Beginining A New Classical Collection

Hi friends hope you all are doing well.I have now bought a couple of pre 1950s collections from ebay. They are on 2 Scott part 1s and 2 minkus supreme globals. 99.9% of the stamps are hinge mounted to the albums. I got myself the new Minkus supreme global albums 1840 -1952 and plan to mostly hinge mount the used/already hinged stamps and use clesr mounts for mint unhinged/lightly hinged stamps > 10 dollars catalogue value. I ordered some hawid clear mounts and a few pacckets of the original Fold O hinges.
I have a few stupid questions.
1. What methods do you guys use to unhinge the stamps from old albums?
2. Does the method use in # 1 change for 19th century stamps?
3. Once removed how do you mount 19th century and early 20th century stamps?
4. How best should I proceed in building up my collection?
5.Which brings me to my next question..4. Where do you source your classical stamps from?
( I am collecting on a budget -( )
regards
aragorn

Aragorn...Welcome! Glad to see a visitor from Middle Earth on the board! To remove the stamps from the pages, I'd recommend grasping the stamp with a good pair of tongs until the stamp comes loose from the page. Turn it over and gently tug on the hinge with the tongs to remove the hinge. Don't force it, however. It's better to leave a hinge remnant attached to the stamp rather than force it off and damage the stamp in the process. If the stamps are used and you really want to remove the hinge remnant, you can soak them off before remounting.

In terms of removing & remounting stamps, the age of the stamp isn't necessarily the determining factor. Some stamps are printed on thin and fragile paper and others on thicker, heavier paper and are a little more forgiving. When mounting my own stamps, I kind of make a judgment call on a stamp by stamp basis. I, too, use mostly hinges with clear mounts for MNH or high-value stamps. For low-cat items, I almost always hinge them, but if it's a stamp printed on really thin, fragile paper, I'll still use a mount even if it's a relatively cheaper stamp. I'll also use mounts on high-value used stamps, regardless of other factors just for the added protection. Hinged stamps sometimes come loose on their own, and I'd rather not take the chance of that happening on the higher cataloging items. Mixing clear mounts and hinges look fine in an album, in my opinion, which is why I use clear mounts.

In terms of 4&5, it really depends on what you want to collect. If there are certain countries or areas you want to focus on, there may be certain dealers who specialize in that area. For more expensive items, it's probably best to buy from a reputable dealer as there are some stamps that are heavily forged or faked. ebay is a great place to buy stamps but, particularly on expensive items, not all sellers always properly identify their stamps or disclose all faults. I wouldn't hesitate much to buy up common material there, though.

aragorn- congratulations on starting a classical era collection, and you are in for some fun. The Minkus Global Supreme 1840-1952 is a very fine choice.

I'm not an expert ( although I sometimes pretend I am one on my blog ), but here are some thoughts....




I use a stamp tong to remove hinges. Many come off easily, but there could be multiple hinges applied on classical era stamps. Do your best. But, not uncommonly, one will be left with hinge remnants that are difficult to remove. Either leave them or soak the stamp- your choice depending on one's level of obsessiveness. Soaking is another topic, but be aware that some classical stamps have aniline dies that will wash out in water ( Example-Dutch Indies 1930s Queen Wihelmina stamps, 1884 Great Britain issue).

Your choice of hinging most, and mounting the CV $10+ stamps sounds fine- just be aware that the Minkus does not provided much space in the stamp box for mounting stamps.




Everyone will have different answers.

* WW albums as feeder albums
* Country collections on album pages
* Local fellow stamp collectors and dealers- I've had luck with the local stamp club as a huge source.
* stamps shows/ bourse
* ebay etc- although I actually don't use this very much
* want lists
* APS stamp store
* APS circuits

I'm sure others will have more advice!

Good Luck!

Thanks much artfulhinger for the detailed explanation. It would be fun to read people's replies to how they do the little thngs like unhinging/hinging differently.
I guess I have to practice unhinging the more recent easily available stamps to get a feel for the process before even attempting to remove the pre 1900 ones...I am begining to really enjoy the pre 1950s issues.. they are such lovely little pieces of art :-)
It scares me a little that I might damage them during my clumsy efforts at getting them a new home.

Jkblue your blog is principally responsible along with a couple of others to get me into the classical period stamp collecting :-). It does annoy me that there is so little room in the minkuses but I decided to go with the larger coverage and smaller footprint compared to the Scotts. The other bonus is the thick paper which looks like it should hold up to the weight of mounts.I split up the 2 volumes into 3 and put in glassine interleaves. Only time will tell how that works out.
I live in Sioux falls, South dakota and do not have access to any local stamp clubs/fellow collectors :-(

I always try to remove the hinge from the album page along with the stamp. I do this by grasping the stamp (and hinge) with tongs and pull downward (providing the hinge is in the proper orientation). That way the hinge sort of "rolls" off the page. Hopefully it comes off cleanly, but sometimes the hinge tears at the fold which is fine. I do not try to pull it up off the album page. That risks damaging the stamp or the page or both. Once the stamp with hinge is off the page I'll either soak or carefully peel the hinge in the same manner; stamp flat on a hard surface, pull down on the hinge remnant. The hinge will either roll off or tear at the fold. In many really old collections the stamps are partially on piece, use mucilage glue or selvage "hinges" and really benefit from a soak anyway.

