Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I know I had a lot of stamps from the old days, and I had the feeling that I had a pretty good USA collection. It just never got organized so this was the first step. I bought 500 of these Ultra Pro Pages, the ones with two 5.5x7" pockets. I originally bought them for covers, but why not use them for everything since I own them?
My first shot was to just create a hand written index card for each stamp issue and put two Scott numbers per page side, or four stamps per page. The pages were flimsy by themselves and the stamps flopped around. And doing my pages for 1900 to 1950 commemoratives, I soon realized that once I had a cover or two, I quickly out grew the 5x7 area per issue. That got me thinking about attempt two. I bought a pack of white 60lb bond paper and now dedicate a page side per stamp issue. I created a header in Word, and run the paper through my printer. Once printed, I cut it into two 5.5x7" cards on my cutting board so the dimensions are accurate and edges are perfectly straight. Note that this is still only a sorting album, but I have a feeling that the stamps will be in these for awhile so why not make it look nice? Here are a few random pages:
Minnesota Territory Centennial, a typical page in my album. The text box at top is standard in the album and gives proper information on each issue. For this issue I had a plate block, a mint single with lower selvage and a FDC. I try to collect FDCs with non-Artcraft cachets to add interest. I'd consider this page complete for this issue and this is what would be eventually be transferred to my computer generated album page.
National Defense - Statue of Liberty issue of 1940. Again I had a plate block and I saved an interesting single with side selvage with the hand written 100, signifying this was the top sheet in a pack of 100. Since I'm not tied to any album format, I'm free to add things that I find interesting, like this meter slogan cover.
The 1933 NRA issue. I had a couple of items that I feel add interest to a collection. First I found a large block in a lot I bought on eBay. I wouldn't dream on breaking this down. Try to find another one! And the cover below isn't a FDC, but a Registered cover I like.
Right now I'd consider this issue complete, but who knows what I'll run across! In this format, if I found a FDC, or another interesting cover, I'd just add it. I'm not restricted in any way... I can always add a second page for the issue if I desire.
I have saved a lot of unusual and interesting items over the years. This collection will include plate number singles, zip code blocks, even 4 corners of the same plate number I know I have for some issues. I recently bought a hoard on eBay of plate blocks of 6, so they'll be included. As long as I have something representing each stamp issue, I'm calling it good.
Right now I'm creating the pages for the early 1960s. I'll probably stop around 1980, as that's when I stopped collecting and I'd have to acquire material. But in the meantime I'm having fun and my collection is at least presentable. Comments?
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I did something similar for plate number, zippy and mail early blocks. Only I used a photo album with 3, two sided pockets per page. I put from 1 to 3 blocks on each card.
I think your matched covers for each, are an added bonus. Very nice!
WB
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10:43:37pm
Very nice Tom.
I too have decided to go a whole different route with my Canada instead of boxes - just chronological order side by side and opposite page will include any writing decribing the stamps, events. We'll see how things go. Everything is experimental, eh?
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I always read the album and page making threads with interest since I'm not one to be confined to commercial albums. I used to do my own exhibit pages back in the 1970s, so with computer assistance, I'm planning on eventually creating my own USA album.
I know I had a lot of stamps from the old days, and I had the feeling that I had a pretty good USA collection. It just never got organized so this was the first step. I bought 500 of these Ultra Pro Pages, the ones with two 5.5x7" pockets. I originally bought them for covers, but why not use them for everything since I own them?
My first shot was to just create a hand written index card for each stamp issue and put two Scott numbers per page side, or four stamps per page. The pages were flimsy by themselves and the stamps flopped around. And doing my pages for 1900 to 1950 commemoratives, I soon realized that once I had a cover or two, I quickly out grew the 5x7 area per issue. That got me thinking about attempt two. I bought a pack of white 60lb bond paper and now dedicate a page side per stamp issue. I created a header in Word, and run the paper through my printer. Once printed, I cut it into two 5.5x7" cards on my cutting board so the dimensions are accurate and edges are perfectly straight. Note that this is still only a sorting album, but I have a feeling that the stamps will be in these for awhile so why not make it look nice? Here are a few random pages:
Minnesota Territory Centennial, a typical page in my album. The text box at top is standard in the album and gives proper information on each issue. For this issue I had a plate block, a mint single with lower selvage and a FDC. I try to collect FDCs with non-Artcraft cachets to add interest. I'd consider this page complete for this issue and this is what would be eventually be transferred to my computer generated album page.
National Defense - Statue of Liberty issue of 1940. Again I had a plate block and I saved an interesting single with side selvage with the hand written 100, signifying this was the top sheet in a pack of 100. Since I'm not tied to any album format, I'm free to add things that I find interesting, like this meter slogan cover.
The 1933 NRA issue. I had a couple of items that I feel add interest to a collection. First I found a large block in a lot I bought on eBay. I wouldn't dream on breaking this down. Try to find another one! And the cover below isn't a FDC, but a Registered cover I like.
Right now I'd consider this issue complete, but who knows what I'll run across! In this format, if I found a FDC, or another interesting cover, I'd just add it. I'm not restricted in any way... I can always add a second page for the issue if I desire.
I have saved a lot of unusual and interesting items over the years. This collection will include plate number singles, zip code blocks, even 4 corners of the same plate number I know I have for some issues. I recently bought a hoard on eBay of plate blocks of 6, so they'll be included. As long as I have something representing each stamp issue, I'm calling it good.
Right now I'm creating the pages for the early 1960s. I'll probably stop around 1980, as that's when I stopped collecting and I'd have to acquire material. But in the meantime I'm having fun and my collection is at least presentable. Comments?
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re: Working on an album my way...
I did something similar for plate number, zippy and mail early blocks. Only I used a photo album with 3, two sided pockets per page. I put from 1 to 3 blocks on each card.
I think your matched covers for each, are an added bonus. Very nice!
WB
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09 May 2016
10:43:37pm
re: Working on an album my way...
Very nice Tom.
I too have decided to go a whole different route with my Canada instead of boxes - just chronological order side by side and opposite page will include any writing decribing the stamps, events. We'll see how things go. Everything is experimental, eh?
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