I was typing an answer and my IE died off. Now on firefox, so let's try again :)
Seems we keep reading the same topic threads!
1) sizes? Well, for the 1st hundred years or so, up to the mid-70's, there were pretty much basic sizes for definitives (small squares) and commemoratives (rectangles, either horizontal or vertical). Since then, there have been a myriad of different sizes, so as of now, there's no real 'normal' size anymore, especially since the Post Office uses so many different printers. A US Stamp Guide like the one mentioned in the other thread would discuss the sizes, and Showgard Mounts, on their website, has free sizeguides for every US issue that can be downloaded (of course, they do this to hopefully sell you the mounts they trade in, but still very handy)..
Which takes us to the next question.. An album with clear pockets or strips to mount stamps in is a 'Hingeless Album'. Even as slim as the stamp market is now, there are still a few companies making these. Most, such as Palo, make a very nice album, but it also sells for many multiples of thousands for a complete set. One that is getting a lot of popular buzz on this site is Mystic Stamps Premium Hingeless American Heirloom album. Right off the bat, a couple things to know about Mystic Stamps:
a) They are INSANELY expensive where stamps are concerned, and stamp quality is often very questionable at the same time. Beware, Beware, Beware..
b) On the other hand, their US Heirloom albums are a GREAT deal. Their hingeless album sells in a few volumes (the pages, with the mounts already on, are thick), but each volume sells just under $100. Their album that isn't hingeless sells for a lot less.
You'll find a lot of folks here that have one or the other - early copies of the Hingelss album were very spotty, but those early problems seem to have been ironed out. I've also read that Mystic is very quick to replace faulty items (though early on, I read the replacements were just as faulty as the originals!). There's a great thread on here that discusses all the US albums, but if you are set on a hingeless album, read the reviews of Mystic's, and see if the way others describe it sound good to you.
As for supplies - you'll find as many recommendations as there are users on this site. A great place to see what's out there is Subway Stamp Supply, as they seem to carry just about everything. There are many places online that sell the same items, some cheaper, some more expensive. Again, I know there's a great thread on here regarding supplies that have many great recommendations. I've used Subway myself, as my US collection is housed in Scott National Albums, and Subway sells their own version of the Scott Albums and slipcases much cheaper than Scott does. But since you likely won't be looking at a Scott US album (I dont' believe they even supplement their hingeless US anymore, but I could be mistaken - but it's much more expensive than Mystics), that wouldn't mean a lot to you.
There's lots of info on the threads here, feel free to dig around. I just gave my opinions, from what I know first hand and what I've read over the past few weeks here on this great site, so let's see what other's have to say! |
Posted 09/30/2013 7:13 pm
