Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
06:58:00am
Really love to have some advice on that and how you guys go about it for your own stamps?
Thanks a lot,
Daniel.
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I protect my collection from environmental problems by controlling the environment where my stamps reside. I converted a closet to a storage area and added a return vent to the ceiling. It doesn't blow hot or cold air into the closet, but when the system is running (winter or summer), it sucks air out of the closet and thereby draws fresh air under the door from the adjacent room which is temperature controlled. All of my albums are in dust jackets on a shelf, so they are nicely protected from the environment.
The stamps themselves are mounted in Prinz/Scott/Showguard mounts. They are all the same to me. I use some pre-printed pages, but more and more I am using pages I print myself. I have White Ace binders and pages so I buy the White Ace formatted blank pages, but you can create your own custom pages and borders cheaper from blank stock. When I'm using blank paper, I use 67 lb. acid-free card stock. Be sure to get acid free paper. A nice little added touch is rounding the corners. I use an EK Success 3/8" radius corner rounder (less than $5) to match the rounding of White Ace pages, but for the most part I buy the blank pages from White Ace because it is more convenient.
If you are going to create your own pages you will want to consider these things:
1. If your album pages are not 8.5" x 11", you will pay a lot more for specialty paper and especially a specialty printer.
2. Be sure you use a printer with a direct paper feed (rear tray) if using paper heavier than 24 lbs. Most home printers will bind up if you try to run 67 lb card stock from the tray underneath.
3. You will likely want a graphics program that does more than Paint. I use Fireworks. See if you can find an obsolete version if you are using an older operating system. For example, if you are still on Windows XP, you can probably find a rather cheap prior version of a graphics program.
4. As you create a page, SAVE it to a directory just for stamp album pages. You will be surprised how often you need to go back and make an update to a page. It's nice not to have to recreate a page!
5. I always add those page reinforcing doughnuts to the back of EVERY page in my albums.
You can see the results of what I've done via the link at bottom.
Cheers!
Lars
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Powerpoint is not a bad option. You could get by with Word if you had to, but the key is to find a tool that works for you.
I do question the usefulness of page protectors for protection against heat and/or humidity. More likely than not, they will seal in an atmosphere that varies with the ambient temp/humidity in extreme cases. I went hiking in a cave and when I came out my camera was fogged up for several minutes. It doesn't seem wise to have the temp/humidity of the room you keep your stamps in to be significantly different from the temp/humidity of the stamps themselves. I believe the key is to minimize drastic swings in temp/humidity.
That's why my stamp room has no incoming air vent but has a small return air vent. The air doesn't get stale, but no hot dry air in the winter or moist cool air in the summer gets pumped in. A small amount of fresh air gets sucked in under the door, but that should be inconsequential.
Back to page protectors, what happens when the power goes out in a thunderstorm in Florida? You start with a humid environment trapped in the page protectors (per your definition) and then a storm takes out the power. The storm was a result of a cold front that dropped the temp from 90 to 75 and the humidity from 80% to 40%. Seriously, if that happened and the power DIDN'T go out, wouldn't you start opening windows?!? So now you have a SIGNIFICANT difference between the environment INSIDE the page protector and outside. Seems like an invitation for condensation in extreme circumstances.
Page protectors are good to prevent mischief from little hands, paws, etc., but as a protection against condensation I think they are likely to cause more harm than good.
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10:38:17am
I keep a dehumidifier running 24/7 in my stamp room. Humidity is the greatest danger to mint stamps.
I cannot figure out how anyone collected mint stamps before the advent of AC and climate control. The fact that so many NH and other OG stamps from the non-AC period of history survived is testament to the fact that there is a way - I just never figured it out. Even if one lived in Death Valley, CA (heaven forbid) there is always the occasional "gully washer" which saturates the air.
-bobby
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I have used a standard Lighthouse stockbook to protect my sheets until they could be mounted. Showguard also made (maybe still makes) a block stockbook which I keep my Canal Zone plate blocks in. For albums, I use Showgard mounts for stamps and place my pages in page protectors. It is gratifying to see here, and other places that this seems to be a relatively common practice.
The one exception is my US collection which is in vario pages.
I use 1 and 2-pocket Vario pages to mount blocks and souvenir sheets in my albums (no meddling with all those different sized mounts).
