How To Safely Transfer Stamps From Old Page To New Page

Hello there,
My father passed on his US Air Mail Stamps to me. The binder was and some pages were water damaged but the stamps look okay as they were protected. How do I transfer the stamps from the old damaged pages to new pages? The mounts look to be in good condition but do I need to purchase new mounts?
Thank you for your advice.
tdhott

If the pages are simply damaged at the edges, as in your photo, just remove the stamps in their mounts and place in a new album. If the mounts are too firmly affixed to move, remove the stamps from the mounts, using tweezers, and put in new ones. Tedious, but straightforward.

Thank you for the advice.

As a follow up, what is the best way to attach the mount to the new page? Is there a preferred glue to attach the mount to the page?

I would get new mounts. Its hard to reuse them. These stamps are good enough for new ones! I'm assuming there are more stamps. Don't handle the stamps with your fingers, use stamp tongs. If you are lucky, you have some stamps called Zeppelins!

Used mounts like these can often simply be turned upside down to use the other half of the back with the original adhesive still there. The stamp will need to be removed and put right side up, of course.

If that's not working, use a few small drops of a stamp glue like Hawid glue on these mounts. Other mild glues might work as well (not "glue sticks" which do not work for me), but I've had great luck with Hawid glue holding mounts in place reliably without doing any damage.

Or start over with new mounts. That size of stamps would probably take 24mm mounts. Two good sources for mounts are AmosAdvantage(dot)com and Global Stamps.

And for cheapskates out there like me, it's also easy to photocopy those pages onto slightly heavier "card stock". Around 64# card stock would match these pages. You can do copies with or without color. Reducing the contrast helps make any page imperfections less noticeable.Then three-hole punch, use a cheap "corner rounder" punch (like a hole punch) and you have identical pages.

Here's a link to this glue, but it's sold by many sellers:
https://www.amosadvantage.com/produ...mounting-gum

I always use a small amount from a glue stick to attach mounts, without problems. And I reuse old mounts all the time.

I also reuse mounts, even multiple times. The key, though, is to remove the stamp from the mount BEFORE trying to remove the mount from the older page. Then check the mount, see which side makes the most sense to glue onto the new page, and go from there. Nice stamps and worth remounting, in my opinion.

Split-back mounts, which I never use, carry more risks than the basic type. Collectors often apply too much moisture, which can leech through to the stamp, or dampen or glue both sides of the mount - don't be vigorous!

How to Safely Transfer Stamps to a New Album

Remove the stamps from the old page

Carefully take the stamps off the old mounts and place them in a safe, clean area.

Use stamp tongs designed for stamps to avoid bending or touching the surface with your fingers.

Prepare the old mounts for transfer

Since the old page is going in the trash, moisten the back of the page where the glue is applied.

A soft paintbrush or a small sponge works well—apply water lightly and evenly only where the mount is stuck to the page.

Wait about 1–2 minutes; the glue should soften, allowing the mounts to peel away easily. Avoid forcing them, as this could tear the mounts.

Dry the mounts

Lay the mounts flat on a clean surface, and allow them to air dry completely.

Make sure they are not touching each other, glue side up, to prevent sticking.

Prepare the new album mounts

Place them in the new album in the opposite orientation from how they were previously mounted.

Allow the mounts to dry in place

Give them time to adhere lightly to the new page and dry fully before inserting stamps. This prevents moisture from the mount from disturbing the gum on the stamp.

Insert the stamps

Take the stamps from their safe place and carefully insert them into the new mounts.

Handle stamps with stamp tongs to avoid fingerprints.

Ensure the stamps are properly seated without bending or causing corner creases.

Thanks for all the advice. What an amazing forum!