Buying New US Stamp Albums

If anyone is considering buying a U.S. Stamp Album/Albums to house your stamps in. I recommend the American Heirloom 3 Volume from Mystic Stamp Company. Here's the purpose of this post. Don't pay more than $38.95 for the 3 Volume set. If they want more than that. Request them to send you their free catalog and this will get you on their mailing list. Wait then until the set goes on sale. Also if they offer you the extra Binder. If it is less than $12 BUY IT NOW! $12 is the regular price. My Collection has now extended to five Volumes. But I bought the extra two Binders at the high price. Buying them one Binder at a time. This is just some free advice for anyone that is considering purchasing a Stamp Album/ Albums to house their collection in. Mystic also offers a premier set of Binders but they are considerably more and they use the same pages.

Thank you for this information! I am planning to buy the American Heirloom set, and I appreciate your advice about the extra binders.

I'm planning on buying the Heirloom hing-less pages but no binder. I use the Lighthouse binders & slipcases. Love that album. I also like the Harris pages too though but Heirloom I think is a nice layout for the bux.

The price point on these (hingeless or otherwise) is very appealing, but I also really like that the pages have write-ups about the stamps.

I've thought about the hingeless, but for now, since 99% of my stamps are used, I'm going to go with the regular pages.

I.L.S. the thing about the Heirloom vs the Harris is Heirloom uses the Scott Numbers. I have an old Harris and it's terrible because the whole stamp world revolves around Scott Numbers and Harris doesn't even number the stamps in their album. Their old albums used to number the stamps but they used somebody else's numbering system. Perhaps their own numbering system.

Zuzu I suppose if one totaled up the costs of buying the mounts separate. The Hingless might be a bargain. Another thing is I only use the mounts for Mint Stamps and I prefer the black Background. It makes the stamps jump out at you. The hingless Album uses the clear background. I use the glassine hinges for my used stamps.

Thanks for posting this TinMan. It is very timely for me. I have just ordered the Heirloom and am now (im)patiently awaiting delivery. I piad 39.95 instead of 38.95 but it did include a packet of stamps and hinges (cat#M8104). As for the extra binder for $12 I am very interested in get one or two. Do you have the catalog number? I cant seem to find int on their website. Many thanks!

Gavin

Agreed, the Mystic albums are the best bang for your buck. I've been thinking of getting them for the last 6-8 months just because they are so cheap, but I'm very anal when it comes to layout design as I'm a graphic designer and that alone made me not go that route. Instead I started to make my own custom pages where I'm going to incorporate some of the information Mystic provides on the stamps, but just make it much more pleasing to the eye and not break sets. (eg. have all the Columbians on 1 page)

There's also a good thread on here that reviews a number of other US stamp albums https://goscf.com/t/17127

CF

fimpster I think it is ES390 but you can call Mystic and order right over the phone with a Credit or Debt Card. 1-800-385-4919

TinMan, I also like the look of the black background. I've wondered briefly about using an archival-quality black paper cut to size as a sort-of matte with those clear mounts. I guess if I ever get to the point of considering a hingeless album, I'll ponder that some more.



IntegraC, apastuszak has been modifying some of the Mystic pages along those same lines, I believe: https://goscf.com/t/25883

I would be very Leary of using black paper. My first experience was I bought some stamps one time and the guy had used black photo paper for backing and the gum on the stamps absorbed, stuck to the black paper thus although the stamps were mint. They were indeed damaged on the back side. Mystic Mounts and Showguard mounts use plastic on the back as well as on the front and are safe. The stamps will not stick to them like paper. It could have been caused by Humidity. I don't know but photo paper is suppose to be Archive safe. Archival quality. Well it isn't! I have a few pieces of the black I have saved off mounts I had to cut the size down on to make the mounts look good. I am saving then just in case I ever need the backing. Although I was tempted a couple times to justthrow them away. I didn't. I know for sure I won't now.

Zuzu, I've seen the hacks however I don't collect modern US. My collection goes to 1980 but my main focus is pre 1940.

Thanks though. :-)

CF