Selvage - Save It Or Trash It

I vote: Do whatever you want. It is your stamp, you own it. Your not responsible to future generations.

I look at it this way: Most stamps are excess, they will never have a home. Most UN stamps will never make it to the point of filling an album space. If you are building a collection and end up with a space that you want to fill but the stamp has a margin, off the margin goes and into the album. Not with the time or trouble to find another copy.

If you want a page decorated with inscription singles, that's good, too.

But I wouldn't pass up a chance to fill a space because I am afraid to pull the margin off.

That said, in a sea of C4 airmails on ebay, if your intent is to sell, the margin single will stand out.

It doesn't add any value to me. I'm into removing it.

I respectfully disagree. We are but stewards to our stamps and ARE indeed responsible to our heirs to preserve are history through our stamps. Plate number singles, Blocks of 4 with selvage and even just the odd single with selvage, in my opinion, should be left intact and in as original condition as possible. If it's an American Classic era stamp I will not even contemplate removing selvage. 1960-present tear away! Again just my humble opinion.

Personally, I would leave it on. One of my main concerns would be that if you try to pull it off and do it wrong, you run the risk of damaging the perfs or tearing the stamp. If it's something you've paid good money for, then removing it might actually ruin whatever value you have into it.

If that stamp were an imperf. you certainly wouldn't "trim" it down to have even margins.

I always leave selvage intact, even on used stamps, unless the selvage itself is damaged, barely hanging on, or actually detracts from the stamp.

I collect many series with studies of different issues and things as well.
Especially of definitives stamps from different countries.
Therefore the paper is very important to differentiate issues.
And on the selvage is where you can more easily study and comparison different kinds of papers.

So I always save the selvage intact.

I have my collections in stockbooks and pages made by me.
I not spending money to buy printed albums because there is none that fits my way of collecting.

Just think --- if past generations had not preserved their stamps and passed them on, we would not have them today.

I agree with ILS. We do have an obligation to those who come after us.

I like selvage I would leave it everytime I think it adds a nice look to a stamp. Just my opinion.

I agree in general. But it is not always the case. The selvedge on the stamp below I am at pains to remove, even though I think the hinge mark detracts from the beauty of what is a scarce item.
Why a previous owner couldn't hinge it on the gummed side is beyond me !
The reason could have been that he [or she] did not like selvedge but was at pains to remove it.........



Londonbus1

Very Interesting. I just had to confront this issue this weekend as I was busy separating out Mint singles to replace the used ones in my Album. (pre-printed) The problem was, they were plate number blocks of 4, and they were stuck to pages. Some of them had the selvage stuck, some had 1 or more stamps stuck. So began the painstaking process of recouping the MNH singles from the blocks. Fortunately they were all post 1940. I tried to save all the plate number corner singles, and opted to leave as much selvage attached as was possible. Unfortunately, sometimes the number was stuck. In any case I picked the best specimen for my album. So far I have done 12 years, and have about another 12 to go. Most of the hinges were placed on the stamps themselves and sometimes across the perf. Did my predecessor care what I was gonna end up with? NO! They were his stamps. Now I am taking pains to salvage what is left. The rest will be postage as suggested on another thread. I figure, I'm the one looking at them, so they need to be how I'm gonna enjoy them.
Just sa with my Israel collection, selvage or tabs stay. On my US, I keep pre 1940 as is. Since some the duplicates of MNH issues already in my album have selvage, they can stay. Someone else might like 'em.

Yes ! Don't take anything off the Israel stamps. Most important.

Tabs and Selvedge !



Londonbus1

If someone has early Austria with `Andrew`s cross` selvage and wants to remove it, please send it to me ... or not:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1850-ANDREA...200806749699
-edit: it`s been sold, anyway it reached 61 euro- the selvage alone.
-edit: maybe this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kaisertum-O...290774571859

I'm on the same page as keeping the selvage on, but when looking for stamps to add to my main collection I usually try to stay away from those just so they can fit in their designated spots in my album. If they are for my secondary countries and collections which I keep in stockbooks, then I actively pursue stamps with selvages since I can make my own layout in those type of albums.

My 2 cents,
CF

I really cannot add to anything previously discussed on this topic, but I never remove anything if it is pre-1960 for US.

I believe that this is actually sort of difficult to answer, especially any kind of straight forward answer- I believe it is situational at very best. example: I have a huge pile of several hundred 2¢ George Washington stamps (Likeness of #599) and quite a few of them have just plain white, plain-Jane (non scalloped) selvedge. Although I won't remove them, I can plainly see someone tearing the creased and damaged or non marked ones off; if only to keep the continuity of ones album page. I certainly won't on anything from the 50's on back but 60's till present- it's possible. (I don't collect these years so anything definitive from me is for not.) I say just don't do it.

Leave it. In a 100 years, the next collector who wants to buy/own the stamp may be attempting a plate re-construction.