New Member And New To Philately

I have just found my way to stamp collecting through sports cards and I have a very small collection. I purchased some stamp albums with stamps included in envelopes. I was wondering of it's better to leave the stamps in the envelopes or paste them into the books. I can post pictures if requested or necessary. Thanks for any and all advice! Stampminer

Suggestion.
Purchase a cheap stamp album, and mount your stamps using hinges.
Play around, make mistakes, then gradually come to prefer a certain country and carry on from there.
Read posts here regularly.

How to mount a stamp in an album
(Hinges $5 per 1000 )

I guess I should do an intro first. I'm from the beautiful state of Oregon, USA.I collect mostly USA stamps but have started collecting global stamps in a couple albums. I'm a noob at this but find it fascinating. I will post some pics to show what I have and need to fill. Thanks for adding me to your forum! Stampminer

Thanks, rod222, for the advice! And where can I purchase these stamp hinges? It seems there are no stamp collectors in my area.
Also, is there something I can do to remove a mildew odor from some stamps without damaging them?

ebay should have millions.
These are what you need PRINZ

Next step 1. Practice, practice practice hinging
LIGHTLY dab your hinge with the slightest of moisture

Take damaged stamps and practice, hinge the stamp
wait an hour then try and lift off
If the stamp lifts without damage you are on your way

If you rip paper, start again.

They may already be damaged.
Stamps need to be bone dry, or best as can be in your location.
If they are dry, and smell, you can try leaving in a shoebox with Mothballs
(not touching) for a week or so.

Mothball scent disappears over time

If they show signs of damage (brown spots = "foxing" ) then they need a soak in a WEAK solution of bleach (search this forum for details)
(few drops from an eye dropper in a flat dish of water, remove after 60 seconds and rinse in cold clean water

Welcome!

Dale

Maybe start by buying a decent 64-page stock-book to sort out your stamps, then decide what you want ti save and how you want to present them.

It is not clear from your post what stamps are in the envelopes. I would not always - personally, I would never - go for the hinges. If the stamps do not have gum that is not really an issue. If they are old and have full original gum without a trace of an earlier hinge, it might not be the best choice. Buying a stock book and finding out what you have would be a good starting point.

100% agree with NSK. I would not start with albums and hinges. I'd start with stock books to sort and hold, and as your knowledge collection grows and matures - then decide on how you want to store. Mounts are best for mint, but also work for used - mind you they can be expensive.I never liked stamp hinges though they work OK - especially if you have a "film" separation between stamp pages if you know what I mean. Go to Stamp Auction Network and see if you can find any auctions that might have mounts included - they are a very common auction item - as are albums. As the number of collectors is declining there's LOTS of supplies available for low cost. But here, shipping might cost you more than the supplies items you buy.

Welcome!!

Stampminer

There is never an off season for tamp collecting. Enjoy. Do not hesitate to keep asking questions. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to collect. Concentrate on what you enjoy most.

Welcome to our wonderful hobby of a lifetime. At the risk of sounding like an old man....... when I started out in 1971_____ I went with a high quality Lighthouse stock book, which kept me going for decades while I built my collection .

Agree with what others have said about stockbooks. I don't use anything else. There are many sorts. Search for them online. And any questions you have, this forum is the place for knowledgeable answers and advice.

Welcome to the SCF family!

Scott