Color Of "Big Blue" Albums ???

Ok, another question about the old Scott International Albums....

I just saw a black volume 1, as opposed to all the others I have seen which are dark blue. The embossed printing is identical on both.

Also, what would be a good way to touch up the worn album edges - blue shoe polish, or ???

Thanks again,
Mobilman44

Please, does anyone know if the volume came in both black and blue colors? If so, why was that?

I just looked in the back of my 1948 Scott's standard Postage Stamp Catalog and the adds stated it was blue. No other color listed. Maybe someone took some black shoe polish after it. I do have a Scott International from 1893 that is black with gold lettering. Any idea of the age?

The '41 and later editions are blue for sure.

Hi,
There are a couple on ebay with black binders and all the proper printing. I even emailed one of the sellers to verify the color. These are - from what I'm told - from 47 to 55 issue.

While I'm still interested in this topic, I did win an auction for a BLUE part 1 and part 2 last evening. Yeeehaaaa!!

Black & Blue?

The binders I have seen, including mine from '41 on are blue, but I suppose there could have been black binders also.

Congrats on the auction!

Hi Mobilman44,

I touch up worn album corners and edges with permanent marker pens (test colour first to get a good match.) Sometimes this will dry more matt than the cloth finish so I carefully mask off the album using clean rag or cut up old shirts and lightly spray the area with a semi matt lacquer. Do not overdo this. Let it dry then buff up with a dry cloth. If the album covering is buckram, a sort of semi shiny fabric like leatherette, there are clear and coloured cleaning/reviving creams that you can get from a good bookbinders' supply outfit. I buy all my albums used and recondition them, sometimes replacing the inner cover material and the fly leaves. No great skill required and the end result can be quite stunning. Especially if you can get hand made marbled papers.

Terry

Thanks Terry!
My non stamp life long hobby is model railroading (model building), and I've got a pretty good supply of "stuff" to refurbish them "depending".

About the black albums.......... I'm surprised no one has acknowledged knowing about them yet.

stampvirgin sold a 3-volume set on the forum to fredcdobbs in April 2012. Maybe one of them can provide you information on their publication date.

Check out "Filling spaces" blog's four part series on "50 shades of Blue and Brown"....

http://globalstamps.blogspot.com/20...-part-1.html

That should answer some of the history.

Also, the "Blue" binder color can appear blue-black or even black. But I have not seen a truly black binder for an International Part I 1840-1940. Pictures needed!

These aren't by chance the Dansko line of binders for the International series? If not, I too would love to see pictures (or the ebay item numbers).

It is interesting what one can find on ebay. I've seen International pages in Minkus Global binders, Minkus pages in Scott binders, and combinations of Scott, Minkus and Harris pages all intermixed.

Hi,
Here are 3 auction #s........281080033770, 350741852559, 380600451964 with black covers. It is possible that these are VERY dark blue, but the auctions (now closed) I inquired about said theirs were black.

mobilmann44, I think I see blue in the binders of the first and third auctions, but must admit the one in the second auction does indeed look black to me.

I did a Google search and came across a Harmer-Schau Auction that described the binders as black (housing Vintage Reproduction pages). And this board's own Stampvirgin sold a set of black binders to fredcdobbs in 2012. If either of these members happens to see this thread, maybe they will comment.

International binders can look black in a certain light.

Wow, I consider the first and third a very dark blue, but two and four look pretty black to me!

To be honest, the color is immaterial - however, I want the two or three I end up with to be the same or very close shade.

Yeah, I know........... beggers can't be choosers!

"I want the two or three I end up with to be the same or very closr shade "----how about some 50 volumes ? Im not even luck enought to get the same size binder never mind the same shade !!.