Flat, Rotary, Offset, Waste, Type1, Type Via... My Poor Eyes

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand all the redundancy in
Dad's stamp albums. They have page after page of the exact
same stamps you just went through, but these were printed on
a different press, or with a slightly different ink, or the
rope on the toga looks a tiny bit different than the one next
to it... UNDER A FRIGGIN' MICROSCOPE! What's the point?
Not to mention water marks that may or may not be there, even
if it was water marked paper.

I can't tell the stamps apart under 2 magnifying glasses at
once. Why do I need 3 of one stamp on one page, and 5 pages
with those same stamps over and over.

I guess what I am getting at is that I am the type that if I
can collect one of each DESIGN, I am happy. I don't need every
variation and error. Nor do I need 4 different shades of red
that I can't tell apart anyway.

Sorry for venting. I have just spent hours trying to sort Dad's
stamps by all these factors, and by perforations too... I just
don't see the need.

Serious question... Is there a company out there that makes a
stamp album that doesn't require massive duplication to make a
nice "type" set? Once these things are in the album, you can't
tell one water mark from another, for example. I have enough
trouble gauging the perforations on the gauge machine... I wouldn't
bother me an iota if I didn't have to collect up 6 different
perforation styles of the exact same stamp to fill up my pages.

And something else that is annoying... To fill the pages you have to
find/purchase/collect several variations of the exact same stamps,
and the stamps in question are the most expensive, oldest, and often
rarest of US classic stamps.

Someone tell me where there is a book that can be filled using only
one Blackjack, one 1915 set, etc... I wouldn't mind collecting one
each 'perforated' and 'non-perforated', but beyond that, I don't see
the expense or migraine headache from trying to see Washington's toga
strap and guess if it's light, medium, or dark.

Done.


Oh, as a sidenote that just made my day...
I knew Dad was colorblind, and hard of sight, but I figured for
sure that any stamp he put in the album was in it's proper place.
WRONG.
I have been moving all his stamps around because they were placed
wrong. There are red/orange/brown stamps where green/blue stamps go.
There were 10 perforated where 11s go. There were... you get the pic.
Dad knew what he was doing, but he could never see worth a darn.

You know...
I think I might scan all the album pages into the
'puter and then edit them photo-chop style. Then
I can print out the album pages just the way I
would have them, and not the way Mystic Stamp
would have them. I am convinced they put so much
duplicity in the albums so you'll feel 'obligated'
to buy more stamps to 'complete' a collection.

I like that idea of printing out the album pages the way you want, but why expend all that energy and time if you already have them in an album-albeit, one where a lot of the a stamps are in the wrong places. Don't be hasty--some of those variations could be worth real $!

Gussyboy1

Well, I wouldn't mind of the album was full.
However, every page has missing spots.
And stamp after stamp looks the same as the
ones next to them and on the other pages.
If the pages weren't one for perf 10, and one
for perf 11, and one for perf 10x11, etc...
I would have more than enough of each issue to
fill out a set. But I have all these empty spots
waiting for stamps that look exactly like the
stamp next to it due to differences of no real
consequense. Make sense.

Like my example of the Blackjack... They all look
exactly the same, so why are there something like
10 Blackjacks needed to fill an album? Yeah, they
have microscopic differences, but again, in an album
you don't see these differences.

Now I see why there are 12 binders in the collection.

What 12 albums are you using? Albums lower on the totem pole tend to be less comprehensive, as are U.S. sections in world wide albums. For example, the U.S. section of a Scott International Part I (from 1847 to 1940) is a lot easier to work with than a Scott National Album. Funny, but a lot of old Part I collections don't even have the U.S. pages, presumably because a 'serious' collector took to using a National Album for the U.S.

Ratio the great thing about stamps is that you can do it your way. The simple fact though is that in those years there are that many different varieties.

Sure I have empty spots and pages during those years. However when I find one stamp to add to an empty space I feel I won a little something.

To understand those years is a challenge that isn't for the weak. It is frustrating, confusing and painful combined with a lot of reading, studying and learning. I am all of those plus the weak at times but I love it.

However if you are not into that then you can take some of those pages out or simply put another stamp of your choice in that space. The best thing is that would be the right way to fill your album for you. There are programs that let you design your album or you can just used blank pages and add your one words / writing.

Just trying to figure out the lines in the triangle of the 2 cent Washington can be hard enough then you have to start looking for heavy hair lines. Just great stuff when you have the time for it. Watermarks are fun though the single ones can be darn hard to find.

Sometimes that small difference can mean many dollars between the value of a stamp. I have long ago accepted the fact that I'm not going to fill every page, I simple don't think the wife would let me sell the farm and live in a housing project.

