All Right, I Am A Bit Overwhelmed.

My father passed away in July, and he was a avid coin and stamp collector, but for the past decade he started just accumulating stamps in various forms. Our family has found all these coils and 25 sheets, plate blocks, singles, booklets, etc. See below.

Still in the original packaging (not recommended, I see)




I have found supplement sheets to place the singles, plate blocks, etc. But we have literally hundreds of what you see in this picture.

My question is about the coils and strips of 25.

How do I archive these? Why did my dad buy 4 of some, 3 of the other, etc.? Only from a collector's point of view, obviously. Trade?

We are not looking to sell, but to actually make it a collection from where he ended (around 1985!)

Any thoughts would help; I am seeking out a local stamp club, too.

mintSheet

The following is just my opinion.

Since he did buy multiples chances are good that you will not want to save them all. I would consider assembling one of each type for the family collection and trading/selling off the rest. Of course before anything is done you will want to make sure that there is not different plate numbers or configurations that your dad purchased for a specific reason; this will take some time and discovery.

But once I had them sorted out into 'keepers' and 'non-keepers'; the next question is how do you store and display them? Traditional solutions, such as albums like the Scott National, would require a substantial investment in mounts. A very substantial investment. So while you are considering that solution make sure you understand this cost.

Perhaps a better solution, especial given the multiples like coil strips, would be Vario pages. These are like stock books with sleeves in each page for mounting the stamps. They are come in various number of sizes and will accommodate all the differing stamp/coil/block/sheet shapes. The final result would make a very nice family keepsake that I am sure your dad would be proud of.
Don

As they are still in the original USPS packaging, you can at least be proud of the fact that Dad purchased items at face value, rather than paying more than that through a dealer. (Though most people can get these at less than face, if you look hard enough.) Also, although I don't have one in front of me, there probably is some type of indication on the label that may help to determine the difference between items that look the same. (Perf, die cut, serpentine, etc.) Also, as Don said, in the longer coil versions, there are probably PNC (plate number coil) differences that should be easy to spot. Some are worth more than others, but these look relatively common and one plate number is probably the same value as another.

I agree that Vario pages are probably the best way to display, and be sure not to bend those long strips to make them fit.

Lastly, if you find that you have exact duplicates, these can always be used as current mail or to trade with new friends at the local stamp club.

Have fun.

Looks like a lot of fun. Welcome to your new hobby :)

I have been helping a friend dispose of his mother's accumulation. She was a postmaster and collected most commemorative sheets from about 1990 through 2010. I ended up letting stamp club members buy @ 70% of face value. My friend was really surprised when I gave him over $2000 in cash.

My naivete will be showing, but the strips are "bent" 10/10/5, and I am assuming not to bend them additionally? Please advise. Is it ok to make PNC5s from them, or better to keep the 25 intact?




The funny story told to me from members of his church was "never get behind Bill at the Post Office!"

Sounds like Dad was a fun guy!

If they're already bent, then they're already bent. I'm not a PNC collector, per se, but if you wanted to put them in Vario pages, then place the best side front forward to see the PNC number, and leave the rest folded underneath.

There also may be some varieties that are tagged/untagged, so who knows what you've really got there.

Anyway, welcome to the world of stamp collecting!

"My naivete will be showing, but the strips are "bent" 10/10/5, and I am assuming not to bend them additionally? Please advise. Is it ok to make PNC5s from them, or better to keep the 25 intact?"

That is how they were shipped from the national philatelic fulfillment center. The vast majority of people do no collect them in strips of 25 - they typically keep a single and/or a pair and or a plate strip of 5 (assuming only one design - some save longer strips when more than one design, and a small number of people go for strips of 7 instead of 5 even for a single design, but often the way they were folded it would not be possible to get a plate strip of 7 without a fold).

I went through the same process five years ago with the loss of Dad--sorry for your loss--and did exactly as the advice given here. It was wonderful to put together a collection of the most attractive and valuable sheets, and get the others into the hands of those who would appreciate them. And to have vintage stamps, from among the duplicates, for my own mail. Looking for patterns in the purchases was also enjoyable. I was surprised to find, although my mother is quite attractive, that my father had squirreled away every example of a stamp, sheet, cover, and souvenir from the Marilyn Monroe issue, without saying anything to anyone in the family. He also had a complete set of everything from the Legends of Hollywood series, which I've decided to maintain in a separate album for eventual future sale.

Condolences for your dad.


-IBFS