Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

Hi to ALL collectors of stamps.


Following a letter in another thread and some personal emails, I shall try to help BEGINNER Collectors with my thoughts.

1. Stamp collecting is fun.


2. Collect stamps before you BUY stamps.
Save every stamp that comes to you on mail. Whether you're five or fifty. Ask your friends for their stamps, or the office stamps or any other means where you don't have to fork out money. Accept everything you're given, with a smile and a thank-you.

3. Learn the basics first.

a. How to soak stamps off paper.
Other threads on stampboards cover this topic very well and a few tricks too boot. At this stage don't go out and buy a fancy drying book, newspaper works fine. A drying book later on is fine, if that's the way you want to go.

b. Learn how to Identify stamps.

This is where you need a catalogue. Again, as a beginner, a simplified catalogue is a good place to start, borrow or seek one as a gift, if you can't afford one. An older or out of date one is good to get started with, until you have more knowledge.

c. Talk about your stamps with others who collect.
If you don't know any one who collects, write to stampboards (This thread would be a good place to start.) Email questions to members of this board, if there is something which has taken your fancy.

d. Store you stamps securely.
For beginner collectors a stock book is fine or even an exercise book ( for your used freeby stamps). If you get lots of mail, then an air tight biscuit tin is a good storage medium until you get around to more specific storage. Keep your stamps dry and away from humidity.( and the kids, if you've got any- also share with your kids when you're working on your collection).

More to follow- come back again.....
New to stamp collecting ask questions in this thread....

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Most libraries also have recent world catalogues which can be either used within the library and/or borrowed for a couple of weeks or so. This service is absolutely free.

Norm

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Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

It doesn't matter what age you are when you start collecting however, if you can join a stamp club and attend meetings this will help you on your way and probably provide you with a selection of stamps quite cheaply.

Below is a link for Australian residents that may help you locate a club near to you.
http://www.stamparena.com/clubs/index.php

I have been collecting for over 50 years now and in many ways still consider myself a learner as I am always learning something new especially by courtesy of this board.

Brian

_________________
Start the day with a smile - its infectious

Hey ... why not visit our OWN Index of stamp clubs!

Totally FREE for clubs to list here, and keen folks like Brian above from Campbelltown raise the profile of his local society enormously:


http://www.stampboards.com/viewforum.php?f=22

_________________
.
Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

Part: POSTMARKS.

For Beginners collecting USED stamps my thoughts.
Not taking into account the condition of the stamp but just the postmark.

1. First preference - a neat well struck circular cancel which does not detract from the stamp. Covers less than 1/4 of the stamp. No smudging. Shows some of the town's name.

2 Second - A CDS (circular date stamp) which covers more of the stamp but is neat and not over inked or smudged.

3. Third a machine cancel that covers only a small portion of the stamp.

In many countries a circular SOTN (socked on the nose) cancel is the preferred cancel. Showing all details of town name, date of sending and country/state details.

Picture of cancels can be found in cancels to drool over and favourite covers, on this board.



The top row,I wouldn't keep, if something like those in the bottom row is available.

Because your collection will grow and evolve, always look to upgrade a cancel/stamp when a better one appears. If you only have one like in the top row and one like the bottom row appears, remove the poorer cancel and replace it with the better.

Stamp condition, also comes into play with YOUR final decision. A good condition stamp with a lesser cancel is better than a damaged stamp with a good cancel.

There are many exceptions to this generalization. Some postmarks add value to even a damaged stamp but this is more for the advanced collector. If unsure- keep both, and ask questions.

With extremely good circular cancels or pictorial cancels, often it is better NOT to soak them off the paper but save them as a piece (cut square) to show the whole stamp and postmark or the ENTIRE (whole envelope).

Where there are multiple cancels- whether touching the stamp or not, it is best to save these as an Entire/ large piece. Often they show the journey, the letter has taken and other special handling details.

More to follow.....come back again
All questions welcomed in this thread.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

One tip I'd pass on for the beginner? Learn early what is junk and put it in a junk box. Keep the best you can afford to keep and relegate the rest.

