You may also want to look at LINDNER. Their albums are top of the line, and their Lindner Lazlo T system allows you to see both sides of the stamps, in a safe plastic overlay on top of a page with the printed pictures of the stamps. They are elegant and come with dust covers, and an array of colors to chose from, to meet your decor or artistic fancy. You can add blank sheets to complement your collection with any specialty item, such as fdc, blocks, oddities etc.... and the pages come in a multitude of formats, with from one to 10(? don't quote me..well many) pocket sizes. Definitely recommended for high end (expensive) looking collections...Elegant, custom fit and top German quality.
I started looking for them (used) on ebay and bought a few, but eventually standardized on Scott and Steiner (self-printed pages), because of budget constraints (it adds up for a WW collections) and due to lack of availability in the US. But if you just plan to narrow your scope, to just one or a few countries and eras..go for it, and go for the best!
Another word of advice. Before you plunge with the expensive stuff, take some time to look at ebay, and other auctions, and develop a rapport with trusted dealers/sellers, after you buy from them. (I have a running expert conversation going with a handful of HipStart sellers, where we complement our expertise, and they can notify me of availability of some of the more difficult to get items).
And spend time just looking. Occasionally you will also find a collector who has decided to sell his collection piece meals, and it is worth developing a rapport with him/her, to fill the more difficult gaps. At the top end, only reputable Auctions will have some of what you still need, but for most stamps, they are seldom "one of a kind rarities" and they come on the market repeatedly, so take your time, and set your budget limits before you bid or buy (use a percentage of catalog to guide you, although at some level it is just a guideline which is often wrong at the top end!
Now a personal opinion: Graded stamps are just a scam ( )!
Good luck
rrr...
Thank you so much for the excellent advice. I really appreciate these insights!
-Charles
I came across this..may be of interest.
http://www.ihobb.com/p/LINDNER_US_ALBUM/LNT512.html
rrr...
I keep my U.S 19th century collection on Scott Platinum pages. They are hingeless with rounded corners and have the Scott numbers for each stamp below the printed image.
I'm not sure but I think Scott only made these pages for a few years in the 1990's, however there are no doubt used ones in good shape floating around. I house the pages in a Red Lighthouse springback binder in a Blue Lighthouse slipcover = Red, White and Blue
I have no doubt that these were the nicest pages Scott ever produced and probably the nicest produced by any manufacturer for U.S. stamps.
My collection on these pages can be seen here: http://mitch.seymourfamily.com/mward/collection/us/us.html
I will follow up on these suggestions. Thank you!
-Charles
As a stamp shop manager, who has seen what these albums look like after 30 years of use, I highly recommend Lighthouse Albums.
David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
One can find collecting early U.S. much easier by using most any album or catalog other than Scott. Scott provides numbers and spaces for many more stamps than other publications show. Instead of all the numbers Scott uses the other may only provide one space for a denomination in a set. Where Scott may show as many as 7 different stamps as in both the 1851 and 1857 1 cent Franklin, others may show only one.
Scott is now offering supplements for the US Platinum album (not cheap). They have pages for the years 2004 through 2015. I am not sure if they intend to bring back the entire album.
Can anyone make a recommendation for a hingeless album for US 1847-1899? I would prefer a quality one which will keep my stamps safe. I have a climate-controlled room at home where I keep delicate optical instruments (solar imaging filters whose glass begins to rust in humidity), and this album would be stored in a small freezer chest with plenty of desiccant.
Thanks,
-Charles
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
You may also want to look at LINDNER. Their albums are top of the line, and their Lindner Lazlo T system allows you to see both sides of the stamps, in a safe plastic overlay on top of a page with the printed pictures of the stamps. They are elegant and come with dust covers, and an array of colors to chose from, to meet your decor or artistic fancy. You can add blank sheets to complement your collection with any specialty item, such as fdc, blocks, oddities etc.... and the pages come in a multitude of formats, with from one to 10(? don't quote me..well many) pocket sizes. Definitely recommended for high end (expensive) looking collections...Elegant, custom fit and top German quality.
I started looking for them (used) on ebay and bought a few, but eventually standardized on Scott and Steiner (self-printed pages), because of budget constraints (it adds up for a WW collections) and due to lack of availability in the US. But if you just plan to narrow your scope, to just one or a few countries and eras..go for it, and go for the best!
Another word of advice. Before you plunge with the expensive stuff, take some time to look at ebay, and other auctions, and develop a rapport with trusted dealers/sellers, after you buy from them. (I have a running expert conversation going with a handful of HipStart sellers, where we complement our expertise, and they can notify me of availability of some of the more difficult to get items).
And spend time just looking. Occasionally you will also find a collector who has decided to sell his collection piece meals, and it is worth developing a rapport with him/her, to fill the more difficult gaps. At the top end, only reputable Auctions will have some of what you still need, but for most stamps, they are seldom "one of a kind rarities" and they come on the market repeatedly, so take your time, and set your budget limits before you bid or buy (use a percentage of catalog to guide you, although at some level it is just a guideline which is often wrong at the top end!
Now a personal opinion: Graded stamps are just a scam ( )!
Good luck
rrr...
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
Thank you so much for the excellent advice. I really appreciate these insights!
-Charles
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
I came across this..may be of interest.
http://www.ihobb.com/p/LINDNER_US_ALBUM/LNT512.html
rrr...
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
I keep my U.S 19th century collection on Scott Platinum pages. They are hingeless with rounded corners and have the Scott numbers for each stamp below the printed image.
I'm not sure but I think Scott only made these pages for a few years in the 1990's, however there are no doubt used ones in good shape floating around. I house the pages in a Red Lighthouse springback binder in a Blue Lighthouse slipcover = Red, White and Blue
I have no doubt that these were the nicest pages Scott ever produced and probably the nicest produced by any manufacturer for U.S. stamps.
My collection on these pages can be seen here: http://mitch.seymourfamily.com/mward/collection/us/us.html
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
I will follow up on these suggestions. Thank you!
-Charles
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
As a stamp shop manager, who has seen what these albums look like after 30 years of use, I highly recommend Lighthouse Albums.
David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
One can find collecting early U.S. much easier by using most any album or catalog other than Scott. Scott provides numbers and spaces for many more stamps than other publications show. Instead of all the numbers Scott uses the other may only provide one space for a denomination in a set. Where Scott may show as many as 7 different stamps as in both the 1851 and 1857 1 cent Franklin, others may show only one.
re: Hingeless Album for US 1847-1899?
Scott is now offering supplements for the US Platinum album (not cheap). They have pages for the years 2004 through 2015. I am not sure if they intend to bring back the entire album.