For material where I do not have a dedicated album it is stored mostly on Vario stocksheets generally or the stocksheet they came on (hagner and manilla).
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Reading back, have you seen stamps in mounts on pages double-filled into page protectors? There isn't much of any atmosphere in there (a millileter or two maybe and mostly at the top?). Keep a silica gel packet in the slipcase and any remotely possible moisture still there is dealt with.
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"I use both. A Double Whammy !!"
As do I.
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"My system works for me and that is all I care about. I shared with others my experience because it was asked. I think I will keep my opinion a bit closer to the vest in the future."
I think I was the only one to say ANYTHING that could be remotely construed as negative:
"I do question the usefulness of page protectors for protection against heat and/or humidity. More likely than not, they will seal in an atmosphere that varies with the ambient temp/humidity in extreme cases.
...
Page protectors are good to prevent mischief from little hands, paws, etc., but as a protection against condensation I think they are likely to cause more harm than good."
If that offended you, I apologize. If what you are doing works for you in your environment, good on you. I have an Engineering background, so for me it's not personal, it's just science. Sorry if I offended you in any way.
smauggie, silica gel packets are quite useful, and adding one to a slipcase is a good plan. Exposure to open room air for even a short period of time will render them useless, but they can often be "regenerated" in the oven at 250 degrees F for two hours.
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02:46:47pm
Thank you very much to all of you. I am noting down every conversation and searching more on internet with the help of your messages. I wonder why some of my stamps tend to bend themselves or take the shape of waves?( I havn't got the word in English for that. In french we say"un timbre gondolé")?They have become flat again!!
A heatwave is again on its way here but with very dry atmosphere.....All this is, as you say Larsdog, related to sciences like physics, chemistry and other sciences that could and can help conserving stamps in good condition.
Thanks to all!
Daniel.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
28 Jul 2013
06:58:00am
Hi to all. This is another question I'm interested to know about concerning your own collections.What type of albums do you use to put your stamps in in order to have the best protection from heat, humidity, dry environment....Also, What kind of albums can one buy if you only collect blocks or sheets? I mostly have blocks and sheets.For my blocks I class them in single stamp albums and it's not the best way to go about it, I know! However,I have not been very satisfied with the few albums for blocks(or sheets) so far and they are rather expensive!
Really love to have some advice on that and how you guys go about it for your own stamps?
Thanks a lot,
Daniel.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
I protect my collection from environmental problems by controlling the environment where my stamps reside. I converted a closet to a storage area and added a return vent to the ceiling. It doesn't blow hot or cold air into the closet, but when the system is running (winter or summer), it sucks air out of the closet and thereby draws fresh air under the door from the adjacent room which is temperature controlled. All of my albums are in dust jackets on a shelf, so they are nicely protected from the environment.
The stamps themselves are mounted in Prinz/Scott/Showguard mounts. They are all the same to me. I use some pre-printed pages, but more and more I am using pages I print myself. I have White Ace binders and pages so I buy the White Ace formatted blank pages, but you can create your own custom pages and borders cheaper from blank stock. When I'm using blank paper, I use 67 lb. acid-free card stock. Be sure to get acid free paper. A nice little added touch is rounding the corners. I use an EK Success 3/8" radius corner rounder (less than $5) to match the rounding of White Ace pages, but for the most part I buy the blank pages from White Ace because it is more convenient.
If you are going to create your own pages you will want to consider these things:
1. If your album pages are not 8.5" x 11", you will pay a lot more for specialty paper and especially a specialty printer.
2. Be sure you use a printer with a direct paper feed (rear tray) if using paper heavier than 24 lbs. Most home printers will bind up if you try to run 67 lb card stock from the tray underneath.
3. You will likely want a graphics program that does more than Paint. I use Fireworks. See if you can find an obsolete version if you are using an older operating system. For example, if you are still on Windows XP, you can probably find a rather cheap prior version of a graphics program.
4. As you create a page, SAVE it to a directory just for stamp album pages. You will be surprised how often you need to go back and make an update to a page. It's nice not to have to recreate a page!
5. I always add those page reinforcing doughnuts to the back of EVERY page in my albums.
You can see the results of what I've done via the link at bottom.
Cheers!