Has anyone used "stamp lift" on original gum stamps or those stuck to pages?

aragorn, with the Supreme Globals, you have chosen a fine album in which to house your collection. If you haven't already, I'd suggest spending some of your hard earned money on a set of the Minkus worldwide catalogs. I seem to remember it took me some months to find ones on ebay that were reasonably priced.

As has been said, I recommend trying to buy other Minkus or Scott worldwide albums during the early stages of building a collection. The cost per stamp just can't be beat, assuming the volume hasn't been picked over. For individual dealers who have good selections of low priced worldwide, I have had good luck with Stamps2Go and KAP Stamps.

Another method for removing hinges, albeit a labor-intensive one, is the use of warm water applied with an artist's brush directly to the back of the hinge where it is adhered to the stamp. I'll mostly use this method when dealing with mounted mint stamps (that one wouldn't want to soak), but also with more valuable used stamps. Its too risky, imo, to hope for a peelable hinge only to end up with a thinned stamp. Once the warm water is carefully applied, let it rest for 5-minutes or so and then see if the hinge can be gently lifted off using tongs. If there's any resistance, repeat the procedure. Obviously, the stamp would need to be laying face down on a clean surface for this process. I haven't used it for getting hinges off of album pages (and probably wouldn't try it as wrinkling of the paper would likely be an unintended consequence).

Jim
I did get the new worldwide postage stamp catalogue from Minkus (Vol 1 and 2; 1958 edition) from abe books for 20 dollars. Its in fairly good condition.
I also got a 2005 edition of scott classic specialized catalgue from an ebay seller for 18 dollars :)

Docfg and southpaw
I am having a hard time peeling hinges off the stamps. Even if I am extremely careful the process leaves the tiniest thin if I look carefully. I am wondering if the best way to do this is to to leave a small hinge remnant be and place another hinge on it.

Another stupid question. Why won't you soak a mint stamp? Does soaking disturb the original gum? What is the difference between soaking in warm or hot water?

As regards remounting the stamps isn/t it better to attach the hinge to the album first and make sure its dry before attaching the stamp on top or vice versa. Sorry to sound stupid but I am trying to understand the nuts and bolts of the process.
best
aragorn

Always good to see another Classic collector. Good advice above.


-IBFS

Even a tiny thin will negatively affect the value of a stamp, which is why the artist's brush method is so useful.
Leaving a hinge remnant on a stamp is commonly done, but there is a drawback, especially on the more valuable items. Hinge remnants are known to have been used by less than honest folks to hide an already existing thin, so the ideal situation is to have any remnants removed so the back of a stamp can be clearly viewed.
Yes, soaking a mint stamp will dissolve all the existing gum away, which will transform a mint stamp into an 'un-used' one of lesser value. Warm water (as opposed to cold) merely speeds up the soaking or paint-brush process. One additional caveat with soaking, particularly with classic era stamps: some stamps were printed with what is called 'fugitive ink,' which means the printed design will wash away right along with the hinge remnant you are trying to remove. Although not common, its best to check your catalogue to see if any stamps you are planning to soak were printed with fugitive ink to avert disappointment (and again, the artist's brush method avoids this).
This hobby is a life-long learning experience so there are never any dumb questions, especially in places such as this message board where there is always plenty of help and advice available.

Oops....forgot one:
"As regards remounting the stamps isn/t it better to attach the hinge to the album first and make sure its dry before attaching the stamp on top or vice versa."

I suppose that method could work, but I think you might have less control doing it this way (you only have one shot at getting the stamp where you want it.....sliding it around on a moistened hinge to juggle it into the right position would disturb the gum in the process. Remember, you want to have the hinge applied to the stamp very near the top so once its in an album, it can be easily flipped up to view the back. For more control, I believe its best to apply the hinge to the stamp first, and then use your tongs to position the stamp correctly into its intended place. Also, just moisten the bottom of the hinge that will be adhered to the album page. This allows for more 'flipability' and with less moisture, there is less likely to be any transfer to the gum which will leave you with a stamp stuck onto the album page (and they'll be easier to remove if you ever have the need). Its a trial and error kind of thing....start with some cheapies or damaged stamps and use a plain piece of paper to practice. Once you get the feel for it, it will become second nature.

I do not even try to peel most hinges off. Apart from the "green Dennisons" most hinges are not truly peelable. Period. Most of those thousands of stamps in your feeder albums are hinged with non-peelable hinges. It's a sad fact of life. So trying to peel them off, in my view, is asking for trouble.

