Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I use mounts when I complete MNH or even M pages, but often my albums are in a "working mode status".
I find page protectors the best way to store, use, manipulate and eventually archive my collection pages.
I usually print page, but I also take some of my heavyweight Scott Specialty album pages and cut them to size to fit the page protectors.
I found that the heavier weight protectors work better for me, even if they take a little more room in the album...barely noticeable.
I am enamoured with the Avery archival heavyweight "presentation sheet protectors", which I buy at Costco in boxes of 200, 225 and now bonus 250 sheets per box for a mere $10.00. At 4c per page, you cannot beat it! I often ask myself why I still use mounts!
rrr...
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I just started making my own pages, too. I picked up a box of 100 sheet protectors from Office Depot.(their house brand) They're standard weight, archival quality, top loading and have a non-glare finish. They seem to be very good quality and I don't think they were overly expensive.
WB
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Here is a kind of bizarre option I encountered recently. They are Hallmark self-adhesive photo album pages. I recently purchased a country collection in nine Hallmark albums, each with 25-30 of these pages. Insanely expensive in total. I estimate the nine albums with pages cost $900 (not including the value of the stamps) which is way more than the collection cost.
http://shop.hallmark.com/gifts/albums/photo-albums/value-pack-large-self-adhesive-photo-refill-1795AR6508.html?gclid=CK6Mif7y-MoCFQKTaQodh80Exw
Unfortunately, the website does not demonstrate how these pages work. A plastic cover opens left to right and adheres to the margin. They are/were two -sided and you can slide an album page under the plastic sleeve on each side. With stamps in mounts this provides a two-layer protection to the collection.
Unfortunately, there is some concern the most recent incarnation of these pages is not as good as the prior product (there were some changes apparently).
In the collection I purchased, for the most part the stamps were pretty common. But the previous owner used mounts for all stamps and this expensive protector option. So its like the Fort Knox of common stamps. But I may re-purpose the nine albums to hold something a bit more valuable. If only they also had slipcases!
If I remember, maybe I'll post some images.
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Hungry For Stamps.. be very cautious with the self adhesive photo albums. I have a few that I used to store covers back in the 1970s or 1980s and when I got back to collecting and opened the boxes of stuff for the first time, I was horrified to find that the glue had deteriorated and the covers all had bad toning on the backs as well as being stuck down pretty firm to the pages. The covers that had value or I especially liked, I carefully removed, the rest I just tossed out.
The album may appear good now.. but you never know how something not meant for stamps will behave over the years.
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I don't think the ones I have are gummed. I'll have to check. Besides, they have a stamp page inserted under the plastic sleeve, then all the stamps are enclosed in mounts mounted to the page, and the sleeve fits over the mount. No stamp comes close to touching the self-adhesive page.
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I just checked and you are correct. They are gummed and that's what holds the stamp page to the photo page. I'll have to think about how to repurpose these albums after I extract the stamps. I don't think the stamps are in any danger given the barrier created by the page and mount.
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01:33:43pm
Adhesive photo albums and Crystal Mounts. Two things I encounter all the time when buying collections (I buy a lot of collections from the public), and two things I won't touch.
Photo albums -- the fact that your stamps were in mounts before being put into the pages saved them. If I encounter stamps or covers in these albums, mounted directly in the adhesive pages, I will not even value them. My comment to the owners is typically something like "Some of these may be salvageable, however, I am not in the salvage business. Let me know if you get them out and I'll have a look at them." Depending on the age, weight stacked up on them and humidity conditions over the years, they may come off freely, they may have "stripes" of adhesive on the back, or they may not come off at all.
Crystal Mounts: The worst "hingeless" mounts ever invented. I can't believe they still sell them. The basic problem is that they are a tube with a strip of water activated (read "spit activated") adhesive on the back. Typical use is: Stamp is inserted in the tube, tube is cut to length for the stamp, adhesive strip is licked and mount is stuck into the album with the stamp in it. Problem #1: Frequently, a bit of saliva migrates into the edge of the tube, getting to the gum of the stamp. The stamp doesn't stick, because the mount is slick plastic, but the stamp gets a "Crystal Mount glaze" in the upper corners. Value when the collection is broken up -- less than a lightly hinged specimen because it takes explaining.
Problem #2: Impossible to evaluate a collection without removing every stamp from its mount and destroying the mount. Once removed from its "tube-like" mount, it is nearly impossible to return the stamp to the mount without more time and care than is available. In combination with problem #1 this means that the evaluation must assume that all the worthwhile stamps have problems, with a resulting disappointing market evaluation.
Problem #3: They frequently shrink, wrinkling the stamps, typically beyond salvage.
Beginners -- please stay away from both these forms of mounting if you value your collection.