_________________
Always looking for KGV British Commonwealth, mint, used, covers, anything

Thanks for that tip Sherro..
Feel free to add anything at all which you think may assist the beginner to start a good collection. Disagree with me if you wish, that's what its all about. Trying to get newbies to understand that stamp collecting is a time and knowledge thing, and each collects for their own reasons.

Thanks again,
Billabong Bill. & Co.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

In the beginning, sHE created stamps for collecting. They were tiny pieces of paper with horrible sticky stuff on their backsides.
The masses took to collecting because they were new and novel.

Soon, the masses found that handling these pieces of paper with dirty, sweaty fingers was not good, so they washed their hands and treated the stamps with respect. However postal officials were not so generous and continued to obliterate the stamp with as much ink as possible. The masses revolted and better methods were found, but every now and then the postal officials needed to be reminded , that it was stamps that put food on their tables.

As collecting developed, like a new born infant, it was found that the letters on which they came, were too bulky and hard to store, so they were cleansed and dried and pampered by putting them in tins. These too, were not efficient and often rusted, leaving the delicate babies, stained and rusty.

Then an early prophet came up with the idea of storing these babies between the pages of books. All was well and good, and the prophet was pleased. But, alas after some time the babies took on the ink from the pages of the book and were damaged.
Back to the drawing boards (Stampboards had not been created -yet.)
Aha- inspiration by another prophet. Put them in books with no printing and the stamp book ( later to be renamed AL Bum) was born. It too, had it's teething problems- the stamps kept falling out.
By this time big business had got into the act and had devised a way of keeping the babies in their place, stick them in with a little piece of glued paper and the stamp hinge was born. Although many devotees still insisted on glueing the stamps directly to the page. Thankfully this practice has slowly died out, but there are a few, especially the young and unlearned who continue this practice to today.

A heretic arrived on the scene, and posed the question. Why do you wash the babies backside, dry them and pamper them , then go and stick them back into a book? A very vexing question but not to be outdone the faithful came up with a book of pockets with a glassine front. This meant that the babies could be put to bed and woken up and given an airing at will. Again all were happy.

At about this time, there were some who had more babies than they could ever look at and decided to sell their excess babies to those who had few and so dealers in babies (now Known as Dealers) was commenced. They were a methodical group of individuals who could see, here was a penny to be made. The new pocketed stampbooks were ideal for their needs, and so they put their stock of babies in these new books- now known as stock books.

Also about this time there was a revolutionary group who were willing to share their babies by swapping or giving them to less fortunate members of the group, thus was started the stamp group or club, which continues to this day. They also shared their knowledge, wives and anything else deemed fitting at the time.

Here endeth the first lesson.

_________________
An aquarian verging on a Gemini.

See my post under First Day Covers.

http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=2620

It is far cheaper to buy FDCs at an auction and soak the stamps off. In this way you'll get VFU stamps at a fraction of the cost.

_________________
Author of the Australian Stamp Variations Catalogue.
Visit my website for interesting information and stamp variations for sale. http://www.asv.net.au

Today's Lesson: Condition of Stamps

The condition of a stamp has been covered in many threads on this board. I shall try and consolidate it here and still be fairly brief.

Conditions which detract from a stamp. - USED
1. Creases, folds and bends, pin holes.

Even the smallest corner crease can detract from a stamp. For folds and bends these can often be washed out by soaking and when nearly dry, pressing the stamp between sheets of paper with the family bible or other such heavy book. All traces of glue must be washed off before doing this. Pin holes are there forever.

2. Dirty or marked appearance to either the front or back of the stamp.
Many dirty marks can be removed by a good soak in warm water with the addition of a drop or two of dishwashing liquid (Palmolive green/gold) A gentle massage between the fingers during the soak helps to dislodge the dirt and grime. Then a good dry and press.

3. Rust or staining.
Rust is a fungal growth on the stamp and is almost impossible to remove. Such stamps should NOT be stored with clean stamps as the spores can be transmitted from stamp to stamp. Stockbooks and albums can also carry these spores.

Hint. The type of storage used can influence the growth of these spores. Ideally storage should be low low humidity/or none, with a stable temperature and with regular airing. Dust can also carry these spores, so a dust-free environment is also good.

