any stamp away.(Even if you take it home and throw it straight into the bin.)

Always thank people for their donation and when you see them again, remind them with another thanks ( just to jog their memories.) If you have used their stamps and added them to your collection- show them you have used their stamps.

As can be seen from many of the threads on this board, a good rapport with the local post office helps. If you can, use the same clerk each time, so they get to know you. Always greet them cheerfully and sometimes they will return it. Then if you have a favour to ask, they will be more amenable.

Alastair · **Posted:** Sun May 25, 2008 01:49:08 am

I totally agree with you, waroff49!

Stampboards is also an interesting place where one may be able to get some stamps. People who post a lot, ask good questions and try to answer other people's requests seem to be offered stamps from time to time. I am not suggesting people should just ask to be sent stamps!!!! I have been sent stamps by three SB members, unsollicited. I have always tried to return the favour and, hopefully, both parties gain.

Which brings me to my second point. Once a beginner has a few doubles, which will always happen, he or she could try and swap those for other stamps. There are always beginners, such as myself, who are only to happy to swap one country for another, for example. And I'm talking about stamps of very low value. Obviously, if I were sent a Penny Black in a one to one swap, something would have to worked out (but since no one's ever proposed to do so with me, I've not had to worry about that problem! :wink:

)

So, I think what I'm trying to say is:
1) SB members can be forthcoming spontaneously when the feeling is right, and
2) swapping is always a viable procedure.

Did I make any sense there :?:


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