Inherited Collection, Album Practice-Related Questions (Hinges/Mounts/Paper/Covers)

hi all :) I have a few questions, but also mostly just want to hear some opinions and maybe reassurance from people who know more about stamps! my apologies that this post will be a little long.

context: i've inherited my granddads large WW collection & accumulation that mostly spans from the penny black to around the 1980's, but there's some after that which my uncle added.

my uncle encouraged me to enjoy stamps and make the collection my own (i've loved stamps in a more casual way since I was a kid), and I intend to do so, whilst finishing what my grandad started but never got the chance to. so I have no intention to sell:)

i intend to merge the collection (currently spread across misc albums and a LOT of glassine envelopes) into one ww collection. my goal is to have albums with handwritten notes and labelling like my granddad.

my thoughts/questions:

1: I know hinges are pretty much a thing of the past, but a lot of these stamps have been/are hinged in albums. because most of them are low value, often damaged, and due to the sheer amount, I was thinking of using the remaining hinges that have been left in the equipment part of the collection to put them into an album.

i do have quite a lot of brand new black mounts left in the collection, but sadly I personally prefer clear so likely will only use these for the 'better' stamps as a temporary measure.

is this use of hinges a decent idea or will the gods of philately strike me down?? i've attached a photo of the hinges I have incase that helps. these ones seem to come off easily?most people i've seen online use stockbooks & vario sheets, and if in an album then they're usually mounted.

2: i've attached a photograph of the spare album pages that have been left, are these safe to use? i've seen a lot about 'acid free/archival quality' but these don't have a label on for me to check, and they're pretty old. honestly, I really want to use them for various reasons, and since the other albums are generally pretty fine I figured it would be okay??

after looking through here i've seen comments about foxing and such, and haven't come across any of that, but I still don't wanna ruin the stamps & spend a lot of time on something I might have to redo. also, if anyone happens to recognise the plages please do let me know so I can look them up!:)

3: this question might be easier to answer for the GB folks but others could also share thoughts. he has kept a LOT of covers, and the current problem is the first day issues. he made a first day cover of a looot of stamps that are common/low value (most I have a lot of dupes of) and (no offence gdad) but they're incredibly plain aha (i've attached a pic of some examples).

instinctively I want to cut these covers into a banner (that's what I call the cut top strip of a cover, is there an actual name for these?) and just display that. a bad move or a smart space-saving strategy?

i've been trying to see what other people have done when merging old albums and dealing with ww collections but i'm having trouble finding exactly what I want/situations like mine. i'm trying not to get overwhelmed but there's a lot of things to think about, nevermind the amount of sorting / inputting to do! (although i've currently done the majority of the sorting… yay!).

thank you so much in advance for any help:)

Welcome Sharky! It sounds like you have a solid plan to continue in the hobby using your grandfather's collection as a base or starting point. That great news! You'll find a lot of help here in this forum.

As for hinges, there are many opinions but personally I use them for lower value material (< $2 value). Suppliers no longer make "good" hinges though. Good means pliable - yours look more modern which means the glue is such that it can damage the stamp or page whenever it is removed. Good ones from the past can be found on ebay (Dennison brand) but can run > $20 a pack. I use the clear mounts you speak of for stamps with catalog value more than $2. Again this is a subjective dividing line.

Hard to say about the album pages. Blank pages like those ("quadrille") can be purchased new for reasonable cost online if you want to be certain.

Hi Sharky, and welcome! My collection is along the lines of what you intend, consisting of stockbooks and binders with Prinz stock sheets, merging stamps with whatever interesting comes along! Collecting this way allows me to move stamps/items around when I come across more for a particular year. I buy old collections and merge them into mine, keeping stamps I don't have or replacing existing ones for condition.
As for hinges, the only time I personally use them is to replace items taken from the old collections, for resale. Generally I buy the W H Smith packs, not cheap but better than some I have bought on the net, which have in the past been all curled up and difficult to separate. With regard to first day covers, I keep whatever I find interesting, could be anything, but the majority I come across are just checked for varieties on the stamps then passed on, as they are so common.
Post some pics when you get chance!
Regards
DavidR

Hello! A few thoughts.

Hinges: all modern hinges are made by Prinz, so just buy their brand rather than more expensive ones. I bisect hinges to minimise the amount in contact with the stamp and maximise the amount I get out of each packet. Apply as little moisture as you can. Your chances of finding vintage hinges, eg Peerless, in good condition are slight - a glance at ebay will tell you that. Dennison is not a brand that has ever been available in the UK, so no point in looking for them.

Leaves: I shouldn't bother using the leaves you found. You can get decent new quadrille leaves that will be better made. You can put these in springback binders or hole-punch them for ring-binders. I buy mine here

https://www.dauwalders.co.uk/album-leaves-1718-c

Covers: I shouldn't myself cut up FDCs, especially the pre-decimal ones. They're generally more attractive whole than as a small section of an envelope (known as a "piece"). But there's little value in most modern ones. You can store them separately, or integrate them with the individual stamps.

Enjoy!