Staining is caused by the dyes of envelopes being transferred to the stamp during the soaking process or from the envelope when the stamp is stuck on. It is best to soak colored envelopes separately as one colored envelope many stain all the stamps in a batch. Worst colored envelopes- orange/brown, red, blue.

Maybe diminished by further soaks but almost impossible to remove totally.

4. Centre-ing
Centre-ing refers to the position of the stamp design in relation to the overall size of the stamp. A well centred stamp has equal margins on all four sides. An off-centre stamp may be high, low, left, right or a combination of these.

Grossly off-centre stamps may also be at a premium- where the perforations cut well into the design and a second stamp design may also visible.

5. Heavy and smudged postmarks.

6. Torn, cut, missing perforations or fluffy perfs. For imperforate stamps, the lack of four margins around the design.
Be careful of booklet and coil stamps that have one or more sides imperforate at the time of printing.

One or two missing perforations (perfs) can seriously detract from a stamp, especially classic stamps( pre-1900), KE VII and KG V era. Missing corner perfs can detract very much from the square shape of the stamp ( there are exceptions with some line perfed stamps to this overall square shape.)

Modern die-cut ( peel and stick) type stamps have rounded corners as part of the design.


Die-cut on piece and perforated. This colored envelopes are horrible for staining.

For Mint stamps - all the above PLUS glue condition.
FULL GUM - no disturbance to the original gum as printed.

PART GUM- some of the original gum has been removed by being hinged.

NO GUM- the original gum has been removed by soaking.
Sometimes this is necessary to arrest rust.

Glen and others will no doubt add to this list.

More to Follow......do come back.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Hey Waroff49,
you forgot to tell us about Thins, repairs and rubs.

_________________
An aquarian verging on a Gemini.

Sorry, about that Billabong.

You have raised a good point, but that is for a more advanced beginner.

However:

Thins.
This is where part of the backing part of the stamp has been ripped away, either by pulling off a stamp hinge or not completely soaking the stamp before removing it from the envelope. When held up to the light the thinned area looks brighter as more light gets through.

Repairs

These are repairs to rips, missing perfs, etc where the aim is to make the stamp look better and more saleable. They however still detract from a stamp compared with one which is in good condition.

Rubs

This is where part of the printed surface has been rubbed away, usually by rough handling, metallic objects in the mail bag or the mail bag surface itself. They show up as surface rips, lack of ink or minute holes in the front of the stamp. These are damaged stamps.

However, care should be taken identifying this, as some stamps with missing ink spots or blotches on the front are not rubs but where splatters of gum have got onto the surface before printing and when soaked, the ink and gum have come away leaving a lighter or white area. This has been closely covered in the thread- Tin shed Flaws.
More to come.....come back again

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Today's Lesson: Making a plan for your collection.

1. Your collection is your ideas on collecting.

There are no rules, only the ones you set for yourself. Your ideas and collecting habits will change with time and as your collection grows.

Theme for collecting.
Your collection needs a theme or topic. The best place to start is to collect mail sent to you, that will generally be the country in which you live. Most collectors start with this, then they branch out.

Types of Collections:

One country.

This is where you try to collect every stamp issued by that country. The more you collect of it, the more specialized your collection will become. This will take time and you will develop knowledge of the country and you will need to develop a resource list of catalogues, books and contacts.

Topicals or Thematic.

In this type of collection, you endevour to collect stamps with a similar theme from everywhere in the world. The choice of topic is yours. Some popular themes are: Flowers Trains Flags Ships Planes Animals Scouts Christmas etc. the list is endless.

One of the members of this board collected All the stamps issued in the year of his birth, from every country he could find.
Again a catalogue helps immensely in identifying and finding which stamps have been issued. Stanley Gibbons has several such catalogues, I don't know if Scott or Michel have the same type of catalogues.

Omnibus Collection.

In this type of collection you collect all the stamps for a given event, such as the death of Princess Dianna, Coronation of KG VI., Christopher Colombus- 350th Anniv. This is where several countries issue stamps for an event common to them. again a reference is essential so you don't miss some of the issues.

Ad hoc:
This is a collection where there is no rhyme or reason to the collection. This type of collection where you try to collect at least one stamp from every country to put on a world album page. Many collections started this way, until a more detailed idea (plan) was made. This is the beginning for many stamp collectors. This is where they learn about stamps, before they make decisions on how to collect. This stage may take years and can be left and returned to in 20 years time. This type is usually the least expensive for those with limited money.

