To Hinge Or Not Hinge

I have been resurrected so to speak... consolidating my fathers collection into my own collection...of 40-50 years ago....my father used the dreaded Crystal Mounts...and sadly used tiny strips of scotch tape on them..to keep the stamps in place..
The result is tiny brown spots on the perf edges of many fine old stamps....many MNH....would a miniscule tiny dot of bleach solution on the stain be even more disastorous..?...
Crazy thought I suppose....just leave em be in new Scott mounts....?
?

If a tree falls in the forest?

It doesn't appear that anyone answered, so ...

The short answer: Yes, the stamp is still MNH.

However, in the case of plate blocks, gummed souvenir sheets with detachable stamps (EG - US, Scott #630 White Plains SS), booklet panes, or anything that is valued with selvage, the NH premium no longer exists.

Even more confusing would be souvenir sheets without gum, but with gum on the stamp(s). Even though the sheet is without gum, and the stamp is flawless, a hinge on the ungummed portion of the sheet disqualifies it from being MNH (EG - DDR 1949 "Goethe" SS).

How's that for muddying the waters?

Brian

Welcome to SCF, Steve!





My opinion is that bleach would be just as disastrous as water to the gum, so I'd probably leave them alone if the MNH premium is worth keeping.

Brian

Thank you for reply...can anyone please tell me best way to remove. Hinges on mint gummed stamps....try to peel off carefully.....snip off folded top part...or what should one do to prevent damage....thank you

Steve,

Welcome to SCF. Sometimes it takes awhile to get an answer, especially during the holidays. If the mint stamps have hinges, I would just cut off the tab and leave the rest alone. I suppose you could build a sweat box and see if the hinge can be removed that way but even that will likely cause disturbed gum. If you do decide to try and pull off the hinge, take care you don't make it worse by creating a thin. Sometimes a minefield is best left alone.

Art

Depending on the quality of the hinge itself and maybe how wet the guy that licked it got it, many of them just pop right off.

What I usually do it just find the worst stamp in a lot and see what happens when I try pulling on it. If it comes right off, I find the other stamps that had the same hinges on them

Hello all, having read through all the posts on this topic, I certainly understand the rational for using hinges expressed by folks. When I resumed my collecting about 10-11 years ago I asked my local dealer what they recommended and they showed me stamp mounts and said nobody used hinges anymore. I bought a bunch and have been using them since. I do use vario stock pages for blocks and odd stuff and cover albums for my covers. regards, Theron.

Now I do not use hinges. Only Mounts,Stock Sheets,Stock books and
Protector Sheets. Insert in Protector sheet Paper is Cardstock 110 lbs (Georgia Pacific, Nausau, Boise)
Somebody asked was weight paper Use thickest Paper for insert bland one.Color yet not proven safe. For Printing Album Pages USe 110 lbs
CardStock paper make sure acid and lignine free.

Here on SCF many to name are like Lighthouse for me... show me the path for shore.. I am sure some day I will be at Shore.

tikithindi