H.e. Harris Crystal Mounts

Don, that is awesome!!!

Let's not get too serious about ourselves here. We are a bunch of grumpy old stamp collectors arranging colored bits of paper on other pieces of paper.

Some properly, some with Crystal Mounts.

Crystal Mounts: Or,... "How to Kill Your Stamps In One Easy Lesson!"

Thread bumped, Dormant 1 year

It appears, no testing was ever done
"Its shrinkage is so slight as to be entirely negligible"

Stamps of the United States
H.E Harris Second edition 1955

Can't help but wonder someday when someone opens a vault of those "valuable documents" and they are all squished inside. Oops!

Crystal mounts are dead technology that's harmful to stamps. Something in the plastic used in these mounts tends to glaze (or melt) the gum of stamps, turning gum into some kind of shiny mess. The mounts also leave small brown marks on the sides of stamps. I shudder to think how many nice stamps were eventually ruined by Crystal Mounts.

Crystal Mounts. Scotch Tape. Self Stick photo albums.
Not far behind: Long term old manila stock pages

All things that a stamp or cover should never see.
Pat

2024 bump
I ain't scared of 70 year old Crystal Mounts, or the damage I have seen which is really only mint glue in certain countries (US/France-ewww). Most of my WW typically used and low value stamps hardly show any effect. This is my hobby and my family heirloom, and I can't change what it is, besides I love the clarity of the crystal mounts compared to what's available now. Shiny Stamps!

The whole collection was bagged up and kept in a hot southern attic which was probably, very likely, the source of problems. I liken the situation to a sticky bum on a vinyl car seat.

I'm trying to make clean acid free copies of the old pages and transfer the mounts with archival adhesive, because the mount gum yellows and warps the pages. If I think it's necessary, I dab some "Bookkeepers" deacidification spray in the mount or on the gum, just to leave a miniscule later of protection, essentially powdering the stamp's bottom.

Heat ... Acid paper ... Saliva ... Humidity .... Fish (?) glue ... Over half a century .... I'm just lucky to be here and having a blast. javascript:insertsmilie('')

To each their own! However, I disagree that they only affect certain countries. I spent the last half year removing all of my dad's worldwide collection from Crystal Mounts and it didn't matter which country or whether used or MNH, 80% were damaged with the yellowing gum attacking the back of the stamps or the Crystal Mount shrinkage permanently deforming mint stamps. Used stamps could be partially saved through a hot water bath (not ideal). The rest went into a trash bin. Considering my dad's catalog value of his collection, this was a massive loss.

Why anyone would try and spend more money to save these inferior mounts is beyond me.

Then enjoy yourself, especially if you never plan to sell the material in your lifetime.

Crystal mounts uggh. I would not advise this. Throw them away. They will ruin your stamps in the long run. I have seen so many collections destroyed by them. Crystal mounts are the worst. Crystal mounts destroy your stamps. Hinges are better by a mile.

Crystal mounts must die! Horrors. Nightmares.

To put the Crystal Mount damage into monetary perspective, here is my father's collection story. In the mid 1970s the Scott catalog value of his East & West Germany, Canada and British Africa collection was around $23,000. By the late 1970s the Crystal Mount damage was very evident and in hindsight the stamps should have all been removed from the Crystal Mounts in order to salvage a large amount. However, this was not done and by the time I inherited the collection the damage was severe. I brought the collection to an auction house in the 1990s who looked at it and agreed that it was an extensive collection that would have brought several thousands of dollars in an auction if it hadn't been for the Crystal Mount damage. In their opinion I would be lucky to get $200-300 for the entire collection in its damaged state. So as per my previous posts I salvaged what I could and threw out the rest. An expensive experience with a horrible product. So I certainly hope Pattt changes his mind.

Have never seen a Crystal Mount—thank goodness. I started using Showguard mounts in the mid-1970s, and those mounts have held up perfectly for 50 years. They've maintained their clarity and have caused no damage to the stamps. I have many packages of the mounts left from that era and still use them today. So three cheers for good old Showguards,

[quote][ If I think it's necessary, I dab some "Bookkeepers" deacidification spray in the mount or on the gum, just to leave a miniscule later of protection, essentially powdering the stamp's bottom./quote]

This HAS to be an exercise in trolling ! No collector, as a temporary curator of stamps could possibly be serious about risking all with their collection in this manner and be so unbelievably trite about it. In keeping with the grammatical flavor Pattt uses in his or her posts: sorry, but I simply ain't buying it !

Docgfd, I don't think anything I am doing will have a negative effect. I did a little research before I started doing the deacidification-

Bookkeepers is used by museums that do archival paper conservation. It is sold as " ... suitable to use on bound and unbound documents, printed and handwritten materials, newsprint, books, letters and envelopes, postage stamps, maps, prints, etc. Treated materials have been tested and compared with untreated control samples in independent tests conducted by the Library of Congress, the Institute of Paper Science & Technology (Atlanta), the Image Permanence Institute (Rochester), and others. "

The Bookkeepers microscopic alkaline buffer seems to help add a kind of invisible protective layer between the stamp (especially the gum) and the mount that I think might help prevent gum from reacting/glazing etc. Oh, and I don't live under a bridge ... and MY hobby, MY rules. I certainly hope you have better solutions, I wouldn't wish my woes upon you. May your hinges be green and peelable. Peace.