You can have all these types of collections running at the same time, and change from one to the other as the opportunity arises. With time, knowledge and money- you may have 3-4 major collections, and several sub-collections all running together.

Stamp collecting is not like watching a game of football, it takes a lot of time and the gaining of knowledge. It can be left for years and returned to, as your situation changes. It can also give life-long lasting pleasure. Just to flip back and see what you did in the past. I still look at my 1st album and can't believe some of the things I did as a child collector.- 80 stamps to a page, some stuck in with glue, torn and damaged stamps, stamps from places I'd never collect now, possible fakes and dubious printings etc.

Come back again......more to follow.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

If any new collectors would like to add their thoughts on how they started collecting and how their collection is growing.

My thoughts, are now after I've been collecting for a while and one forgets how it all started.

Did your collection start with help from relatives? With packets of stamps in a sample bag? The kids at school, or a school stamp club?

If you started later in life, was it the lure of increasing value or to break the boredom of marital bliss or other?

Share it with us all.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Mum started buying Papua New Guinea (we lived there) FDC when I was born so that trip to the P.O on the first day of issue was a family tradition.
We did soak offs (NOT off FDCs!) and drying on newspaper etc but we put them in the pretty tins - keep out the insects and moisture but when I opened them recently the rust was a disaster.

We moved to an isolated island so the PO trips became postal order affairs, with our 'bag' being delivered fortnightly by a single engine plane (trips to town on that were scary)

Which was all fun except everything stuck together and went mouldy (we were about 180kms from the equator) being enterprising we put them into photo albums. Cured those problems but when I pulled them out 4 months ago, they werent just stuck, they were cemented into the albums.

So between the rust and the cement I deceided to start again.

German influences still exhisted in New Guinea so Ive started from scratch with German New Guinea - have completed that so now on to G.R.I. and territory of New Guinea, B.N.G, Papua etc.

Its actually an extremely complex and challenging country to collect. There are 9 different country stamp collections used/issued.

Its not just about bits of paper, but the history and the places and the people that lived there.
1901 - imagine posting from there then??!!

Thanks for that Grovyk. Your explanations on the effects of humidity were great and on the use of tins- saved from one peril but overtaken by another.

In tropical and moist areas one of the most important things to control is humudity. I reeks havoc with gum, either by sticking stamps together or as a medium for the growth of rust and mould.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Glen has just given some good advice to ALL collectors, beginners to senior members on SOAKING STAMPS FROM CARDBOARD.

. Have a look.
http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=2784

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Another tip when soaking, from Doug222usa



This is a tip from one of our senior members in the USA. Lifted from You ask the questions.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Waroff,

This is a great thread. Learning some things I should have learned a long time ago. Thanks. Will be watching this thread more closely.

Cheers
Andrew

Thank you Crossie,

I am glad you appreciate this thread. Apart from the things I write I will collect snippets from other threads to help new to stamp collecting persons, get some ideas and understanding.

As Glen preaches. Knowledge is Power. All along I thought money was power. If you don't have it you're powerless, if you have it you buy the knowledge in others.



Come back soon......more to follow.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Today's Lesson: Buying on E.Bay.

If as a beginner you feel compelled to buy on E.bay here are some tips (which I don't always follow myself but should)

BUYING.

Buying on E.bay can be frought with danger but can also be rewarding.
You must know what you want before you even start. This infers that you know what you want, and have some sort of list either a catalogue, auction catalogue or dealer's price list. You can also look up what dealer's are asking for stamps on the internet. Hopefully most dealer's are reputable and their stocklists are for good quality stamps or if not the condition of the stamp is stated.

Having decided what you want, there are two questions to ask yourself.
1. Can I afford to buy it?
2. What is the maximum I am willing to go to, to obtain this/these stamp/s? (Set a limit)

Having decided this, you have several avenues.
Do I buy it on E.bay or from a dealer?
Do I buy it in an auction on EBay or from an Ebay shop (Buy It Now) ?

Ebay dangers.
Fraudulent dealers- many uncovered by this very Stampboards.

