Selvage, Tab, Label - What Is The Difference?

Hi
Are selvage, tab, label synonym or is there a difference?
I assume that label is used also for the white paper connecting tête-bêche and the like together.

Never had much luck with getting philatelists on the same nomenclature page...but in my opinion
selvage - gutter or margin paper without any inscription (but acknowledge some collectors use synonymously with tab/label)
tab - gutter or margin paper with inscription(s)
label - gutter or margin paper with inscription(s)
Don

Thanks
Even if it's not "an official" definition, it's a good base to use.
So an Israeli stamp with two thingies will be the stamp, then the tab, and at the bottom - the selvage.

When reading descriptions of stamps from Israel one can stumble upon the describtion:

1) Stamp with tab: Stamp and margin with text or symbol.

2) Stamp with full tab: Stamp with margin with text and symbol and selvage.

This for instance is a very normal description you can find in the Netherlands.

I think we all know that a universal description list that can and would be used all around the world is philatelistic wet dream.

If it helps - the bottom is always unperforated, so if you come across an Israeli stamp that its tab is perforated in all four sides - it's probably missing its selvage.
Now you added another term, margin, which I understand can be either tab or selvage.
As for "a universal description list" - right now I'll do with an English list to have a common ground with the rest of SCF members.

Here's my go at it:

Margin paper: that part of a sheet not printed with the primary stamp design; it may be blank, or may have non-fiscally or postally valid printing of some kind. May be best described as the paper "border" around a undisturbed block, pane, or sheet of stamps, though it can be found between rows or columns of stamps (usually then called a "gutter").

Tab or label or coupon: that part of margin paper immediately adjacent to the primary design, printed with a pattern or other device complementary to the fiscally or postally-valid stamp.

Selvage: that part of margin paper without any printing at all, or with printing related to the production of the stamp (i.e., plate block number, name of issue, or issuing authority).

The terminology when talking about Israel stamps is quite important and specific. Selvedge, or selvage is the plain 'margin' under the decorative Tab, under the bottom row of stamps. Many Israel issues up to the Mid/Late sixties had a selvedge under the Tab and is commonly known as a stamp with 'Full Tab'. A stamp without selvedge but with Tab is known as a stamp with 'part or half tab'. Everything else that borders the stamp is called the margins.

That's what I use, (except I prefer spelling "Selvedge")
Necessary for me, as
Tab
Label
Gutter
Tete bech
Interpanneau Gutter
Ladders

etc, are some of the text strings, I use to search my database.

I note (surprisingly) the US "Grossman" Stamp collectors handbook, does not address these.

I have a collection of Israel definitives and BOB that have no tabs. I devoutly ignore them. I suspect that "tab" collecting may have started as a way of marketing stamps with "contrived" scarcity as was the frequent practice in the 1970's. Remember the craze over gutter pairs, and the uber-rare traffic light gutter pairs? (Only one possible per sheet!)

What gets me is when Israel stamps are sold as "tabs" when they only have a piece of selvedge. To me, the lot below is the ultimate in philatelic stupidity- self adhesive stamps of Israel with extra backing paper being sold as "tabs."

https://www.hipstamp.com/listing/is...mnh/42502191

Its an interesting discussion.
In the early years many collectors removed some or all of the tabs. Its only in later years that interest developed in Israel tabs.

I would think that most collections are mint with tabs except for the early years. Later issues have a lot of wording, often educational around the stamp subject on the tabs. Some are clearly made to attract collectors.
I think in future years there will be very few collections of used stamps that are complete from 1948 to present date [except CTO] as many do not go in the post in large amounts, but that there will still be collectors for mint tabs,. If you want to get every stamp cheaply go for used, no tabs, except a lot of the stamps from recent years will be hard to find genuinely used with or without tabs.

Most Israeli tabs are part of the stamp face, adding information or completing a drawing. Yet they have no postal need, so you can use the stamp without them.
Since in every block only the bottom row of stamps have tabs, and most people that use snail-mail are not philatelists, it is harder to find stamps with tabs in general, and used ones in particular.

As for the example shermae showed, I'd say they are rather labels than tabs, like the white labels on the stamp side.
This is a tab:



Compare it to that self-adhesive:

I would refer to that as Selvedge.

(Perhaps Israeli Catalogues refers to them as tabs, then I guess you would have to adopt that terminology)

These are what I refer to as "Stamp Tabs"
often called labels
I would have over 300 of them, if I recall
Tabs are oft referred to in Scott.
They generally sit along a sibling postage stamp.

Selvedge, usually sits around the edges of a pane
designed or plain
You would not call the Canadian Lathework a "stamp tab" in my opinion.

I was using classic_paper's terminology because it seemed simple and clear. Selvage sounds better because it reminds the Hebrew word, Shoval.
As to what Israeli catalogs call them, I wouldn't know, I read the Israel Philatelic Federation catalog in Hebrew.
It might not be a bad idea that SCF will agree on its own definition and use it in our discussions.
How would you call the old Belgium labels about not delivering mail on Sundays?
BTW, do you have those tabs attached to stamps too, or only in a stand-alone form?

Scott refers to the Belgium as labels.

The Israeli stamps may have a dual definition Tab / Selvedge
depending on where the tab sits in the design of the complete pane.




As a world wide collector, I have them all, (That pass my desk)
Belgium that is, I do not actively collect Israel.

I have the stamps without the label
with the label (at bottom of the stamp)
with the label (at the top of the stamp)

In my ignorance, when I started, I have called all the Belgian "Tabs"
but Catalogues and major auctioneers call them "Labels"
eg "Label re-attached" etc

Selvedge

Even "Askphil" contradicts the definition..

Conributions under Selvedge
(I consider selvedge to be both singular and plural)

Brzeg: (Pol.) selvedge.
Guillochis: (Fr.) selvedge.

Gum skip: area of a stamp where no gum has been applied; usually happens on selvedges. (sic ?)

Plate Number Strip: three or more marginal stamps with the full selvedge and plate number at the center.

Selvage (Selvedge): the unprinted paper on the edge or margin of a sheet of stamps.