What Size And Type Glassine Do You Use?

I'm looking at these for $31.10 plus shipping
1000 new Westvaco No.1 glassine envelopes (1 3/4 x 2 7/8 in).

I've never bought any and wondering what the experts buy how much and from where?

Edwin.. #1 glassines are VERY SMALL I use #2 glassines for single stamps and my workhorse is the #4 glassine for complete sets and packets of 100 etc...

Edwin do you need 1000 glassines right off ? with shipping you are paying 3 1/2 cents per glassine...why not go on ebay ..under catagory stamps look for supplies...i think you will find people who will sell you less than the full box of 1,000

I don't use many (yet) but those I do have are #4. Easier to handle and store and flip through and sort and write on or put a piece of paper in and have room left to write on it so the stamp doesn't cover it up.

#4's are the same size (almost) as the 102 dealer cards (like philb uses).

I use the type and size that the stamps I buy come in...

Actually, this is a good question and I wonder along the same lines if anyone has a "go to" resource for deciding on glassine and also mount sizes? I have been thinking about putting some of my nicer stamps in mounts, as opposed to having them free in the stockbook. Do people sell "variety packs" of mounts and glassines?

thanks,

d.

I agree with the #4 recommendation. They comfortably handle a number of 102 cards for shipping, and they are big enough, without being too big.

Gaff, a number of online stores list common sizes for mounts. Subway, for instance, lists the sizes useful for many common issues (mostly U.S., but others, too), and precut sizes for particular souvenir sheets, etc.

well then its a good thing I got out bid on ebay, LOL... #4 it is! I'll start looking around for those.

when you say #102 cards are you saying playing cards as in the 52 card deck??

Gaff I"m going to ask my Mount question tomorrow... about pocket mounts and those fold open in the back ones I have to research it so I can explain myself better I don't know what they are called or how to state my question now as I'm uneducated in the art of mounts, I just know my crystal mounts have to go they are falling apart and the 30 year old tape is damaging the stamps.

so more tomorrow, unless someone is bored...

Edwin, I agree with Phil. #4's are the way to go, though I also use #3's at times. Also, the price you have quoted is on the high side for a box of 1000 #1's. Unless you are collecting a lot of blocks or stamp sets, 1000 glassines is excessive. In my case, I collect plate blocks, and so I have a glassine for every different issue that was issued in sheet format (at least for as many as I have).

Every time philb posts a scan of a stamp that looks like it is on a white card, the card he is using is called a 102 card. There are other sizes, too...perhaps 104 (slightly larger) is the next most common? I often use the 102 cards with a black background. It is just a card with a clear film creating a top-loading pocket. You'll often see long red boxes storing them on dealer's tables. If you go to subwaystampshop, among others, you can see them, along with the available sizes. At subway's site, they are under the category of dealer aids.

Try to stick with one size glassine if you can..its a lot easier to collate your stamps..for years I used the common #3 glassine..then I started using the #2 glassine ..i used to use 102 cards for my better duplicates and cheaper ones in glassines...but it seems like there is little difference in price between the cards and glassines anymore..could it be because the glassines are purchased by drug dealers ? For them the glassine works better than the 102 card !

The 102 cards people are talking about I think are the 102 sized dealer cards from Subway. I found the 102 sized cards a bit small for sets so I bought 1,000 of the 104 cards from Subway (which are a bit bigger than the 102 cards) together with the nice storage box they sell them in to store them: http://www.subwaystamp.com/prodinfo...r=ZGK104CK/O

They sell them without the box too, but the box only adds a few $ to the cost. You can also see the 102 cards on the site if you want here under Dealer Cards: http://www.subwaystamp.com/products...on=&sort_by=

Subway only sells those cards in packs of 1,000 so you can't order less than that from them.

As for Glassines, I bought some from Champion Stamp (http://www.championstamp.com/) in midtown Manhattan in NYC when I was there. I think I paid about $8 for 100. The ones I bought are rather big and measure about 4.5" x 6.5", but I don't know the number of these glassines.

I was basically buying them to store a number of plate blocks so I needed some that are kind of larger than the standard sizes.

The ones I bought are even a bit bigger than I actually needed in terms of size, but the woman at Champion had a good suggestion. She said if they are too big for some things just fold them over at the edge of the stamp to make them fit just right. That was a great suggestion because you can always make them smaller by folding them over the stamp, but you can't make them bigger once you buy them. And, as Puzzler said, having a bigger glassine means you have space to write on them as well. Good luck.

thanks for all those Ideas, I have the next few days off to look that over.

Hi

I also use #2 glassines. One advantage I discovered. Office supply stores sell plastic 'business card' file boxes. The glassines fit in them perfectly. From a supplier like Subway, you can purchase boxes for the same purpose. I like the card files as they are smaller and and stackable. One disadvantage is that they cannot hold a lot if the glassine is 'stuffed'. I never have counted how many in a box but it is considerable. As mentioned, #1 glassines are way too small for general storage purposes.

Jerry B