Fraudulent product even from sellers with 100% positive feedback.

Scammers asking for ridiculous prices - also covered in detail in the Online Auction thread. This is where you have to know what you want and the going price.

Shrill Bidding- this is where the item starts at a low price and is bid up by associates of the seller to reach a maximum well above
a correct price. Hard to prove but it does go on. This is another reason for setting a maximum bid price.

Lack of return policy. You must read and understand exactly what the person is selling, what condition it is in, and the conditions under which you can return it, if not satisfied.

Methods of payment. Be extremely wary of sellers who only accept methods of payment which can't be traced. Also be wary of sellers who want your credit card details.

My daughter bought something(not stamps) on Ebay and paid by credit card. The product didn't arrive and she had a terrible time trying to track down the company which was shielded by another company, behind another company wall. So she stopped payment with the credit card- a saga within itself. For the next 3 months, even after telling the credit card company, she continued to receive monthly debits to her account for the item.
Very frustrating.

Postage and Shipping - Before you bid know how much the cost of getting it to you are? If is not stated for your country- ASK the seller before you bid.
The item might be cheap but the p/h are horrendous, making the total cost, over, what you could have bought it for from a dealer.

Images- generally if there is no image don't even consider buying
If the image is blurry, faint or doesn't cover the whole of the lot: be extremely wary, of what you can't see or what the seller is trying to hide. No matter what they might say.

Lack of description. 'As is' or 'as you see it' is not sufficient description- be extremely wary. Glowing description with a poor image or an item that doesn't go with description.
e.g. Immaculate condition but the stamp has a corner off, or missing perfs or is creased. See previous post on condition of stamps.

Good Points about E.Bay
1. Basically covers the whole world- expands markets greatly.
2. Wide range of product especially stamps.
3. Most sellers are honest and fair.
4. You can get items well below their value, if you know what you are looking for and the going price.
5. Payment by Paypal or bidpay is fairly secure and traceable and in most currencies. It is also convenient and costs the seller.
6. Whether for good or bad, it has a complaint system.
7. Sometimes you will know more than the seller.


HINTS:
CHECK out the item fully
CHECK out he SELLER as fully as you can. FEEDBACK is only an indicator not a gospel. Sellers with 1,000's of positives and 100% should be fairly reliable. Below 98% be wary and look up the negatives at http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?
CHECK Other on-line auctions for the same item.
CHECK out dealer's prices for the same thing.
BE PREPARED- not to win every item you bid on. Being outbid in the last 10 seconds.
Generally the same item will come up again, you just have to be patient.

ASK if you don't know or understand.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Great info from Glen, doug222usa and waroff 49 about soaking.

Other threads also talk about boiling, and additives like chemicals etc.

I understand stamps being ruined easily by use of chemicals

but are 'death by drowning' common.?

Are they resilient to multiple soaks with plain water?

In the case of buying used stamps (ie off ebay) and not knowing the soaking history are there signs/symptoms that tell you when you shouldnt do it again?

Are different coloured postmarks affected by soaking - especially boiling? eg the pale grey, red.

What about the effect on overprints - I can practise on modern examples but how does soaking effect really old overprints ie 1900s and older.?

Some stamps from India and China look fragile to start with,
they cant fix the dye run on their fabrics yet,
are they any better with stamps.?

Should I do the salt thing with them even though theyre not on coloured paper?

Got a freebie of mixed used old stamps - all fixed of course
Also have some used German New Guinea Yachts, which I do care about and would prefer not to 'sink or drown' them.



P.S. Im REALLY enjoying the info on this thread.

Hi grovyk.

You've asked a lot of questions, some I simply don't have the answer to.

All I can suggest and it's not gospel.

I have given stamps a second wash, mainly to remove junk and stamp hinges from the back. Basically a quick dip like a one-two minute shower. With a drop of dishwashing liquid- nothing too caustic. Of course I'm talking of used stamps here. Done individually or at the most five stamps. It also freshened up the appearance by removing grime.

I just left them in long enough to soften the glue, so that it could be lifted off. If it didn't come off easily another quick dip until it did. I didn't pull the hinge/ junk for fear of thinning the stamp.

