Cover Mounts

What mounts do you recommend for covers? I know they come in all different sizes, but is there a brand/ generic size you all can recommend?

I use Lighthouse 2S and put them in their own binder, by year.

Thanks

Herma transparol photo corners. They're big & brilliant. They're also expensive. But if you've got serious covers these are it. They might be overkill for modest covers though.

YeaPolska, those sound really interesting. I see 3 different order numbers based on size. Which size ( order number) do you recommend?

For the more common covers, I use common photo corners as well. I've tried multiple brands and they all do the job - Elmers, Scotch, Pioneer and others. They can be found in any scrapbooking section of a store and are rather inexpensive. Make sure you get the acid free ones.

For the more expensive covers, I use full mounts. Showgard makes a mount that fit #6 3/4 sized envelopes. Other sized covers you will need to find the mount stips that meet you needs and cut them down to size.

I use the ones which are 37mm wide

sdtom's cryptic comment refers, I believe, to Lighthouse plastic stockpages. Many collectors refer to them as Vario stockpages, but that's actually a reference to one of three sizes of Lighthouse stockpages.

http://designerstampandcoin.com/ind...p?cPath=2_14

(This company also sells on ebay under the name Mit___ something). What I've linked to are their Vario size (standard 8 1/2 by 11 inches). The Grande size is larger.

A two-row page will hold 2 average-size covers. For larger items a 1-row would be needed. The clear ones permit the back side of the cover to be seen, which is not true with photo mounts or Showguard mounts. The other problem with Showguard mounts is that covers are heavy and the split back large mounts will sometimes swing open as you turn pages, with the cover falling out.

But Lighthouse also makes black-backed pages which only show the front of the cover but have the advantage that they are two sided. Thus one black two-row page will hold 4 covers with only the fronts visible. For classic era covers, the back-stamps and wax seals and other postal history information requires both sides being visible, hence the clear Lighthouse stockpages are better. But for many modern covers, the double-sided black Lighthouse stockpages are fine (and cheaper, for a large collection).


Subway Stamp Shop sells G & K Centurion knock-offs of the same clear and black stockpages. And I'm sure there are other variations out there.

I started by using the large Showguard mounts but have now shifted almost entirely to clear Vario stockpages.

The pages at least for me over the last 30 or so years have worked well and seem to be archival. There are other sizes up to 7S (strips).

I tend to use Lighthouse Grande 2-sided sheets, as described by Hieronymus, for postcards. For my covers, most of which are of little value, I use cheaper variants, such as these. Presumably there are similar, lightweight pages available in the US.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250-First...em27b7d2f1da

Geoff

I mount my covers on 65lb Card stock, with opposing photo corners and put them in page protectors, all archival, two cover per page, I can put two pages in the protectors, but don't. I prefer to print an old photo of the town on the back of a page, so that when I open the album to Little River or Cuffey's Cove covers, the opposing page shows me the town. This give me plenty of space for any write-up I may need.

Thanks everyone! I think I will go with the lighthouse grande clear

I do the same as littleriverphil. The clear photo corners are archival as well, so won't harm the covers. And he's write, lots of room for a writeup.
Here's a page I just completed for a cover recently purchased on my trip to Chicago.

I would echo sdtom's preference of the Lighthouse Vario pages. For oversize covers, I use size S1 (full page opening). The Vario pages are relatively well made and last a long time. I use 3 ring binders for various areas of my cover collections.

Recommendation: Don't try to put more than 1 or 2 covers in a space - you can split the plastic. I speak from experience.

Two good sources for these are "benchez100" on ebay, and Global Stamps, which you can find on the internet. Global Stamps is also a great source for Scottmounts.

While I agree the photo corners are archival, I've seen far too many covers which have perfectly preserved corners while the cover itself has been degraded. I suppose if you have a well controlled environment where there's no chance of any type of airborne particulates adhering to one of the covers, the corners are fine. Personally, I use the Showgard mounts and keep them in a 64 page stockbook until I have enough material to mount for a particular issue. I guess, though, its a matter of personal preference.

Here's an example of one of the covers and mounts I was referring to. I've also provided a second example which shows the cover mounted on a page, which is then kept in a document protector in a three ring binder with a slipcase.