Supplies

Hey guys. Now that I've gotten some basic info on collecting in my first couple posts I was wondering about some supplies. I have a stamp shop literally 5 minutes from my house wich is great. I wanted to go to ask some questions and get some supplies but the owners are on vacation until late next week. So im collecting us stamps only and I have an album in pdf form that im gonna print off onto card stock and put in a three ring binder. What brand mounts should I buy. I was just gonna go on ebay but if you guys have any sites for me to visit I woukd appreciate any recomendations. I know of mystic but they seem unreliable to mme for some reason. I also need some tongs. I dont like the way yinges hold stamls so I think ill stick with mounts. Thanks guys!
-Ryan

Baltimore, I have always had good results with Showgard mounts.

http://www.showgard.com/results.cfm?id=1


Have fun!

same here I have had to remount many older mounts to showgard.... but are well worth it,,, try green dragon Stuff Stamp and coin supplies http://greendragonstuff.com

If you are going to be mounting a lot of stamps with Showgard mounts and would like to do so at minimal cost, you might also want to check out http://cgi.ebay.com/SHOWGARD-BLACK-...em35b37fc6dc

Thanks guys those look great. Ill be sure to get them. Only problem is.....WHAT SIZE??? Haha. I dont have any stamps as of yet but a friend is sending me a small lot of them so when I get them how do I know what size to get?

This link is also on the Showgard web site...it's a template (in PDF format) in which to measure the stamp and determine the correct size mount to use:

http://www.showgard.com/Sizeguides/...%20gauge.pdf

I am very happy with the Mystic Stamp Co. mounts. They are just a little more sturdy than the others out there. I have bought several hundred pre-cut mounts and have also bought countless strips to cut myself from them. I am always pleased with the price(with shipping)and quality from Mystic. I don't buy anything other than supplies from them. Everything else from them is very over priced.

Hi Baltimore

I have been using Showgard mounts since they first came on the market. I feel that they are a little heavier than Scott or Prinz mounts.

If you collect US only then you are fortunate when it comes to mounts, you can use pre-cut mounts.

To start I would purchase a Showgard J-E-T pack of mounts:

http://www.showgard.com/results.cfm?id=5

For the occasion where you have to use a strip I would also purchase a Showgard guillotine. There are others on the market but I have heard of problems with them. I have been using a Showgard one for years and it is still as sharp as the day I bought it:

http://www.showgard.com/results.cfm?id=6

The model 602 should be adequate. They are pricy but worth it.

Showgard also has tongs:

http://www.showgard.com/results.cfm?id=38

I generally use the 902 but when placing items on a page or in a stock book I prefer the angled spade tip 907.

Jerry B

Just my opinion, start with hinges. Beginning collectors should not be mounting penny stamps with 10 cent mounts. You can buy a pack of hinges for a few bucks, get a catalogue, tongs and a decent glass. You may change direction and want a different album or a different country, mounts are for the most part not reusable. Putting penny stamps in mounts is like building a garage to park a rusty Chevy Citation.
No offense to any possible Citation past or present owners.

fredcdobbs,

I tend to agree with you. When I first started collecting stamps I purchased boat loads of mounts for use on penny stamps I inherited from my father. I spent a whole lot of money doing so and while I like the presentation in hindsight I would have been better off hinging the cheapie stuff and saving my money for higher quality stamps.

One thing I was recently turned on to while following this forum is the use of hinges on mounts so that one could move mounts around from album to album if they so desired. This seems like a smart idea for ensuring mounts are reusable.

However, ultimately it all comes down to personal preference. Thankfully there is no right or wrong when having fun collecting stamps.

Don't forget Scott mounts. Once you sign up and belong to the Amos Advantage program, mounts & other supplies are more reasonably priced. In addition, the site will tell what mounts are used for what stamps.

Regardless, any mount, other than the hinge, is going to be a bit pricey. Choose the mount you like and you'll always be happy with your collection.

Art.

One option, when starting is to use clear mounts. This way, you can reserve their use for valuable never hinge stamps (say those that are worth > 2 or 5$ each and use hinges on the rest. With clear vs dark background mounts, the appearance is more constant in your album

I mean my local stamp shop sells packs of 40 mounts for like 5 dollars so I dont think price is really going to be an issue. I just wanna have fun with this. Im not planning on putting a ton of money into it right now. I have some stamps coming in the mail as a gift from a friend so for the sentimental value alone I would like to mount them. I like the way mounts contrast with the stamp. And with hinges I feel that since they are a little raised off the page the stamp can get bent or caught on something and I dont wanna take the risk. Thanks for all the advice!!

I use showgard mounts for MNH stamps only. For the rest, I use hinges.

Hi

I use mounts for everything, Mint, Used, Covers, etc. As said, it is what you prefer.

Also for more years than I care to remember I do not use pre-printed albums. I have always used blank qudrille pages.

Jerry B

I dunno, I don't mind spending a little for the mounts, no matter what.
That way the albums look uniform.

I have used Scott, Prinz, Mystic, and Showgaurd.
I use the black backround. For the precut mounts, I like Mystic as well.
But getting bulk mounts and cutting is cool too, it makes things look
custom and allows you to keep selvage/muliples/plate singles with ease.

Ryan: The PDF that you can print out is available for purchase on pages,
but they are $35 for the package. Just throwing that out. I want to print
off my own, but don't know how to tell if the paper is appropriate.

In my mind, I would think that ANY paper would be fine if you are using
mounts instead of hinges, but I don't know if I want to take a chance. ???

Anyone know if paper type matters when stamps are inside mounts?