Selvage

I have several stamps,that have small to medium selvages. Should I leave them attached even if they do not have numbers on them? Will it decease the value of the stamp if I take them off?

Example:

It will not decrease the value normally but still if possible I would leave the selvage on. Less chance of tearing a perf. and some collectors will always buy the one with selvage sitting next to the same one with out for the same price. It is always better to stay as close to the way it came from the post office as possible.

Thanks for the info Mac. I will leave it on. I'll just use a larger mount.

The albums I use aren't made to hold selvage, so I remove it since the pages have a neater appearance without it. I bought a collection a few years ago where the collector compromised by folding the selvage under the stamp before mounting. Have also seen such "fold jobs" with the stamp and selvage stuck to each other, probably because of humidity.

It's your collection and your choice. But if you happen to have any Zeppelins or other old and somewhat valuable stamps with selvage, by all means leave it on. I know for a fact that in Australia you will be persecuted for even suggesting removing selvage from one of the old 'roos!

Carol, that's good advice from both 1775mac and modern who. I have done both; remove the selvage and left it on. I removed it on very common stamps because it just looks neater and more attractive to me. I have left it on for the more valuable stamps. When removing it, I simply folded the stamp on the perfs several times. I have never had a torn perf. If in doubt, do as 1775mac says and leave the selvage connected to the stamp.

Me three!

I keep the selvage on my stamps as long as it fits in my mounts. If it doesn't fit I take it off.

Marty,
Don't tear the selvedge off the Israel stamps !

You are absolutely right, Michael. That is one exception I make. I never remove selvage from Israel stamps. The selvage is one of the many reasons I like Israel stamps.

Marty

Here's a nice example of Israel selvage. Isn't "tabs" the proper term for these? Michael, do you have the full sheet of this issue? I'd love to see what I'm missing.

I think the plane on the left is one of the most butt ugly airplanes I've ever seen. Maybe it appears so ugly because the other two are among the most beautiful ever built.




Marty

Here's an FDC with the entire sheetlet.

hmm I must find a trading buddt from israel

but all things said and done I would never pay a premium for selvedge the next thing we know all of us will be collecting whole sheets

but the points made are valid when you are tearing selvedge you can also tear the stamp so let them be unless they are unevenly torn and then I cant stand them

I have a large pile of stamps that I have set aside so when im sorting and I see a stamp with selvage I add it to them so one day I will get to them

Wow I love these stamps from Israel. Thanks for the advice. I think I'll leave the selvage on. I would be very sad if I was to tear one.

Thanks k, for posting the FDC. At least I see now that I actually have all of the stamps from this sheet.

Marty