I have not tried it on stamps from many countries. I have done this on US, GB and Australia, with no ill effects.

Not knowing the previous history of the stamp can also make you more wary of doing anything.

Even a first wash can lead to disaster, especially with some of the new peel and stick stamps where the glue is stronger than the paper in the stamps. Many,many stamps damaged trying to get the glue off the back. Even the smallest amount of glue left will stick to anything it comes in contact with.

Even for a first wash, I do a small quantity and start taking the stamp from the backing as soon as the glue is soft, by the time I get to the end, most have floated off. I don't let them soak for hours. If the stamp doesn't come away easily, it goes back for more soaking.

I can't talk for the stamps of a lot of countries as I've never soaked them. If in doubt, act cautiously. Do a cheap or multiple copy stamp first as a test (from the same issue - period and country) if possible. Stamps are pretty resilient and printed on good quality paper with generally good quality inks, so should be able to last a couple of washes. Prolonged time in water can effect the fibres of the paper and damage the structure of the stamp. Chemicals can also increase this problem.

I hope that one of the philatelists can add to this, as it is above a beginner type scenario. Thank you very much for your questions and hope to get more.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Most Malaysian stamps (not Straits Settlements, or pre-Federation of Malaya) stamps can take a good amount of soaking and resoaking. Have resoaked some stamps from the 1980s period because they had been with me for over 20 years and they look fine after soaking (cancellation marks and all).

Cheers
Andrew

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Waroff49,

Just my two sen worth.

Cheers
Andrew

Re. Soaking.

No mention of the good old-fashioned "sweat box" ! especially good for delicate stamps or stubborn gum.

Take an all-plastic ( NO METAL !!! ) salad box with included bottom grill. Put water in the box below the grill. Place stamps on paper face up on the grill. Firmly fix the hermetically sealed lid. Place in a warm ( not hot) place and wait..... -
a slightly less efficient manner is to place stamps face up on soaked blotting paper again in a hermetically sealed box - free plug Tupperware is ideal.

The gum should soften enough to remove the paper from the stamp ( note never the stamp from the paper ! ) without undue damage. Then clean off the gum using a soft brush and warm water , then place in drying book.

Another tip - organic gums - gum arabic and similar must be COMPLETELY removed to avoid fungal attack later. Modern gums such as PVA or PVA - dextrin need more longer soaking off manilla envelopes than white -brown envelopes are apt to cause thins - don't ask me why. Coloured greetings card envelopes ( particularly those originating in the USA or Canada - again don't ask me why ) should always be removed using the sweat box method to avoid colour -run. I have found horror stories of self-adhesives much exaggerated. Provided you take care, and spend the required amount of time ( individual attention advised - 90% success can be achieved - the very difficult issues ( particularly US ) are well-documented - visit any US stamps message board. Make notes about problems ( and solutions ) associated with particular issues. Use a soft artists brush to remove old hinge remnants without soaking the whole stamp. Never treat soaking as a one method for all stamps activity.

One important thing - never soak stamps when overtired or after imbibing the amber nectar - a recipe for disaster - and don't rush. Do your soaking in one area while working on other collecting tasks in another - don't get water on the "other"!!

As an addictive kiloware buyer I have been there, done that and bought the T-shirt!!

Malcolm

Thanks for sharing that with us Malcolm197.

I have never used this method, but if it works, then why not share the information. That's what this thread is all about. Maybe that is a good solution to grovyk's apprehension with giving stamps a second wash.

Feel free to post anything here, you think would help a beginner with the wonderful, fun-filled world of stamp collecting.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

A good thread for all beginning buyers to read about Ebay buying.
Stamp News Giveaway gets $187.50 on ebay!

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

I have tried the sweat box method, having bought one of those rather expensive gadgets in the US but what Malcolm is suggesting gives exactly the same effect, without having to spend a bomb on these things.

The only thing you need is really a lot of patience, a lot of time and maybe choose a time when you really don't have any other thing to do. Then the results should be great.

Cheers
Andrew

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Thanks waroff49, and malcolmn197 for all your soaking and sweat box tips.
I know what you mean about the tupperware ones, my mother-in-law has one that might go missing ..

crosscresent said



Now I know why people save these jobs for retirement!!!
- Time and patience.

