Stockbooks And My Dismay As Of Late..

I have been using Vario Light House black stock pages and recently I have noticed that if/when you need to relocate a stamp it can and probably will be damaged by the sharp edges! I have just had too many high value stamps get little rips or some other blemish from them no matter how careful I am so I think it's time to move on now. After only a few months now of just unceremoniously placing all my "children" in a nice little row with almost no identification besides my brain and a tattered piece of paper I think they deserve much better and so do I so I am going to be looking for a nice album. Sorry I just had to vent.

edited for type-o's

The way I place stamps into those rigid acetate pockets is I first slide a piece of scrap paper in first and slide the stamp/stamps into the pocket behind the scrap paper, then remove the scrap paper.

If they don't work for you, you have to move on, but I wonder why you're having an issue. I wouldn't want to guess how many thousands of times I've inserted and removed stamps, and I haven't had a casualty yet. (Knock on wood.)

There are definite differences between pages, and I like the genuine Varios the best.

Let us know what you switch to...

Try this, or just use 2 sets of Tongs. 1 to lift the clear covering and 1 to insert the stamp. Both will work well with no casulties.

Good suggestions everyone. Thank you! Just once in awhile a stamp gets it and makes me mad but overall they're not terrible it's just time to move on I think. Album? Who knows...

I use two sets of tongs for any time I'm using a stockbook and it does cut down on casualties.
One pair is angled, 6", blunt nose. This is the pair I use to handle the stamp.
Other pair is angled, 4", blunt nose. This is the pair I use to pull back on the stock page pocket.

When I've only got one pair of tongs handy (because we all know that tongs have feet and I'm too lazy to go looking) I might even use a fingernail or paperclip (whatever is within three feet) to open the pocket prior to placing a stamp on the stock page.

Although not as pretty and not for your most valuable stamps, manila stock pages will never cut your stamps. They seem to hold up very well and you can write on the pages in pencil.

I find that if you work at a desk or table you only need to place your sheet near the edge of the table and gravity will do the rest - the sheet will naturally bend a little and the pocket will open up sufficiently to insert the stamp. Only the last row might need a small amount of pressure to encourage the opening.

I have not damaged a stamp or sheet yet, and that is all I use except for the occasional album I make myself.

Inserting into stock-book pages a slight variation is necessary, just a little pressure on the edge of the page toward the spine, to get it to bend into a slight concavity will again open up a small gap.

I use a corner of a index card to get under the lip, my books are older so the pages have gotten tight and its harder to get stamps in some pages. this may be your problem as well.

I do it sightly different then someone above.
I slide my stamp behind the index card then remove the card that way I stay away from the over tight pockets razor edge for my old stamps.

These are really good ideas - I don't think I have damaged a stamp yet but I can use these ideas.

Thank you. I believe my issue was that I wasn't using my tongs. So far so good as I been using a notecard to gently open up the pockets and my tongs to gently place them where I would like. I just took extra, extra caution and voila! I'm entertaining the idea of an album but if proper care is taken the vario stockpages aren't that bad after all and they really make your stamps appearance just "pop" with the black background. So far as of recent I have had no casualties.