Mystic Has A Cheap Hingeless Album Now

Tin Man- thanks for all the input! I did some digging myself and found this on the Mystic site:

http://www.mysticstamp.com/viewProd...sp?sku=DS117

See the third paragraph from the bottom, it says this album has 70 lb stock for pages. So, it apparently is a heavier stock than the regular album. It has the 'deluxe' binders but apparently no slipcases. After my last encounter with Mystic I am hesitant to try again but I may take a chance and order this and see what I get. My main fear at this point is that the pages may be wrinkled or curved and that's why I was hoping to hear from anyone who bought one of these albums. It would seem the logical answer for those who want something on quality paper but want to use black mounts.

Hi Stamps1962,

Why not ask Mystic to send you a sample page of their heavier stock album paper? 70 lb paper (160 gsm approx) is not really a heavyweight paper in terms of resisting buckling when wetted. I have had this problem with Stanley Gibbons album leaves of up to 80 lb (150 gsm) buckling at the back when mounts were applied. As I gave up on pre-printed leaves some time back I now use blank pages from Stanley Gibbons which weigh in at 105lbs (240 gsm). For pre-printed pages I would think about 90 lbs art paper stock would be a minimum. Quality album leaves are expensive. Don't lay out good bucks till you are absolutely sure of getting quality paper. Good luck.

Terry

Edited to add.

Paper weight is calculated on the weight of 500 sheets of paper of a given approximate size. Usually about 30"x20". But sheet sizes can vary considerably so 500 sheets of one sheet size can have the same weight as 500 sheets of smaller sheet size, but have a thinner sheet thickness. Don't go by the stated weight, you need to see the paper.

TC.

What weight of paper do you think the regular American Heirloom album uses? 32Lb? It's slightly heavier than regular weight of paper. Regular weight is 20Lb.

Hi TinMan,

Well, yes. Regular journal / notebook / good writing paper paper is about 20 to 30 lbs., but this is not a heavy paper. For comparison a reasonable quality, stiffish art cartridge paper would be about 90 lbs. Paper weight per 500 sheets is a combination of the actual sheet size and the paper composition; the best archival papers being of cotton rag composition as against wood pulp of the cheaper types. So depending on paper composition and variation in sheet size one paper could be a firm, thick 90lbs sheet and another could be the same weight but be thinner and less robust. The only way to be sure is to handle the paper.

Terry

Edit for omission. TC.

Yea Terry the best way is to have Mystic send a sample piece where he can actually handle it. They can fold a sheet and put it in an envelope.

OK ,may do that. I do not have a link at hand but there is a YouTube video posted by Mystic plugging their new hingeless album, the president of the company is displaying the album; there is one point when he picks up the binder with the pages and you can briefly see the pages from the side- they look like the ones I got- wrinkled and warped. FWIW, I have some paper I use for some applications that is 65 lb weight, it is a nice thickness for album pages. The paper on the original Mystic pages is thin, almost like standard printer paper. I used to have a set with mounts I had to enclose the pages in protectors in order to use.

You must be rough on pages. My American Heirloom Album is three years old and I've not had any problem with any pages. I did noticed this morning that I'm wearing the finish off my bookshelves from dragging the albums on and off the shelf.

Hi Stamps1962,

I think Mystic have to compromise on paper thickness because they have to get so many pages in their thick binders. It is inevitable that they will need to use a thinnish paper stock to get them in, and allow for bulk added by the mounts and stamps. As I now use a 105 lb instead of 80 lb paper I can only accommodate 35 to 40 leaves in the albums I use instead of the 60 lighter original leaves. It is not only Mystic, I almost bought Davo albums about ten years ago, but I noticed the leaves in those exhibited the same problem you describe; pages buckled on the reverse where the mounts had been stuck to the paper. Over wetting the mounts when they were attached to the album leaf would also contribute to this. If Mystic do them leaves without mounts might be the answer, being careful to only lightly moisten your own mounts when you stick them in. I do hope you achieve a satisfactory result as album leave are such an expensive item.

Terry

I used protectors because with the mounts added to the lightweight paper having that protection just made them easier to handle. Quite the contrary, I am very careful with pages. The reference to the problems with the Mystic hingeless was to a new set I bought from them, they were a wreck when I got them- I really think they were running low due to demand and tried to stick me with a defective set, they did send another set that was just as bad.

Hi TinMan,

I have noticed recently ,now that I am getting older, that I can no longer nonchalantly whisk an album off the shelves using a casual finger grip.

Terry

I have 5 collecting areas. U.S., Australia, Germany, Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and a few minor collections. Some years ago I got 2 Mystic Heirloom Albums for my U.S. collection. I hated them. I ended up with 7 White Ace Albums for my U.S. collection. They are very nice, I use black mounts and they look very good.

When I started collecting Australia I purchased a Seven Seas pre decimal album, 1913-1965. I love it. Over the years I've added 4 more Seven Seas Albums for decimal Australia. My Germany, Papua and others I have made my own pages, well printed, from the Steiner
CD and purchased binders for them.

Now, over the years, my Seven Seas pre decimal hingeless album is showing a lot of wear and needs to be replaced. I was looking threw ebay and came across a Davo Deluxe Stamp Album: Australia Vol 1 hingeless with free shipping for $84.00 with 6 hours to go, I jumped on it, should be here Monday. To order one from Australia like I have with shipping would cost double that. Never seen a Davo so I hope I didn't make a mistake.

Anyone have a Davo? How do you like it?
Thanks
Jack

Well I don't either I'm almost 68 years old. But I use my Albums. That's the point I was trying to make. I've begun to wear the finish off the shelf from dragging them off and pushing them on. The shelf is full so I have to drag them off. I have Three Minkus Plate Block Albums. Two Used dupe Albums.one Mint Duplicate Album. My First H.E. Harris Album from school days. Plus Five American Heirloom Albums all on one shelf. I don't like my stamps crowded.

One thing too only my Mint Stamps go into Mounts. The used stamps are all hinged and I need/am missing a lot of stamps. I never will get every stamp.

TinMan, don't have your problem with the shelves. I have all my albums in a metal storage cabinet that I've had for over 16 years. It's full and soon I will have to start putting albums on shelves someplace so maybe then I'll share your problem.

Well being a retired Pastor. I probably have 2or 300 books on wall shelf's. The shelves are 5 or 6 high and 12 ft long. I gave away some books so as to free up one shelf. My Albums fill than one shelf. I am probably going to have to add another Volume of the American Heirloom for BOB stamps and I don't know where I'll put it. I've looked at the books I kept and I really don't want to get rid of any more. I probably gave away a couple hundred books to a current Pastor. I don't know where I had the books I gave away because I sure don't have any empty space.

If Mystic won't give you sample pages, you can order the 2012 supplement or a pack of blank pages from them, before you get a whole album. Also, start using glue sticks to attach mounts to prevent paper warping or curling. Glue sticks are water-free.