Ill just do a couple at a time, that way any stuffup is a small one.

Thanks

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

G'day all you new stamp collectors..

My name's Billabong and I've got a story to tell you about STORAGE

Storage is what you do when you've got more than one of anything, with a few exceptions, including socks, undies, spectacles, shoes etc, cos they come in twos. You never have enough of it, according to Mrs. Billabong.

Anyhow, enough of the preamble.


As a total newby, you start off with one stamp (no need for special storage), but soon they seem to multiply and you need to confine them to one part of the house, so you put them altogether in an envelope. Good for keeping them together but no good if it rains and the roof floods,or mum is looking for paper to start the fire.


So being the astute collector you are by now, with four or five envelopes, you decide, I need something that will keep more stamps in one place, won't get wet when it rains and mum can't use it to light the fire. Your choice- the resealable plastic bag.

Within a short time, there are plastic bags everywhere. Time for the next step, as mum's continually complaining about the mess. The old biscuit tins that Aunt Molly gave mum for the last ten years. Perfect, hold a lot of stamps, can put envelopes (which have sorted stamps in them) and plastic bags as well. Fewer tins= less mess. Mum will be happy.



But by now, you've made that giant step for collectors, you've bought some mint stamps. Having read my mate, Waroffs beginning collecting on Stampboards, you realize that envelopes, plastic bags and tins aren't the way to go. What to do.....aha...Pester mum, dad or anyone who'll listen: that you desperately need an album or go out and work to earn some money to buy your own.

First ALBUM

But what type to buy, a whole world album with pages for every country or a stockbook, with lots of strips which I can put he stamps in without damaging them. I've got a lot more used stamps than mint, so I opt for a whole world album and stamp hinges. I can now show off my growing collection with just the flip of a page. I show my aunts, uncles, next door neighbour, the postman, and more and more stamps start rolling in.

Soon you're ready for the next gigantic leap. Your world album has some pages full of stamps while many have one or none. Time for a re-think. By now you've accumulated quite a few mint stamps and lots of used....... you've got to store and be able to show them to best advantage. Time for some blank ruled pages that you can write the subject on AND a stockbook for those pristine mint stamps. No more gaps in your album and you can write snippets of information as the need arises.


Plain Page Album


Stockbook



Pre-printed Album
Your collection grows, you now have envelopes with specific information on the front, plastic bags, tins, a whole world album, specific country or topic albums and a stockbook. Still mum complains about the mess....aha a big carton,,, mum won't complain any more, stamps will be safe and all in one place.

Being the stamp collecting addict you now are, you've grown your collection to several cartons, many albums ( some of them, those ones with pictures for every stamp and little plastic pieces so that you don't have to use hinges any more.), several stockbooks ( all different sizes and quality) and mum still complains.
Next step a cupboard or bookshelf....then another and another until you finish up with a stamp-room, mum still complains.

By this time, you've aged sufficiently to move out and create a stamp house, just like Glen's. You live by yourself, so mum doesn't nag any more and you get to enjoy your stamp collecting even more. You can still ask friends around for a stamp party and talk, discuss, swap and show your collection.



The next step in this progression is that you buy a warehouse and sell those stamps that no longer interest you.

There is a next step, but its not nice...... 9foot x 6 foot by -6foot and a stone that says----Here lies A. Stampcollector, True to the End.

Here endeth the story...
by Billabong Bill.

_________________
An aquarian verging on a Gemini.

Gee's Billabong, are you trying to put the newbies off,
1. Showing Glen's mansion like that; and
2. That final comment... well I'll say no more.

Just check in before writing any more stories. O.K.

Love
Waroff49.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

My dormroom at college looked abit like that, interestingly I always knew where everything was and if anything was moved.

The absolute cure are rugrats / anklebiters (human tsunamis) where you have to keep changing to higher ground to avoid the grubby fingers that put everthing into their mouths to be sucked and chewed into u.f.o's.
As they get bigger so does the chaos and thats when the above mentioned warehouse (or 'shed') becomes a necesity in the prevention of stamp paper-mache and other terminal conditions.!!