So take it as fun and for sure do your own thing because in the world of stamps there is no wrong way to collect them.

I have spent several hours plus just sorting the triangles Washingtons and believe me it can drive you crazy looking for the small things. It is one of those things once you find what you are looking for they start to get easier and easier to find.

In any event do it your way and have fun. Let us guys with no life take the hard road.

My mystic album that came with three binders is now up to eight once you start adding the stamps. I figure I will need another four once I start adding the years 1971-2008.

I don't think Mystic misses any of the early classic's in their albums.

Ratio here are some blank pages that may interest you. Just prick out your paper.

http://www.stampalbums.com/blank_pages.asp

Welcome to stamp collecting.


But as mkfarm stated, you can collect any way you want. Remember you are collecting for your enjoyment not somebody else. Whether you just want topicals, coils, or just one stamp from every year, collect what you like.

ratio411.....

In your statement above you mention 10 perforation where 11's should go.....this gives me the impression that you are counting perforations....this is absolutely wrong........Perforations are measured with a perf gauge....not counted.

Been away for a few hours... so I gotta catch up.

I'll start with the last post, easy subject.
Along with the stamp collection, I inheireted
a little 'machine' doo-dad that has a magnifying
glass built over a ruler, a wheel with a perforation
gauge, and a little 'tub' for processing water marks.
So, no I am not counting perfs, I am putting them
through this little machine and looking at them under
the built in glass.

I didn't recall what was misplaced where when I
typed that post. I was just using 10 and 11 perf
because they stood out in my mind. Many stamps
were misplaced by different perforation counts.

On the stamp albums:
Mystic albums are fat 3 ring binders that you
purchase from them, then fill with pages that
you purchase separately as you go. You can fill
the binders as thin or as full as you like. It
all depends on how much money you want to spend.

Dad got every darn page they offer. Mystic is
very comprehensive on what stamps go in the pages.
They don't just have a spot for each Scott number...
They have a spot for every Scott number, AND every
variation of that number. So you might see, and I
am using fictional examples here, I don't have the
books in front of me... You might see Scott 303 on
a page, then right with it on the same page there
could be 5 other Scott 303s! A 303a, 303b, 303b T2,
303f, 303zz2c, etc... They all look identical sitting
on the page in the 'hinge-less hinges', so what is the
point of collecting all of them?

I'll say again that the "303" numbers were fictional
examples, However, this is how many of the numbers
are listed and this type of duplicate numbering
pertains to many stamps, not just one or two
exceptions to the rule. Am I making sense?

Sorry for venting. It's just frustrating as these
albums are likely too comprehensive for a beginner.
I'll either have to cater to Dad's way of setting up
the collection, or overhaul it totally to suit my
developing ideas of what the hobby should be.

It's tough to think about changing it from the way
he loved it. I am enjoying many aspects of his hobby,
but one reason I am throwing myself into it is to
honor him. Funny seeing as how he never included me
in the hobby when he was alive. But I can handle
that. In his last few days, he tried to catch me up
a lifetime...

Let's see... I have 12 albums (3 ring binders)
that break down like this:

1: Commems from the beginning to about 1990.
2: Commems from 1990 to 1996.
3: Commems from 1996 to 2005.
4: Standard issues.
5: Back of book.
6: A binder of state quarters, and state stamps
along with all things stamp/state/state quarter.
7: The beginning of the same, but based on prez
dollar coins.
8: Sheets, books, FDCs, panels
9: An FDC album with the FDCs mounted to subject
pages with info and clear 'hinge-less' mounts, like
the stamps in the other books.
10: Disney world topicals.
11: Disney world topicals.
12: A blue UN binder full of all the UN stamps.

Those are the full binders. Then there are
'half binders' of FDCs in clear pocket pages.
As opposed to mounted to printed subject pages
like in the binders. There are 4 FDC half binders
for US. Then 4 FDC half binders for UN.
Then their is his original 1962 US stamp book that
is bound up more like a book than a binder. That
one has all the US subjects/types in one book.
The Scott numbers are wrong. Either they are not
exactly "Scott" numbers, or the numbers have evolved
since 1962. Most of the stamps in this book are used,
as well as hinged with real hinges.

That's the breakdown. A lot of stuff, which is good
in a way, but is very comprehensive unless you intend
to spend a fortune to fill it all 'just so'.

I'd like to add:
Even if an album contains just one of each Scott
number, it is still too comprehensive IMO.

Using my Blackjack example again... There are around
10 stamps that look identical, but due to microscopic
differences, have totally different Scott numbers.

You could collect one Blackjack and have all those
numbers covered, and still look the same. This is
the case with SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many early stamps.
Until the 1920s the collection seems so redundant.
There comes a point where you have one number, one
stamp... and things start to make sense.