Vario F And G Binder Features

Hello,
I am new to the forum but not to stamp collecting ... been at it on and off for about half a century. Back on now.

I have read many posts here while getting back up to speed and for all the wisdom dispensed I am grateful.

Questions I have now I have not been able to find on the forum and have had no luck with ebay vendors responding (benchez100 and mit_63). So I figured I wouldn't waste any more time on that and instead join this crowd and go to the what is obviously the source for all things stamps!

Questions I have are three:
- What is the ring release mechanism; pull apart, single lever, etc?
- What is the ring spacing on center; for example my Mystic pages are punched 4.25" on center?
- Do these binders have ball and socket style ring locking?

Many Thanks,
Jim Hemphill

Vario G:
D-ring
pull apart
4.25" ring spacing


Vario D:
C-ring
pull apart
4.25" ring spacing

They do not have ball and socket type of rings, but I've got dozens of both types of binders and I've yet to experience a single issue with the rings geting out of alignment. These binders are the best value for the money in the marketplace, in my opinion, and I highly recommend them.

Thanks Artful and dkab. This is the info I was looking for. Of the three Mystic albums I have, one has all three of the rings out of alignment. I can fix that inconvenience by swapping with another less used one (other two are perfect) because it's too much trouble to return the one less useful.

I subscribe to the viewpoint of others on the forum who put a lot of stock in the "look" of their albums. I am attracted to the Bindertek binders because of the ball and socket rings. But they are a little too utilitarian looking for a stamp collection (ie the printing inside the front cover.) Other makers premium albums are too pricey for me.

So I'll give the Vario binders a try ... if I don't like the first one I get I can always find some reason to start up another binder (and buy more stamps!)
Jim Hemphill

Mystic's standard binders are more or less the same as a typical Avery office binder you'd buy at Wal-Mart. They look good at first, but it's not too long before they start to warp, for the rings to shift, etc. I've got a couple Vario G's that are more overstuffed than I'd like to admit (I really need to split them), and even after a few years, there's no sign of the rings shifting or wanting to come loose from the binding. Vario F's are small enough that it would be difficult to overstuff them to the point where I'd worry about the rings.

I use Vario Gigant binders, which have a D ring mechanism and greater capacity. Solid, but page-turning is clunky.

I must have 20 Mystic green basic binders and a couple Deluxe. They are not ball and socket. I have only seen one issue with the rings. The biggest gripe is that the plastic on the spine puckers at the bottom. I would not pay list price for many of them. I got most off ebay and a member here.

I have some Avery heavy duty binders and while they look plain they have held up well.

I want slip cases for many binders so that is a variable. Again, I got used ones for my Mystic off ebay.

I have G binder and will try to post some pics tomorrow.

Vario-G's are the same way. The U-ring kind of necessitates an up-and-over style of page turning. You kind of get used to it and this actually isn't too bad when turning the pages forward. You can just put your hand in the middle of the page (assuming it's printed on one side) and push right up and over with minimal effort. You can't really do this when turning pages backward, however, as in that case you'd be putting your hands right over the stamps mounted on the pages, damaging them as a result. Turning pages backward is usually much clunkier as a result.

The you ring. That was the letter I was grasping for!

I have been told that the out-of-alignment occurs when people try to open/close the rings incorrectly. Instead of using the open/close mechanism on the ends (called boosters, those tabs at the top and bottom of the binder) they pry it open using one of the rings. I found I have less problems when I stopped doing that, but some binders do not have any boosters.
Don

Neither the Vario F or G binders have boosters.

Years ago when I got my copy of the Gossip reprint of John N. Luff's The Postage Stamps of the United States it arrived already three hole punched, so I tried putting all 320 pages in a binder. Had to take the binder mechanism apart and remove the bolsters so the 11 1/2" pages would lie flat. Since then, any time I needed to open the rings, I pulled the center one apart, no damage to the rings as yet, and it's been almost 20 years in that binder. And it's just an Avery binder.

The Mystic binders also do not have boosters.

All Mystic albums have two boosters to open/close the rings.

I do use the Classic for my Vario, resons been availability here in Canada ( cdn $$ price on the pic ) , they are 4 rings anc come with a slip case.for the F & G I have to shop in US and it cost too much shipping .

Not sure I did this right. Here are some pics of my Mystic Album. No boosters.