Anchor Stock Pages - Any Good?

Lighthouse stock-pages are made in Germany.

All valid points with things to consider - thank you!

re: Anchor Pages

What is needed now is some scientific testing, which I could try to do but I lack the burner or welding torch or copper wire to do a burn test for PVC.

A visual examination reveals the plastic material feel is almost the same as Vario pages. There is no PVC texture or smell (shower curtain smell). The only real difference to me is that the Anchor pages are a bit lighter in weight.

I have had items in Anchor pages for several years with no ill effect.

Any volunteers to ruin some pages for a burn test?

John

Let's not forget what "Country of Origin" means:

It means the product is made in the country specified. It does not say where the original material came from.

So if the plastic sheets say "Country of Origin: Japan", I'd guess the sheets were pressed and packed in Japan - with base material imported from China where polymer is much, much cheaper than if it were made in Japan itself.

The product literature clearly states "Made in Japan."

Of course, some of the components could be obtained elsewhere...

Just like with anything else!

What we need in this thread are facts and not Anchor-bashing for the sport of it.

Are Vario's 100% sourced from Germany? How about Hagner's? The others? How would you know? My personal preference has always been Vario Plus pages, because of the weight and thickness, but wow - those things are pricey... The last two or three orders of regular Vario's I've had were defective...

As a collector, I want to know if the product is safe for my stamps. I'm sure that there are strange little brands out there that are PVC or other problem plastics, but I do not believe Anchor pages are problem ones.

The only way to know for sure is to do some testing on them. And the other brands as well...

John

As for where something is made as it appears on country of origin label, the rule is that it is the last location of "substantial transformation". For products like these, it would be where the finished sheet material is cut and welded together to create the stock page. The raw materials and then the unassembled film (sheets of plastic) could be from any country and that applies to "Anchor" or "Lighthouse". I suspect it would need to be fairly close due to size and weight since shipping cost is a big factor.

A few thoughts about the standard Vario sheets from my own experience ...

1) The clear surfaces are easily scuffed simply by rubbing each other when turning pages. I am constantly adding to/from my stock books and have noticed what looks like greasy smudges that can't be cleaned.

2) The older the pages, the looser the pockets, which leads to stamps moving around inside them. I find this especially irritating!

3) The plastic around the binder holes sometimes catches on other pages as you turn them, causing the plastic to separate and/or tear. This can usually be remedied by trimming the excess plastic in areas around the holes.


I am now buying Vario Plus sheets exclusively, which are much stiffer and don't allow stamps to move around. I do not yet know if they scuff as easily as the standard pages.

Brian

Thank you all for the valuable inputs. I went ahead and ended up ordering about 80% Varion and 20% Anchor pages.

Normally I wait to see what quality a new product has before buying it. I wouldn't buy or use a brand new brand of car, and for my valuable lifelong stamp collection I would never use a brand new, untested brand of stock sheets.

It's also well known by now that Chinese sellers play fast and loose with many things in order to sell in the West. Despite the "Made in Japan" claim, I have my doubts. Japan does not make the cheap stuff they were once famous for decades age, for one thing. There is also not going to be an explanation of who actually physically made the product in the way American manufacturers sometime do with photos of their assembly lines or "craftsmen" making their products. In China, we know that in some (perhaps many) cases products are made by child and/or slave labor, notably by imprisoned Uyghurs mentioned earlier. For that reason along, I am always wary of Chinese products and try not to buy them. I don't want any part of that. You may not care.

I'm especially wary of products undercutting the standard price of competing products with no explanation of how that little miracle was accomplished. And I'm wary of products made in simple processes which this kind of labor can perform like simple plastic forming, basic sewing, and other simple manufacturing processes the Chinese rely on child or slave labor to do. Stamp stock books and stock sheets are these kinds of simple products.

I've also encountered more than a few "Made in" claims which were not true. This is particularly common with Chinese-made products.

Also what exactly does "made in" mean? Were the materials literally made there? Or were the materials shipped from somewhere else and assembled there? Or made in China and assembled or packaged somewhere else? I'm not sure. This has often been done with cars. Manufacturers ship kits of auto parts to some place where they are put together and then claims they are "made in" that country when, in fact, all the parts were made in other countries It's only the simpler bolting-together of the car by hand or machines that is done in the claimed country. That doesn't meet my definition of "Made in" but it may meet yours.

The information on these stock sheets which says "Made in Japan" is in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Certainly these sheets are intended to be sold in the West which explains the English description, but why Chinese -- if they are made in Japan? It doesn't prove anything, but again knowing Chinese business practices it makes me a little uncomfortable. Put another way, I've bought thousands of well-made products that were "Made in Japan" and I don't remember many (or any) of them being labeled in Chinese. Why would they be?

Of course, this does not prove these stock sheets are made in China. They just appear likely to have been made in China -- to me, anyway. In the watch industry, watches labeled "Made in Japan" have often been made in China, so it's not a wild surmise to wonder about this. Maybe that's what sets off my alarm bells. Seeing what seems to be Chinese labeled "Made in Japan" is a pretty common tactic in my experience.

Why so suspicious about this? Because my lifetime stamp collection worth thousands of dollars deserves the highest quality storage I can afford, that's why!

I know Vario stock pages are reliable -- or they have been for me. I've used them for decades. And I know they are Made in Germany which is a quality place to manufacture many products especially compared to the frequent junk coming out of China. I have never had any problem with Vario. Since this is my lifetime collection of stamps, why in the world would I risk storing my stamps on stock sheets I don't know are of the highest quality? Just to save a few bucks? As a kid, I once hinged stamps with scotch tape which was supposed to be safe. It wasn't. I used Crystal Mounts for a few years. Big mistake. Hence my reluctance to try any new stamp product not tested for a long time.

So I'll wait -- years -- to see if products like Anchor stock pages are as good as some of you claim they are. In short, feel free to be my guinea pigs for the next few years! Just please report back here whether or not your stamps were damaged, if you don't mind.

I have bought and used Anchor stock pages. I have found them perfect for my needs. I would recommend them to anyone looking to purchase stock pages for you stamps.

DrewM, I answered the question in my post.

For the country of origin label, it is the last location of substantial transformation. One of my tasks as a project manager before I retired was working with the export/import group to classify products including dealing technological aspects and ensuring the country of origin labels were correct. I would get calls from the team at times when questions came in while clearing customs.

The challenge I see is the bias against China in all aspects clouds the actual merits of the products.

The challenge I see is the bias against China in all aspects clouds the actual merits of the products.



Hmmmm, why would their be cynicism when it comes to China. Let me think.

I also noticed that the quality of Vario sheets from Leuchtturm (Lighthouse) went downhill a few years ago when almost all sheets I purchased either directly from Lighthouse, or from some very reputable dealers on ebay were all curled at the edges. While looking for alternatives, I stumbled upon Anchor sheets and was not disappointed. Eventually, I completely switched to Anchor sheets and I am not looking back! I might complement these sheets with significantly more expensive but sturdier Vario Plus sheets to house more expensive stamps, especially blocks.