Mounts Question

Is it possible to salvage/re-use Scott mounts?

In all my experience with mounts, I would say it is, if not impossible, extremely unfeasible to reuse a mount. If the mount was moistened only in the most light way, you may get it to just peel off the page. In most cases, that is not the case, and the mount is extremely well securited to the album page. Moistening the back of the album page where the mount is will eventually loosen the mount, it may also remove its adhesive quality, and ruin the album page in the process. Also, mounts can wear out with time. The plastic can become brittle and break off (particularly at the seam of the clear and black plastic).

Well, that's my two cents anyway.

hmmm, I'm not sure how you would rescuer them after you destroyed the page getting them off?

I would love to make a poll so see what type of mounts/hinges everyone uses, I just don't know all the name brands... anyone up for the task
I'm looking into bulk buying some for my early editions and my Ace collection I just dont know what brands are best and what to stay away from.
I so far like the black backing thats all I know so far.

Avoid Crystal Mounts, if they still make them. Harris used to market these. If you ever see an old collection that uses these mounts, the gum has probably stained the pages, the mounts may be brittle and breaking off, and there might also be a glaze, or shinyness on the stamps and/or the stamp gum.

Showgard has been around for a long time, and I haven't spotted any problems with these in old collections. As far as I can tell, mounts form Scott and Prinz are Showgard knockoffs. I have seen some mount (brand unknown) shrink and make stamps buckle slightly, pushing in on the perfs. There were also some older mounts I have seen but that are probably no longer available, that enclosed the stamps completely and used a rubber based adhesive that stained pages much in the way Scotch Tape would do.

How about Lighthouse mounts?

I figured trying to re-use mounts would be a waste of time. Shame, I see lots of collections for sale with nice mounts, but on bad pages. Thought if I could move them into my albums could save a little on mount costs.

Hmmm. I will let you know! I just recently purchased a set of US Airmail stuff that is in Showgard mounts and then mounted on Harris album pages.

My plan was to print my own album pages (at some point and probably on heavy card stock). Then move the showgard mounts from the current album pages to my new ones. And I don't really care if something sticks or not.

Basically, glue the existing showgard mounts to the newly printed card-stock pages and transfer the stamps to the new locations.

(I'm obviously removing the stamps from the Showgard before I make the move..)


Ah.... The diary of a cheapskate!!

So are you going to float the show guards off? how will you separate them from the page

Hi

If the entire back of the mount has been moistened it may be possible to remove the mount by rubbing the back of the album page, under the mount, with spade tip tongs (works for hinges and stuck down stamps also). If moistened at the top, using spade tip tongs lift the mount and try to slide the tongs under a corner of the mount portion that is 'glued' down. in some case the mount will pop off. The mount can then be flipped head to foot and reused. It goes without saying to remove the stamp from the mount before trying any of the above.

If you are transferring stamps from one album to another I feel that it is not worth the effort to save a mount.

I do some cataloging work for a dealer and have seen mounts attached all different ways, some attached with a hinge! In general two things should be adhered to when attaching mounts:

1. DO NOT attach the mount with the stamp in it. A little moisture can seep in at a corner and create a 'glazed spot' on a mint stamp's gum (been there done that).

2. DO NOT lick them. Use a cotton swab, Q tip, with a little moisture, not dripping wet. If some moisture creeps in at a corner take a small piece of typing paper and slide it into the mount to remove the moisture. The gum is pretty good and the mount will stick but remain removable by popping it off.

In any case do not put the stamp in the mount until everything is dry. I have been doing the above since Showgard mounts were introduced.

I prefer Showgard mounts as they seem to be a little heavier than Scott or Prinz mounts. I know nothing about Lighthouse mounts and Davo mounts. I have been told that all mounts are made by the same manufacturer, but that is unfounded.




As I said I have been using Showgard mounts for years, at least 20, and have never seen any film cracking or breaking.




Crystal mounts are no longer produced. The dealer I do some work for has a lot of requests for them but ran out of the smaller popular sizes a long time ago.




Those mounts were PM mounts and were very popular in the US in the 1960's through the 1970's. Problem was that the stamp was totally enclosed and had no 'breathing' space and stuck to the mount backing. You can usually tell a stamp that was in a PM mount as the back has black fibers clinging, or embedded, especially mint stamps. Needless to say they are no longer produced.

Well that's it for now as my typing finger is getting tired. There are some other hints for mounts that Showgard told me when they were first introduced. But that may be another time and thread if anyone is interested.

Jerry B