How closely 'stacked' can a stockbook be before it not healthy for stamps. ( creases etc)

Ideally, no stamp should overlap another in a stock book, but I have had stamps (used) and no gum which have been overlapped for years with little or no effect. The books were standing vertically like on a library shelf and were not forced together.

I think to lie them down and stack book on book would have a similar effect to the drying books. Where stamps are overlapped they would develop pressure lines from the weight and other stamps.

For mint or better stamps, I generally don't overlap and often leave space between stamps. Good quality stockbooks also help.

They should be treated like fine wine. Kept in the dark,low humidity and constant temperature, and taken out occasionally for admiration and airing.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Waroff46 said





The best ones (stamps and wine) are expensive and both get you into trouble.

I think you just set a topic for a new thread. We have one for beer, why not one for WINE.

Bored with life- Wine. What's you favourite?

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

I have overlapped stamps in Stock Books since the sixties, originally in those big heavy Chinese Stock Books beloved by everyone.

I now use quality 64 page German stockbooks, and open each of them up whenever I am adding to my collection, or once every week or two. The overlapping is minimal (and most of my World material is used anyway)

If I did not overlap, I would need about 300 Stock Books instead of the 47 I have. I have never had a problem with any overlapped stamps, even in the bad old days of the Chinese Stock Books, now relegated to retaining for el cheapomixed world lots.

Norm

The only problem I have had with overlapping stamps in stockbooks is damage to the STOCKBOOKS, not the stamps. Some brands of stockbooks (G&K from Subway is a particular offender in this) do not have the plastic strips adhered solidly enough, and they come loose when you put too many stamps in one row.

Thanks, Erich and Norm for those additional comments.

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Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Like your idea of a regularly opening or airing, makes sense.

What is your prefered way of storing and displaying blocks - 4s, 6 and 8s ?

Hi Grovyk,

I don't have a preferred way. I rarely have blocks or 4 much less 6 or 8.

I do have a few panes (or pains- as the case may be.) which I store loose in a large manilla folder with tissue interleave. Not ideal but actual. Whether this is good or bad, only time will tell.

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

I am a bit like Waroff. I don't do out of my way to get multiples (or Minature Sheets) - they simply do not fit in with what I wish to collect (except Australia of course - but I have stopped AP junk issues recently).

When I do get them, usually in junk lots, I make a judgement call on the best thing to do with them. That rarely results in my primary collection being enhanced with this type of material.

Norm

On the knowledge is power front there are a couple of free publications from Australia Post. They provide information about current issues, stamp shows and stamp events and special postmarks. I have been receiving the stamp bulletin for many years.

For the 6 to 13 year olds there is the Stamp Gang magazine.
Send your name and address and date of birth to
Stamp Explorer, PO Box 4000, Ferntree Gully, Victoria, 3156.

For those of us who are older there is the Stamp Bulletin which can be ordered by sending your name and address to
Stamp Bulletin Australia, PO Box 4000, Ferntree Gully, Victoria, 3156.

I thought a couple of references for new collector's might be worthwhile to add to this topic:

For kids (from Australia Post):



For all ages (from Stanley Gibbons):

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Tony

Thanks for those additions Biggles and Lakatoi.

On he same front. Both Canada and the USPS put out similar FREE magazines for new issues. I don't have their addresses but I think they can be subscribed to, at their websites.

See thread for URL's on this board. I think under knowledge is power .

_________________
Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Re: blocks and panes, the black plastic stockpages are the way to go. They make them where the sheet is divided into between 1 pocket (holds a full pane of many issues) to 8 pockets (works like a normal stockbook page for individual stamps). You can get whatever size will hold what you intend to fill them with...

There are a bunch of brands -- Vario, Hagner, Lighthouse, G & K, SuperSafe -- pretty much the same people who make stockbooks. I find they're all about the same.

They come in packs of 5, and usually cost $3-$5 per pack depending on the brand, where you get them, how many you're buying, etc.

If you want to scan and sell stamps, they are good for scanning -- the stamps stay put and the black background shows most stamps well in scans. They are also an efficient way to set up and scan collections -- you will need a lot fewer scans than if the same collection was set up on album pages.

They are also good for mailing collections -- they lie flat, and the stamps stay put most of the time (they can more easily get off album pages).