High Value Stamps Displayed In Album?

I, like most others, love it when I'm able to fill pages in my stamp album. Being able to look at a full page of a complete series. I have only a handful of stamps that are in the $1000-$1500 range. I know that is not the extreme of stamp values, but I do kind of fear of something happening to them. Damaging a stamp that has survived 100+ years would be horrible. I was wondering what people like me, who want to see those full pages, but don't want to be worried about damaging or god forbid destroyed in a fire or something? I was thinking of putting some higher stamps in a fire safe or something. What do people do with super high value stamps, like a inverted Jenny? I was thinking maybe a high Rez scan and maybe cutting it, but man I don't want to cut out those perfs to satisfy my OCD demons!

I know of some who have their high-end items in a safety deposit box at their bank.

Many of the really high value stamps are in bank vaults, owned by people who have little or no interest in them beyond the progress of their "investment"!

I keep mine in my albums alongside eveything else. After all, their primary purpose is my enjoyment, not investment.

That being said, my albums are stored in a fire-resistant, 1,800 lb gun safe bolted to the slab of my home!

I do not agree with this statement. My dad kept his precious and very expensive stamps in a safety deposit box, visited his babies on a regular basis, had pictures handy to show around and even kept a big Picture of these in his office. It is impossible to have reasonable Insurance in this part of the World||

Magguss, I would first worry about the album pages that your stamps may be mounted on. They could harm your stamps.

After that, I agree with the others. A safe deposit box for the very valuable.

I like PostmasterGS's, "That being said, my albums are stored in a fire-resistant, 1,800 lb gun safe bolted to the slab of my home!"

For some collections, a 22, 38, or a 45 next to the safe may be recommended!

All the stamps I have mounted in hingeless Scott album (an older one I'll upgrade). I would say for me personally, I don't collect them primarily for investment, but I have invested money into it. Although I don't have a stamp that is in, let's say the $5,000 plus range, if I ever did get lucky I would like to enjoy seeing it in my album AND keep it safe. Guess the suggestion of putting the album in a fire proof safe seems like a good idea. Would miss seeing it on my bookshelf.

Here is a thought. Scan your album pages with the valuable stamps there. Then store the most valuable ones in a safe place, and look at the scans on your computer when you feel lonely for them.

Lol. Well I don't have a lot of stamps right now that I might bother. I guess for me it's the enjoyment of collecting and seeing the stamps. Wondering about their history and where they came from or used for. Having them locked away feels like it takes away from that, like it is a secret only I know. I dunno. Might not be a real answer for me personally. Just wanted to see what others do.

Magguss,

I would take a color copy of the stamp and store the original in a very safe place.

Jack Kelley

Though just my preference, I prefer to have my stamps where I can reach them and enjoy them - something one can't do with a stock certificate. To lock them in a safe would still provide doubt as to their survival. All plastics and many chemically treated papers would also have to be kept out as they could equally destroy the collection. Does everyone here keep their car in a fireproof locked garage? Also many banks don't have safe deposit boxes large enough for albums or the cost is prohibitive.

I'll stick with arms reach!

Yeah that's what I was thinking jack. I just need to see how to cutout the perfs as stated above.

Don't some fire-resistant safes contain a liquid within the walls that will expand when heated (such as from an external fire), and spray upon the contents within the safe? Might not spell well for paper items.

Regards, Robert

1 - Join APS http://stamps.org/Join-Now

2 - Inventory your collection, if you haven't already done so, including current Scott catalogue values.

3 - Get the special APS-member rate for insurance from Hugh Wood Insurance. Appraisals needed only for a stamp worth $25,000 or more (like that plate block of 6 of US #245 or your single of C3a).
http://www.hughwood.com/sub_menu.php?submenuId=179

3 - Relax.



Caveat 1:
I always scan my album pages that contain high-value stamps and add the image file to the thumb drive that holds the latest backup copy of the collection inventory and page scans.

Caveat 2:
If we're going to be out of the house for more than a couple of days, those high-value pages come out of my Scott albums and go into our safe deposit box. Gone are the days when SD boxes could hold a full-sized business ledger (or a full-size Scott album). We have the biggest available - 12x10x20 - so the pages just fit and still lay flat.

Maguss,

Just copy on a black background, trim closely around the stamp, and place in a black backed Showgard mount.

Jack Kelley

I've thought about this as well and decided to keep the stamps at home and enjoy them.

My collection is large, so someone trying to pick out the best material would have to sit and spend some time figuring out what to take as the collection fills a room.

Somehow, I just don't see the home invaders of today having either the knowledge or patience to wade through 45,000 stamps to find the ones which might be worth taking....