How To Properly Remove Stamps From An Album For Sale

Ok. I have been going through my Scott catalog, and am ready to start selling my stamps on ebay. They are all currently in a Master Global Stamp Album, on hinges.

My question is this, How do I remove and/or prepare the stamps for sale? Do I remove the pages and ship the complete pages to the purchasers, or do I remove each individual stamp from the album? What is the best way to ship the stamps? I have come across several that have Scott values used in excess of $20, and I want to make sure I treat them right.

Also, any hints or tips on the listings would be appreciated. I planned on listing by country, and highlighting some of the Scott numbers in the listing. Thoughts?

Thanks a lot.
Jim

Hi Jim,

I would handle the stamps as little as possible. Removing stamps which have been hinged to album pages is tricky and it is very easy to damage the stamps. If you do decide to remove a stamp, use tongs to carefully lift the stamp up without smashing its top perfs and then use the tong blades or a small pair of scissors to remove or cut the hinge from the album page, not from the stamp. Pull only on the hinge, not on the stamp. Once the stamp and hinge are free from the album, do not try to peel the hinge or hinge remnant from the back of the stamp. If you do, chances are high that you will take some of the paper from the back of the stamp as well and cause a thin. If the stamp has gum, just trim the long part of the hinge with scissors and leave the other small piece of the hinge stuck to the back of the stamp. If it is a used stamp, carefully soak the hinge off in clean water and dry it flat.

So whenever you can, ship the whole album pages with the stamps still on them. Let the buyer deal with removing the stamps. Place the pages in page protectors or large glassine envelopes or plastic bags. Just make sure you do it carefully and do not bend or crease the stamps. You'll need to ship them flat and very securely held between pieces of cardboard so that there is no way the pages can get folded or bent in the mail.

Listing by country is a good idea, with some close-ups of the best stamps.

Good luck!

Realize that Scott catalog prices are highly inflated and you will be lucky to get 25% of the catalog prices...t360 gave good advice...highlight the most valuable few on a page ...or carefully remove and place on a black background for photos...let us know how you make out with your sale!