Vario "Cover Up"

Any thoughts on how many rows to buy as a standard vario stock sheet. I find that the 8 rows give me the easiest access to moving the stamp but also the least protection for other than definitives. On the other hand the five or six rows seem to offer full protection for most stamps but are kind of a pain to grab out and I worry about tearing a stamp. Stockbooks typically are more like the 8 row vario pages so I wonder if that is my best standard page unless I have covers maybe. Any thoughts?

I like the 6S. Lots of protection and Plenty of room for a variety of stamps and handle trimmed on-piece nicely as well.

My goal is full coverage of each stamp (i.e., nothing sticking above the clear strip).

For 19th century stuff, 8s are great. Right up until you have to deal with a Ceylon Queen Victoria revenue that is over 3 inches tall. I've played around with tucking a taller stamp in a mount into an 8-strip page, and I haven't been able to live with the look. For my main interest, KGV British Commonwealth, many of the definitives do not fit in 8s.

I have ended up buying assorted sizes, mostly 6 and 8, though I've wondered if 5 doesn't make the most pleasing display? You just lose so much real estate compared to the 8...

As for access, the long, pointed tongs easily work all the way into the bottoms of the pockets of the 3s without trouble. I just have to train myself not to mind the look of a definitive that is half the height of the pocket.

Let us know your solution to this.

Scouter, I just came back from the local stamp dealer with a package of 6 row vario sheets. I have primarily gone with the 6 row sheet because I also don't want any part of the stamp protruding and possibly be damaged. Use your tongs to insert and extract the stamp without damaging same.

I've always used the 6, they provide the best coverage, yet don't leave you with too much wasted space on the page. I've found that if you bend the page slightly toward you, it will create enough of a space to slip tongs in so you can grab the stamps, but not enough that the stamps slide around under the plastic.