Roy
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Reading through here, I was concerned by what HungryForStamps had proposed to use for page protection. I knew I had a couple of these, which I used for what they were intended; photographs.
Mine were the best quality that could be obtained at the time, probably similar to the Hallmark ones mentioned. These were 'WEB Selfix' postform albums. One could buy packs of pages complete with brass extension posts.
I bought these around 1985 and they have been stored in a cupboard since where there are no extremes of humidity or temperature. I looked at these about 5 years ago and everything was fine.
Last night, as a result of this thread, I checked them out again. OH DEAR:
Every page is the same: the page protector has wrinkled, severe brown toning at the top and bottom (not properly visible on the scan, as these are big albums).
I have just tried to remove one of the photos and boy this is difficult; they have almost been welded on. I managed to carefully get it off but the diagonally applied, micro lines of pressure sensitive gum have 'bubbled' up.
This was NOT caused by any chemical residue in the photos, as a number of pages were empty. This I'm sure is a chemical reaction between the gum lines and the acetate (?) page protectors.
I may be lucky (thanks to this thread) to have caught this problem in time. So, the advice given by BenFranklin1902 and Roy is spot on.
Don't put anything stamp related in these. In fact don't bother putting precious photos in them. Consider throwing them out, which is what I am going to do now.
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Hi Ningpo;
You probably just saved a few new collectors from making similar assumptions that these are good to store
stuff in, just because they were expensive when new.
Thanks for the time you took to point this out to everyone.... 
TuskenRaider
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I bought these from a dealer in 1984, if you're thinking of printing your own pages these might work, they're cheap but there is absolutely no damage to the stamps shown which have been there for 32 years
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Hi!
I ruined a lot of photographs by using this type of album. One of the 'fixes' I found to work after a fashion, was to put the pages in the freezer overnight. Sometimes, not always, this would loosen the adhesive to the point that I could remove the photos and put them into another type album. Might work for stamps, too.
Don't rush and try to put the entire album in the freezer. Slow and sure, one page at a time.
Sigh! They were so popular for awhile, to preserve/present photos. My kids wonder why I look askance at the 'new' items!
Marilyn 
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Sorry, I wasn't aware I was "proposing" the photo album as a storage solution. I noted it was a "bizarre" option I recently encountered (mainly due to the expense of the solution). I would think the sheer expense would drive anyone away from this solution.
Certainly I never meant to propose that collector should adhere stamps to gum of any kind or enclose their stamps in those old indestructible mounts. In fact, I don't ever apply even a hinge to the cheapest of my stamps.
However, I thought it was quite interesting the way this collection was put together, with the album page inserted above the gummed page and each stamp in the mount. It looks quite nice. There is no danger of the gum ever coming near the stamp. The pages are higher quality than those shown above. (I need to post some pictures).
Further, the stamps are easily removed from the mounts and replaced again. There was no need for me to destroy the mounts in the process of evaluating the collection as Roy suggests. Mounts are split back and easily dealt with.
In fact, the mounts are NOT glued to the page using the mount adhesive. Each mount is inserted in those little adhesive corner flaps sometimes used to hold photos in place.
Apparently some of you need warnings...so please do not embark upon this solution (unless you are mad, genius or both).
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Ningpo... one thing that might work to free your photos. Carefully put fishing line or dental floss between the page and photo, and carefully work it downward, like you are sawing. May or may not work due to a bunch of factors, but worked for me in some instances.
With over 30 years in Facilities Management, this is the technique we used to remove self adhesive signs from walls without damage.
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Thank you for your suggestions. I'll try the fishing line as my dental floss is that very friable type.
I found that getting a starting point was too risky with my tongs (tweezers).
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I just went through about 50 of those photo albums full of my recently deceased aunt and uncle's photo collections. Interestingly, a few pages were SO old that the glue actually had crystallized and with a little tug on a loose corner, the photo just snapped right off. However, most were so firmly stuck that I found it easier to split the page seam and then cut the photos out from each half, with a resulting thin "backing" of cardboard, or scanning the ones I could not cut out safely. My best solution was shipping any that featured a recognizable relative to that person. I bet they were glad they got all those "thick" photos!
For stamps, my uncle thankfully did not use photo pages but, sadly, many of his loose stamps that he didn't sort were stuffed into (now very yellowed) envelopes. Some of those unused and used/hinged stamps adhered together as they were stacked lying flat in a box under some papers. Lost a couple of HK QV issues that way. Ugh.
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I have read that many members will make there own album pages then use page protectors. Is there a certain kind or weight I should use? Is using Scott Mounts and a page protector "over kill"? Just looking for some advise.
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
13 Feb 2016
05:51:08pm
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I use mounts when I complete MNH or even M pages, but often my albums are in a "working mode status".
