Collecting Tip: Use Other Hobbies' Supplies

I wrote a new post on my site about stamp collecting tips. I was going to post it here, but it got long enough that I thought I'd stick it over at mcgees.org. You can find it at http://mcg.ee/smcs with all the links and formatting.

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There's an odd phenomenon in which one collecting field will have some things much more cheaply than in other fields, and some things much more expensively. Here are some ideas for using other types of stores, or other collecting fields' supplies, to help with stamp collecting, sorting, and shipping. There are of course converse cases, but those belong in other forums. :^D

TRADING CARDS

Padded 3-ring binders are much cheaper in trading card collecting than in stamp collecting, and sometimes even cheaper than non-padded ones from the office center. They're great if you don't mind a logo on the front (most have one) — or those can be easily covered with a label.

"Toploaders" — hard cases — are cheap and great for inserting a stamp or small pane or cutout into to mail cheaply, and not to set off security if mailed overseas. These are under 15¢ apiece.

"Penny sleeves" — thin archival plastic sleeves to securely hold a trading card — are crystal clear (you can easily scan through them, for instance) and are great for stamps. They don't seal like most stamp bags do, but they are super-cheap (about $1 for 100 — it's not just a clever nickname!) One can fold them over and hold them securely with sticky tape. Make sure to fold them — you don't want stamps sliding up and touching tape adhesive!

COMICS

Comic "Bags & Boards" have lots of uses. Put a backing board into the mylar sleeve, slide a stamp sheet in front of it, fold the flap over and seal it. A "Current Comic" size cut into thirds fits perfectly into a #6¾ envelope; therefore they can be used to stiffen covers sent for first-day servicing or can stiffen FDC-size polybags and glassines. These are around 9¢ apiece for a pair of bag and board.

OFFICE SUPPLY STORES

Letter filing and storage boxes are frequently much less expensive at office supply houses than through stamp supply mail-order houses.

CRAFT STORES

"Archival mist" — an aerosol can or spray bottle full of alkaline fluid to deter yellowing of acid paper — can be a tenth of the cost at a craft store compared to stamp supplies. This is easier to get in a walk-in store than by mail order, too, because some have shipping restrictions.

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Any other ideas for cost savings in philately? Add them as you like!

PHOTO ALBUMS

NOT the "magnetic" page types.......they will damage a stamp


The pocket type, loose-leaf pages.......most are double sided with at least four pockets. They too, can be sealed with carefully applied sticky tape or by (also carefully applied) heat sealing.

The smaller photo albums are also handy and are great for making your own sales packets.

The above album pages come in clear plastic, white-backed plastic and black-backed plastic.

The black pages are to better for showing off the perfs.

They can be picked up for bargain prices at yard sales, thrift shops and dollar stores.

The comic book bags are great for mailing covers and help waterproof shipments. They come in a few sizes and are much cheaper if you buy them online and in bulk.

I keep my more "serious" collections on Prinz pages, they are easier to re-arrange than album leaves and look just as good. But I don't buy their binders, you can get 4 ring binders just as good for half the price from office supply shops, they just don't have the Prinz label on!

Great Thread!

'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'

Plus it may be easier to locate a speciality shop for Comic Books, Collector Cards, and Coins than a Stamp shop. Also, most toy and department stores carry these types of items: Toys R Us, Target, Kmart, Shopko, etc.

Oh, good call! Now we have a use for the mylar bags that we orphan by cutting the boards into thirds!

Just wondering is there are different plastics. Are/is anything not good for stamp archiving. What would I have to watch out for to not get?

Comic book bags are archival so no problems there.

Correct. Name-brand trading card supplies are as well -- UltraPRO is a good one -- and some others are, too. Check the labels.

Some photo albums are not -- but the ones that are will declare as such.

Op Shops or Charity Shops often have these for 50 cents or $1. Check for any signs of rust on the rings and also check that the rings close together properly. I go for many thin ones rather than fewer thick ones as they seem kinder on the pages.





There are different types of plastics and some are bad for storing paper in. Having said this, I've found a number of stamp packets from the 1970s in their original 'bad plastic' storage packets with seemingly no damage to the stamps.

This is a great thread. Keep up the great input.

Letter filing and storage boxes are frequently much less expensive at office supply houses than through stamp supply mail-order houses.

Addendum: You can put the envelopes, or envelopes of the same size, back into the cardboard box the envelopes came in. Even if the envelopes are archival, the box almost surely won't be, so either sleeve your covers or keep loose stamps securely inside the paper envelopes.

The reason I asked my question is that I have some of those old sheet protectors that have the plastic outside and a black paper middle. Im using them for storage of some of my collection. Everything seems ok --- but if there is a problem for storing them that way I would need to change.

Photo albums that us a sticky cardboard page and overlay it with a clear page are to be avoided as all the glue will Not come off.

Photo albums that are all plastic but made out of PVC (poly vinyl chloride) are to be avoided.

Plastics that are OK for stamps are polypropylene or polyethylene.

<i>Plastics that are OK for stamps are polypropylene or polyethylene.</i>

BoPET -- polyethylene tetraphthalate -- is a different chemical from polyethylene, and is also archival. Don't chew on it, but it's great for your stamps. I note it separately because it may be listed under trade names such as "Mylar".

@vacuum man: @Puzzler is right. Keep them away from PVC. Most non-archival clear products are PVC, it should be noted.

Here is one way to think out of the box. I have been wanting to replace a hand held UV light with a more powerful plug in model. So I started to look at lab supply companies instead of stamp supply houses. Here is what I came up with. A short and long wave fisher model and a regular light also with a enclosure cabinet and power supply. The model was originally built for viewing electrophoresis gels and TLC plates but since it has the same short wave at 254nm and long wave at 365 it will work fine for stamps and I also have a cabinet that I can use with the lights on.
See specs here at

The whole setup retails for $1,651 and just the shortwave light runs around $405. My cost at a secondary supply science and lab setup $125.