H.e.harris Statesman Deluxe

Hi My SCF Buds,

Last spring I had purchased the above album. It was what I had when I first started collecting and I remembered it being full of image placements for stamps. So, I thought it would be the same thing, just more current. Well, what I got I have really been disappointed with.

It has a lot less on the images and more blank spaces and not even enough for a set you may have and that leaves no space for other singles or sets. So, I decided that I'd use it strictly for canceled stamps and that's proving to be just as bad.

I guess that I am in the market again for another album, but my problem is budget. I've already bought stock pages and placed them in a couple of notebook binders that I had. I had wanted to use them for the mint stamps, but I am finding that I am placing my canceled stamps in them as well.

What I paid for the album I have was $100. A 2 volume set. I'd be willing to double that if I had to, but what album would you all recommend? It would have to have more images than blank spaces above anything.

I hate being on a budget!

*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Hi Donna,

Depends on what are you collecting. Worldwide or US? If US the Scott Minuteman is a good US album. If only a few countries, the Scott Specialty series is a good alternative. If the whole world then we get into price and you have a choice of wordwide albums with Scott being the best choice in the US. I have read in the newsgroups that a lot of collectors use Hagner, or similar, stock sheets.

I, personally, do not use any pre-printed albums. I use quadrilled blank pages and just recently had a printer make heavy card stock quadrilled pages for me (about 8 cents a page). But, this is viable as I only collect 3 countries.

Jerry B

Donna,

This site has some of the best prices I've seen so far. I did notice that you are on a budget, so you might want to have a look around.

http://www.smartcart.com/gvstamps/c...ing_Supplies

Donna, I'm not sure what you want exists any longer. Your Deluxe is probably the only current album that fits for the worldwide general collector, without getting into many volumes and many dollars.

The blank spaces are a necessity, because of the enormous number of stamps issued. I think it would be more frustrating to have pictures filling those spaces, and still not have a space for your particular stamp.

If you were going to limit yourself to a span of years, then the Scott International series might fit, but if you are collecting all years, the expense is overwhelming. Used International Part One albums, which run through 1940, can often be purchased inexpensively (relatively speaking), but then you're out of luck for anything issued in the last 70 years.

You could also keep a lookout for used Minkus Supreme Globals or Master Globals. You'd have to check each example to see what year it runs through.

I'd suggest sticking with the Vario stockpages for the time being, and see what gels.

Thanks all for your advise and suggestions. I have been looking at binders. I noticed that for a Minkus Worldwide Supreme Global Binder, the description mentioned that it will hold up to "4". Is that "4" thick of new pages? How many pages would that be? I remember my grandmother had that album set, but I seem to remember the binder holder more than that. What is the max that one binder can hold?

Donna:

I don't know the answer, but while you're waiting, I'll throw out one more consideration to make your decision more difficult. I've never used a 4" binder for stamps, but I did use one as a notebook when I was in school.

As a general rule, I have had better luck with smaller binders and I always stop at about 90% of the manufacturer's recommended capacity. Of course, I'll be the first to admit, I sometimes over-think and over-do common sense...

Obviously, knowing the total number of pages is important, but I think a more important concern is the usability of the album after it is full of pages. By usability, I mean, how well do the pages turn? Will it lay flat on the table? Or will some of my stamps be mounted on the arc of a curved page (mounts don't flex well)? In any notebook (of any size) the first and last few pages tend to pull or tear at the holes in the paper. Sheet lifters help, but don't cure the problem.

I know Minkus sells the 4" and a 3" -- I own neither, so I'm sure other folks will weigh in on that issue.

Good Luck,
KirkS

I agree with Raywrio. GV stamps is about 20 minutes from me and I drive there probably once every 2 weeks for supplies and to save shipping. Their prices are good and they are a good business to deal with.

A lot of the older stamp albums only have illustrations up to 1980. The Harris Statesman Deluxe is a great 2 volume set for illustrations from 1980-2010. Don't forget to add blank pages if you have a lot of duplicates!