To Hinge Or Not To Hinge That Is The Question

I know you can hinge used stamps. I think. But can you hinge post office cancelled stamps that still have their gum? Is it okay to hinge a stamp that is mint but has already been hinged? MNH I know not to hinge. But what are the opinions? Thanks.

You would be talking about cancel-to-order or favor-cancel stamps. Most of the time, they have already taken a hit on value, but there are a few exceptions.

What type of material are you wondering about?

1840-1940 Mount ( it's more easy if I want replace the stamp with a better one or if the stamp is old and the paper thin )
1940 + Hinges unless it's a MNH , CTO are not mint and they have no value , so hinges

In terms of hinging a mint, previously hinged stamp, I do it frequently, but it depends somewhat on its value. I'm not necessarily worried about reducing the value further by hinging again, but I'll sometimes use mounts just for the added protection they offer over hinges. I'll sometimes use hinges on cheap, common NH material as well. It makes no sense to me to spend as much on the mount as on the stamp.

Apropos of the original post, not all CTO is worthless junk. We have to know what the OP is asking about before concluding that it has limited value.

Some used stamps are valued in Scott's as CTO, with significant value.

I stand correct with my to no value in probably 99.99% of all the CTO, if not more , The OP ask a general question from what I can see, nothing specific. Beside I expose what I do, you have many options, I don't know with other , but I usually listen different options and I do my own choice after.

Yes ,you can hinge most stamps after 1950 without changing the value. At most stamp shows there are still MNH zombies walking around . MNH only counts when a dealer is selling ,but when they are buying it means nothing extra .

I hinge all of my collection. Because I collect world wide and the majority of my stamps are used. I have some stamp buddies that use nothing but stamp mounts, so I guess it all depends on budget and personal preference.

Dianne

Since I use Vario pages I don't hinge. Older hinged stamps have potentially had a rough life in earlier collections, why add to their suffering with another layer of hinging. (/sarcasm)

You can hinge anything, just do it properly, which means lightly enough to avoid damaging stamp or album. Personally, I hinge used and mint stamps in my pre-1936 collection. If they're UMM, I use a mount. I also use a mount for other mint over a certain CV - roughly £20. Most earlier mint stamps will have taken a battering- your hinge won't finish the majority of them off!

Pristine gum is more important to some than to others. As I understand it, MNH stamps are revered in parts of Europe (esp Germany) and to some extent, in the US. CTO's are also widely popular in parts of Europe whereas in the US they tend to be frowned upon. Obviously everyone has an opinion, as do I :) so if it were me, I would use mounts on CTO's that hadn't been hinged before if for no other reason, it keeps the stamps as close to 'original equipment' as possible, potential value aside.
Disclosure: Some of my collections are specifically limited to MNH stamps, so according to an earlier post, I'm a zombie.

Floortrader, I have collected only MNH stamps since the late 1980's and would offer the counterpoint that in my personal experience, one not only pays more for MNH but will receive more when selling as well. This is true not only at stamp shows, but on ebay, auctions, and any other venue with which I have experience. The exception may be for an inexperienced collector who is selling and doesn't know better.

This difference is very pronounced for Br. Commonwealth material issued after 1950, and for all other areas I have collected (mainly Western Europe, Colonies, and Asia). Many of the more knowledgeable sellers won't even buy hinged Commonwealth material after 1960 unless they have to, to get better items in a collection.

Perhaps there is a geographic difference that might explain our varied experiences.

German collectors are almost pathological about MNH ("postfrisch") stamps to the point where they almost consider a hinge mark to be a form of damage. A hinge mark on the back of a modern mint German stamp will confine it to the penny bin. However, this is the same philatelic culture in which experts apply permanent markings to the backs of stamps, which usually enhances their value. Go figure. I'm in the process of building a DDR collection which I'm buying in MNH year sets. Most later years cost around $10 for the set and have somewhere around 100 stamps and usually about 3-6 souvenir sheets. I go ahead and hinge them. It would probably cost another $10 for mounts to keep them in NH condition. I'm not going to spend $10 in mounts just so I might get $10 out of them at some future date instead of $2.

I don't make it a point to collect MNH, but I understand the allure. Everything else being equal, a stamp with pristine, undisturbed gum is preferable to one with a hinge mark. I just personally won't pay a premium, or much of one, for NH when I'm never going to look at the back again after its mounted. Heck, there are undoubtedly some stamps in the dozens of albums I have where I may well never look at the front again.

If you do decide to hinge, you might want to ask yourself this question...... Will I want to remove this stamp down the road sometime and put in a newer/better album? If your answer is yes, then I would urge you to use the best peelable hinge you can get.

In my 1947 Scotts International Part 1, I used mostly Dennison hinges (very pricey today) and some "fold o Hinge" and Supersafe. Now I'm removing them and installing in a new edition of Part 1. If I had used hinges that would not (almost always) peel off, I would have a ton of soaking and drying ahead of me.

For what its worth..........

re.




There are still zombies who believe that most of the world's collectors still hinge stamps and that it doesn't make any difference. It may not make any difference to them but it does to the majority of newer collectors,

Pagoda