I find page protectors the best way to store, use, manipulate and eventually archive my collection pages.
I usually print page, but I also take some of my heavyweight Scott Specialty album pages and cut them to size to fit the page protectors.
I found that the heavier weight protectors work better for me, even if they take a little more room in the album...barely noticeable.
I am enamoured with the Avery archival heavyweight "presentation sheet protectors", which I buy at Costco in boxes of 200, 225 and now bonus 250 sheets per box for a mere $10.00. At 4c per page, you cannot beat it! I often ask myself why I still use mounts!
rrr...
Login to Like
this post
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I just started making my own pages, too. I picked up a box of 100 sheet protectors from Office Depot.(their house brand) They're standard weight, archival quality, top loading and have a non-glare finish. They seem to be very good quality and I don't think they were overly expensive.
WB
Login to Like
this post
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Here is a kind of bizarre option I encountered recently. They are Hallmark self-adhesive photo album pages. I recently purchased a country collection in nine Hallmark albums, each with 25-30 of these pages. Insanely expensive in total. I estimate the nine albums with pages cost $900 (not including the value of the stamps) which is way more than the collection cost.
http://shop.hallmark.com/gifts/albums/photo-albums/value-pack-large-self-adhesive-photo-refill-1795AR6508.html?gclid=CK6Mif7y-MoCFQKTaQodh80Exw
Unfortunately, the website does not demonstrate how these pages work. A plastic cover opens left to right and adheres to the margin. They are/were two -sided and you can slide an album page under the plastic sleeve on each side. With stamps in mounts this provides a two-layer protection to the collection.
Unfortunately, there is some concern the most recent incarnation of these pages is not as good as the prior product (there were some changes apparently).
In the collection I purchased, for the most part the stamps were pretty common. But the previous owner used mounts for all stamps and this expensive protector option. So its like the Fort Knox of common stamps. But I may re-purpose the nine albums to hold something a bit more valuable. If only they also had slipcases!
If I remember, maybe I'll post some images.
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re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Hungry For Stamps.. be very cautious with the self adhesive photo albums. I have a few that I used to store covers back in the 1970s or 1980s and when I got back to collecting and opened the boxes of stuff for the first time, I was horrified to find that the glue had deteriorated and the covers all had bad toning on the backs as well as being stuck down pretty firm to the pages. The covers that had value or I especially liked, I carefully removed, the rest I just tossed out.
The album may appear good now.. but you never know how something not meant for stamps will behave over the years.
Login to Like
this post
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I don't think the ones I have are gummed. I'll have to check. Besides, they have a stamp page inserted under the plastic sleeve, then all the stamps are enclosed in mounts mounted to the page, and the sleeve fits over the mount. No stamp comes close to touching the self-adhesive page.
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this post
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I just checked and you are correct. They are gummed and that's what holds the stamp page to the photo page. I'll have to think about how to repurpose these albums after I extract the stamps. I don't think the stamps are in any danger given the barrier created by the page and mount.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 300 categories
15 Feb 2016
01:33:43pm
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Adhesive photo albums and Crystal Mounts. Two things I encounter all the time when buying collections (I buy a lot of collections from the public), and two things I won't touch.
Photo albums -- the fact that your stamps were in mounts before being put into the pages saved them. If I encounter stamps or covers in these albums, mounted directly in the adhesive pages, I will not even value them. My comment to the owners is typically something like "Some of these may be salvageable, however, I am not in the salvage business. Let me know if you get them out and I'll have a look at them." Depending on the age, weight stacked up on them and humidity conditions over the years, they may come off freely, they may have "stripes" of adhesive on the back, or they may not come off at all.
Crystal Mounts: The worst "hingeless" mounts ever invented. I can't believe they still sell them. The basic problem is that they are a tube with a strip of water activated (read "spit activated") adhesive on the back. Typical use is: Stamp is inserted in the tube, tube is cut to length for the stamp, adhesive strip is licked and mount is stuck into the album with the stamp in it. Problem #1: Frequently, a bit of saliva migrates into the edge of the tube, getting to the gum of the stamp. The stamp doesn't stick, because the mount is slick plastic, but the stamp gets a "Crystal Mount glaze" in the upper corners. Value when the collection is broken up -- less than a lightly hinged specimen because it takes explaining.
Problem #2: Impossible to evaluate a collection without removing every stamp from its mount and destroying the mount. Once removed from its "tube-like" mount, it is nearly impossible to return the stamp to the mount without more time and care than is available. In combination with problem #1 this means that the evaluation must assume that all the worthwhile stamps have problems, with a resulting disappointing market evaluation.
Problem #3: They frequently shrink, wrinkling the stamps, typically beyond salvage.
