Would You Buy Mystic Heirloom Album In PDF Form?

Would you buy the Mystic Heirloom album as a PDF, so you could print it on thicker paper?

I emailed the idea to their customer service department, and the rep loved the idea and wanted to send it up the food chain.

If you'd buy the album as a PDF, would you mind shooting them an email asking that a PDF of the album be put up for sale, so they see there may be some demand.

apastuszak, this is an interesting subject for discussion. I certainly see benefits (as well as possible negatives).

As you mentioned, printed on heavier paper is obviously a plus. Also, you would only need to print those pages which you need when you need them. You would also endure the additional cost of ink and paper, but that could be minimized by not printing the write ups on the reverse. Another benefit would be that Mystic could include multiple pages for those issues which could be collected in various formats, e.g., strips or blocks versus singles.

I wouldn't mind contacted Mystic - is there a specific contact you talked to?

Speaking of Paper... Is there a certain paper type that everyone uses. I haven't printed my own yet but am close to doing so.

I'm just wondering why Mystic would want to consider releasing the pages in PDF format. Wouldn't they be better off (from a marketing perspective) by just offering a heavier paper album option for their pages to those that wanted it? (Also, it would probably take an extra binder or two given the volume the heavier pages [with stamps added] would use.)

It also seems to me Mystic and Scott could have a licensing issue if they were to issue the pages in PDF format and once the material is on the market, there is the likelihood that it would be pirated and shared with other collectors who may choose to share it with other collectors and not purchase it from Mystic.

As mentioned earlier, if the pages are to be printed off a PDF file, there is also the cost of ink/toner and heavier stock paper that could easily exceed the cost of just having Mystic provide the heavier stock album pages in the first place as a purchase option.

One must also consider the current page format whereby the reverse side of each album page has information pertaining to the next page of stamps and so forth. The number of casual PC users in a home office environment who may not have the luxury of duplex printing could complicate the printing of these pages by a novice computer user. On the other hand, if you are going to pay money to a professional printer to print the material, why even bother if Mystic could provide the heavier stock album pages to begin with?

To me it seems like it wouldnt be in Mystics best interest. If you can get Steiner pages for 30 bucks...there wouldnt be much money in it for Mystic. Also if you could buy the whole shebang in PDF format - jokers sould be selling bootlegs on ebay etc.

When you make thicker paper, you increase the need for binders. Your 3 volume album is now a 6-7 volume album, and can no longer make the $38.95 price point. Suddenly the Mystic album costs $100 - $125 (between better paper and more binders) and isn't an easy sell.

The PDF could be sold for $19.99, which would probably allow Mystic to make a decent profit, and open them up to sales overseas, where collectors of US stamps may want an album with descriptions, but are unwilling to pay a shipping cost that is more than the price of the album.

I think $20 is the price point at which stealing the PDFs and printing your own copies (between paper and binders) becomes more expensive, or the same as just buying the thing.




The Steiner pages, though a valiant effort, have some drawbacks that the Mystic album overcomes:

• Pictures of the stamps
• Scott Catalog Numbers
• Stamp Descriptions

There would no value in it, if you sold them for $38.95, but if it cost $19.99, I think it might be worth it.

I just clicked on contact us on the web site and sent them a message.

I mostly use archival grade sheets for most of my collection and for the majority of the covers which I have mounted. For my expensive covers or those covers which I want to slow the deterioration, I use alkaline buffered sheets.

Nothing will totally stop the deterioration of a stamp or cover since deterioration is due to the chemical interaction of the acid and bases within the stamp. If an acidic sheet is used, the bases in the stamp can actually interact with the acid in the sheet which speeds up deterioration of the stamp/cover.

A true archival grade sheet has had the acid content removed, thus does not contribute to the deterioration of the stamp or cover. I say "true" archival grade since there are some sheets touted as archival which simply have a sprayed on barrier on the sheet which once the spray barrier disintegrates proceeds to interact with the stamp. The item is still going to deteriate over time.

An alkaline buffered sheet is impregnated with an alkaline salt which also interacts with the acid in the stamp/cover, slowing down (but not eliminating) stamp deterioration.

I have posed various stamp/cover preservation questions to the prservation unit of the Library of Congress. You can do so by going to this site http://www.loc.gov/preservation/ and click on "ask a Librarian"

I will use either this paper from Staples:

http://www.staples.com/Staples-Cove...oduct_490885

The web site says acid-free: no, but the packaging in the store says it's acid free.

or I buy 100% cotton paper from Southworth.

... of course using quality mounts also severely slows down any interaction between the stamp and the sheet it is mounted on.




This works too! May I ask what weight you use? Have you had any problems where the sheet watermark detracted from the finished sheet?

I'm using 32 lb paper. Southworth only makes 100% cotton in 20 lb, 24 lb and 32 lb. I haven't checked online to see if there is a cheaper heavier weight paper.

I remember finding a website that had 100% cotton cardstock. If I find a link, I'll post it.

I wouldn't print my own pages unless I used it to "fill in" where needed in my album. I bought the Mystic Heirloom with the better binders and really like it. I think the paper thickness is fine and the printing quality is much better than I can do at home. Plus, as stated earlier, no extra cost for paper and ink.

I've seen some collectors use the Georgia Pacific acid free, 110-lb. white card stock for their homemade album pages.
It's available ar Wal*Mart for about 6 bucks for 150 pages.