Lars
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
Powerpoint is not a bad option. You could get by with Word if you had to, but the key is to find a tool that works for you.
I do question the usefulness of page protectors for protection against heat and/or humidity. More likely than not, they will seal in an atmosphere that varies with the ambient temp/humidity in extreme cases. I went hiking in a cave and when I came out my camera was fogged up for several minutes. It doesn't seem wise to have the temp/humidity of the room you keep your stamps in to be significantly different from the temp/humidity of the stamps themselves. I believe the key is to minimize drastic swings in temp/humidity.
That's why my stamp room has no incoming air vent but has a small return air vent. The air doesn't get stale, but no hot dry air in the winter or moist cool air in the summer gets pumped in. A small amount of fresh air gets sucked in under the door, but that should be inconsequential.
Back to page protectors, what happens when the power goes out in a thunderstorm in Florida? You start with a humid environment trapped in the page protectors (per your definition) and then a storm takes out the power. The storm was a result of a cold front that dropped the temp from 90 to 75 and the humidity from 80% to 40%. Seriously, if that happened and the power DIDN'T go out, wouldn't you start opening windows?!? So now you have a SIGNIFICANT difference between the environment INSIDE the page protector and outside. Seems like an invitation for condensation in extreme circumstances.
Page protectors are good to prevent mischief from little hands, paws, etc., but as a protection against condensation I think they are likely to cause more harm than good.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
29 Jul 2013
10:38:17am
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
I keep a dehumidifier running 24/7 in my stamp room. Humidity is the greatest danger to mint stamps.
I cannot figure out how anyone collected mint stamps before the advent of AC and climate control. The fact that so many NH and other OG stamps from the non-AC period of history survived is testament to the fact that there is a way - I just never figured it out. Even if one lived in Death Valley, CA (heaven forbid) there is always the occasional "gully washer" which saturates the air.
-bobby
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
I have used a standard Lighthouse stockbook to protect my sheets until they could be mounted. Showguard also made (maybe still makes) a block stockbook which I keep my Canal Zone plate blocks in. For albums, I use Showgard mounts for stamps and place my pages in page protectors. It is gratifying to see here, and other places that this seems to be a relatively common practice.
The one exception is my US collection which is in vario pages.
I use 1 and 2-pocket Vario pages to mount blocks and souvenir sheets in my albums (no meddling with all those different sized mounts).
For material where I do not have a dedicated album it is stored mostly on Vario stocksheets generally or the stocksheet they came on (hagner and manilla).
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
Reading back, have you seen stamps in mounts on pages double-filled into page protectors? There isn't much of any atmosphere in there (a millileter or two maybe and mostly at the top?). Keep a silica gel packet in the slipcase and any remotely possible moisture still there is dealt with.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
"I use both. A Double Whammy !!"
As do I.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
"My system works for me and that is all I care about. I shared with others my experience because it was asked. I think I will keep my opinion a bit closer to the vest in the future."
I think I was the only one to say ANYTHING that could be remotely construed as negative:
"I do question the usefulness of page protectors for protection against heat and/or humidity. More likely than not, they will seal in an atmosphere that varies with the ambient temp/humidity in extreme cases.
...
Page protectors are good to prevent mischief from little hands, paws, etc., but as a protection against condensation I think they are likely to cause more harm than good."
If that offended you, I apologize. If what you are doing works for you in your environment, good on you. I have an Engineering background, so for me it's not personal, it's just science. Sorry if I offended you in any way.
smauggie, silica gel packets are quite useful, and adding one to a slipcase is a good plan. Exposure to open room air for even a short period of time will render them useless, but they can often be "regenerated" in the oven at 250 degrees F for two hours.
Login to Like
this post
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
31 Jul 2013
02:46:47pm
re: Stamp albums and the best way to protect your singles,blocks or sheets.
Thank you very much to all of you. I am noting down every conversation and searching more on internet with the help of your messages. I wonder why some of my stamps tend to bend themselves or take the shape of waves?( I havn't got the word in English for that. In french we say"un timbre gondolé")?They have become flat again!!
A heatwave is again on its way here but with very dry atmosphere.....All this is, as you say Larsdog, related to sciences like physics, chemistry and other sciences that could and can help conserving stamps in good condition.
Thanks to all!
Daniel.
Login to Like
this post