Beginners -- please stay away from both these forms of mounting if you value your collection.
Roy
6 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Reading through here, I was concerned by what HungryForStamps had proposed to use for page protection. I knew I had a couple of these, which I used for what they were intended; photographs.
Mine were the best quality that could be obtained at the time, probably similar to the Hallmark ones mentioned. These were 'WEB Selfix' postform albums. One could buy packs of pages complete with brass extension posts.
I bought these around 1985 and they have been stored in a cupboard since where there are no extremes of humidity or temperature. I looked at these about 5 years ago and everything was fine.
Last night, as a result of this thread, I checked them out again. OH DEAR:
Every page is the same: the page protector has wrinkled, severe brown toning at the top and bottom (not properly visible on the scan, as these are big albums).
I have just tried to remove one of the photos and boy this is difficult; they have almost been welded on. I managed to carefully get it off but the diagonally applied, micro lines of pressure sensitive gum have 'bubbled' up.
This was NOT caused by any chemical residue in the photos, as a number of pages were empty. This I'm sure is a chemical reaction between the gum lines and the acetate (?) page protectors.
I may be lucky (thanks to this thread) to have caught this problem in time. So, the advice given by BenFranklin1902 and Roy is spot on.
Don't put anything stamp related in these. In fact don't bother putting precious photos in them. Consider throwing them out, which is what I am going to do now.
1 Member
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re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Hi Ningpo;
You probably just saved a few new collectors from making similar assumptions that these are good to store
stuff in, just because they were expensive when new.
Thanks for the time you took to point this out to everyone....
TuskenRaider
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I bought these from a dealer in 1984, if you're thinking of printing your own pages these might work, they're cheap but there is absolutely no damage to the stamps shown which have been there for 32 years
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03:18:12pm
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Hi!
I ruined a lot of photographs by using this type of album. One of the 'fixes' I found to work after a fashion, was to put the pages in the freezer overnight. Sometimes, not always, this would loosen the adhesive to the point that I could remove the photos and put them into another type album. Might work for stamps, too.
Don't rush and try to put the entire album in the freezer. Slow and sure, one page at a time.
Sigh! They were so popular for awhile, to preserve/present photos. My kids wonder why I look askance at the 'new' items!
Marilyn
Login to Like
this post
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Sorry, I wasn't aware I was "proposing" the photo album as a storage solution. I noted it was a "bizarre" option I recently encountered (mainly due to the expense of the solution). I would think the sheer expense would drive anyone away from this solution.
Certainly I never meant to propose that collector should adhere stamps to gum of any kind or enclose their stamps in those old indestructible mounts. In fact, I don't ever apply even a hinge to the cheapest of my stamps.
However, I thought it was quite interesting the way this collection was put together, with the album page inserted above the gummed page and each stamp in the mount. It looks quite nice. There is no danger of the gum ever coming near the stamp. The pages are higher quality than those shown above. (I need to post some pictures).
Further, the stamps are easily removed from the mounts and replaced again. There was no need for me to destroy the mounts in the process of evaluating the collection as Roy suggests. Mounts are split back and easily dealt with.
In fact, the mounts are NOT glued to the page using the mount adhesive. Each mount is inserted in those little adhesive corner flaps sometimes used to hold photos in place.
Apparently some of you need warnings...so please do not embark upon this solution (unless you are mad, genius or both).
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
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re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Ningpo... one thing that might work to free your photos. Carefully put fishing line or dental floss between the page and photo, and carefully work it downward, like you are sawing. May or may not work due to a bunch of factors, but worked for me in some instances.
With over 30 years in Facilities Management, this is the technique we used to remove self adhesive signs from walls without damage.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
Thank you for your suggestions. I'll try the fishing line as my dental floss is that very friable type.
I found that getting a starting point was too risky with my tongs (tweezers).
Login to Like
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06:53:58am
re: Page Protector's "What kind is best?"
I just went through about 50 of those photo albums full of my recently deceased aunt and uncle's photo collections. Interestingly, a few pages were SO old that the glue actually had crystallized and with a little tug on a loose corner, the photo just snapped right off. However, most were so firmly stuck that I found it easier to split the page seam and then cut the photos out from each half, with a resulting thin "backing" of cardboard, or scanning the ones I could not cut out safely. My best solution was shipping any that featured a recognizable relative to that person. I bet they were glad they got all those "thick" photos!
For stamps, my uncle thankfully did not use photo pages but, sadly, many of his loose stamps that he didn't sort were stuffed into (now very yellowed) envelopes. Some of those unused and used/hinged stamps adhered together as they were stacked lying flat in a box under some papers. Lost a couple of HK QV issues that way. Ugh.
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