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How many stamps will the desert magic book hold?
I have an 8 inch by 11-1/2 inch Desert Magic book. It has an absorbent page at either end to catch excess moisture and provide a 'soft' flattening surface. When I first got the book I couldn't understand why they had the 'extra pages' in the book.
It has, in between these, 8 sets of one thick absorbent page and one special flat treated page that is gum-sticking-to-it resistant. some newer stamps do seem to stick a bit but they do peel off. Just be patient.
I had some sstamps in the book so just removed them and counted them. Each page realistically holds about 25-30 rectangular shaped 1930's - 1970's era Canada / USA / World stamps. So total 240 stamps +/-.
I say realistically because packed close together you could get 36-40++ stamps per page in there. But you are dealing with wet, fragile stamps that want to grab onto the page and are hard to lift off again, pointy tongs and steady hand or not. Some days you may get more, some days when you are in a rush or tired or distracted, you may get less.
I am dying to try Rod's freezer bag method but have not got around to acquiring the needed materials as of yet.
I agree with KGV John that there is a problem with total gum removal before drying and pressing happens. Make sure you soak long enough so the gum is removed and do the fingers in the water rubbing the backs of the stamps thing. Only way to tell. Become one with your stamps. Do the mind meld Spock thing.
Although, you may be floating / soaking older stamps that you have suspicions about whether the ink is aniline (water based) or not. Most stamps are OK in the water, just not too warm (never hot) or cold. Lukewarm. I don't know if the catalogues actually tell one what inks are used or warn one about such things. Good idea to, if they don't do it now.
And put the whole stamp in the water, unless you do have suspicions about the ink or if the paper it is adhered to is coloured. Cleans the stamp up a bit.
And don't just use one bath of clean water for the stamps. I carry my little plastic drawer tray over to a sink and carefully pour out the water while holding the stamps in (use a screen over the drain if you want) and then fill with cold water and dump and fill again and carry back to the table to pick the stamps out.
Good balance exercise. (Don't let anybody see you do this.)
Or, if I'm lazy, or feeling tidy that day, I put a bucket next to the table, dump the water in that and pour a bottle of new tap water into the tray to help rinse the stamps. Give them a swish around with the bent spade tongs a gentle bit or use fingers again (keep towel handy).
They really need more than one rinse but what if you don't have a second bottle of water? What if you've drank it waiting for the stamps to soak and pondering your next acquisition? Well . . .
Or, if you keep a clean bowl of water next to the soaking area, you can dip the stamps in that, if you are pretty sure they are clean of gum and dirt. There may be bits of hinges or paper or whatnot holding on to the stamp. A quick rinse at least will help to remove that.
A lot of these ideas of how to soak stamps seems to have to come with practice. I have read many times of soaking horror stories and about how to do it this way and that way and to tell the truth I am lazy and sometimes skip steps. Well, then I learn the hard way that I shouldn't have.
Not always, not every time did I do something so bad I can't bear remembering it, but once or twice. Then you are there cringing and staring in amazement at the darn stamp or water or tongs or the chair you are sitting in that has somehow caused this thing to surprisingly happen. Finally you admit to yourself that the thing was your fault and you should have known. But you will remember this because people remember more the things which have emotions attached to them.
Posted 09/18/2010 10:02 pm