I slide a knife or stamp tongs between stamp and the two hinge flaps and cut the hinge at the fold. I now have a stamp with a half-hinge but I've avoided any danger of damaging the stamp by pulling it and its hinge from the album page.

Once in a while an old non-peelable hinge is only lightly attached to a used stamp and I can pop it off. But if it doesn't "pop," I'll leave it for soaking. Too often I have nudged a hinge 3/4 of the way off a used stamp only to push just a tad too hard on the last portion and end up with a thin. It's not worth the risk, even if the hinge seems to be fairly peelable. And hinges on gummed stamps almost never pop off because the gum from the hinge and the gum from the stamp itself have merged. Yes, the good green Dennisons, if they were very, very lightly moistened, might pop off a mint gummed stamp. (The moistening has to be so light, in such cases, that those stamps may actually fall off the page, loosened from their stamp, by themselves.)

If the stamp is used and not aniline or fugitive ink or otherwise fragile or vulnerable, I soak the hinge off.

If it has gum, I leave the hinge remnant as is. The choice between that and soaking the hinge and gum off is a matter of taste, shall we say.

As far as mounting with new hinges is concerned, it doesn't really matter--you already have the key point: you want to avoid any stray moisture outside the hinge area itself. Either put the hinge on the page first and be sure it's dry or at least free of all trace of moisture around it or on the top of the flap that's on the page
or
attach it, lightly moistened, to the stamp and then to the page, but again, be sure there's no stray moisture. The key either way is avoiding stray moisture. I always found (before I switched totally to mounts), that it helps to lick the very tip of my finger and then touch that lightly to the hinge rather that licking the hinge with my tongue. My fingertip is visible to me and I can control it more precisely. Tongue-tips are clumsier, at least in my experience. Moistening pads, imho, are clumsy too. Whatever alternative to a fingertip one uses, it has to be small and precise.

Of course the same caution against clumsy moistening applies to mounts. Lick/moisten only the top edge of the mount, don't even get close to the split in the mount with your tongue or fingertip or whatever (if using split mounts--this is one reasons some people avoid split mounts).

Good morning all
Thanks much Hieronymous and docfg. These helpful posts have been real eye openers and educational for a newbie like me.
I brake for stamps : thank you for the welcome[:)
It now feels like I am siting in a room learning from all you folks !

My next set of questions...

1.Does anybody have any comments about this stamplift that southpaw posted? From a quick internet search it looks like that a stamplift or a large sweat box along with a showguard magic drying book can be a very useful tool to efficiently remove and prep stamps for remounting.Any comments?

2. How do you know what to pay when you are buying the more common inexpensive stamps from various sources? What is your criteria? Where do you draw the line when negotiating? CV does not seem to be the way the real market operates for the cheapies.Jim mentioned "cost per stamp" earlier. What is a reasonable cost per stamp when buying collections?

3. Looks like ebay is not the way to go. How do I get access to reputable and fair dealers who would be willing to cater to budget collectors like me?

4.Are there specialized groups of classical period collectors who exchanges stamps?

5. What books /articles do I read to educate myself on the classical period collecting?

aragorn, I kept a spreadsheet for several years of Scott International Volume One collections on the market where at least the approximate number of stamps was known, and most of these averaged out to 3 to 8 cents a stamp with the price rising proportional to the number of stamps in the album. So at that time (2010ish), I might expect to pay at least $600 for an album with 10 thousand different 1840-1940 stamps. I think this figure is trending higher. By way of example, Regency Superior Auctions just sold in the past week a "WORLDWIDE 1850s-1930s BULGING JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL" with 10K plus mint and used stamps for $1,000, estimate $500-700. My impression is that larger collections now range between 10 and 50 cents per stamp (the latter being for an almost complete example sold in early 2013 by Harmer-Schau).

As to buying individual inexpensive stamps, I don't have a problem paying full or near full catalog for a stamp I need at 50 cents or under, as I understand that minimum catalog value stamps are something of a losing proposition for dealers. As the value rises, then I rapidly head towards expecting discounts of 1/2 to 2/3's catalog. The two sources I mentioned in a previous message largely meet these criteria.

I would hate to cut myself off from sources like ebay and Delcampe. I just acquired a complete set of Belgian 1923 railway stamps that I was missing most of in my album. I couldn't get these from my normal sources, but there were several sets around 10 Euros each on Delcampe.

aragorn, I have a brief list of resources on my blogsite:

http://globalstamps.blogspot.com/20...40-1940.html

(If you find anything you think should be on there, let me know.)

For a general overview, though, I don't see how you can do better than jkjblue's blog which I know you are already familiar with.

Thanks bob that was very helpful and gives me a reference for stamp prices. I am going to slowly look through the list of litearture you supplied. Yes I am well versed with your and jim's blog.
aragorn