Thoughts On Using Quality 3-Ring Office Binders With Vario Pages?

My post my not be relevant to what you want to do; but I've found the Office Depot 1.5" "durable" binders work well, although I am using Steiner pagers and not Vario. I like that you can print your own spine and insert whatever you'd like, and then I print a flag and insert it on the outside front of the binder.

Realize that this is not exactly leather-bound richness type stuff like Davo Luxe; but have just found this to be relatively affordable way to store pages as the stamp count grows.

I appreciate that everyone has their own way of storing their collections. The Office Depot deluxe binders are the ones I have been looking at. They are labelled "archival" for anyone wondering. How long have you had this setup? Any issues with sagging, dust, etc? Steiner pages... those are printed paper pages, right? Maybe dust isn't as visible with those?

Like many products on amosadvantage they are on backorder. If you want matching binders purchased over time, I would stock up or find another binder.

I see more Lighthouse look alikes on ebay and ebay.

I have learned the Vario G binders I use are called Vario G Classic. Most sellers these days sell a Vario G with a different spine visual style so what I chose are harder to get these days. My color, burgundy, is not available in this style.

Yes, Lighthouse binders can go out of production. I've used the Vario F Gigant binders, with flat spines, to house my French Colonies collection, which is on MOC leaves. They've now been phased out.

Long time Vario F and G user here. Maybe I'm just being grumpy, but I now believe these products are overrated and overpriced...

Plenty of other solutions (with slipcases) out there, like Bindertek and etc.

Just this old man's opinion...



John

I'd agree that they're overpriced. And to see and raise your grumpiness, I much prefer cloth-bound binders to the padded plastic or fake leather that now abounds.

What do you use for cloth-bound binders? Any specific examples you can share?

TJbuege, I've not had any issues; and yes Steiner pages are printed. I have ordered some online and some had a bend in the front or back shell. I just pressed them (yet another use for old Scott catalogs) for a day or two and they flattened out. I'm not sure why there would be an issue with dust; but have not had any issues here.

Thanks, I might just save myself some money for now, and go the office binder route. If dust starts to become an issue I can always reconsider binders with slipcases. Now... finding shelf space for these is the next task. I've been storing my stamps in storage boxes in the basement (humidity controlled and monitored, and dry, no worries there).

If you have some craft/DIY skills (I don't), you can construct your own slipcases, and I recall past threads on the subject.

I'm not sure if I posted about it here, but I made my own slipcases for Scott and Unitrade catalogues using stiff poster board from an art supply store. Cost under $2 per sheet and were fun to make. I followed the instructions for a '10 minute slipcase' on Youtube, although it took me at least 30 minutes per case. :)

I intend to make them for my binders ( I like the Staples "Better" binder) one day.

Here's a link to the video if you want to try it:

Those look like nice office binders from Staples. I'll check them out, too. Thanks for the video link. I just ran across one of this guy's how to videos earlier this evening. He was building a full-blown slipcase from some book board or something. Using his book press and all. Looked too complicated to try. This "10-minute" slipcase looks interesting, however. I might have to give that a try sometime. Thanks!

It's not. Hardest for me was finding end papers large enough to line the slipcase, needs to be larger than the finished dimensions of your case.
Plan carefully, before any glue is applied. Book cloth is traditionally starched, but you can get an iron on backing.

I posted about my efforts here on Jun 26, 2017. Watch several different videos first, each bookbinder will explain, some better than others.





Edit to add,
This was one of my first cases, you can see my mistakes, mostly not leaving enough material to tuck the corners in.

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Many items are like that.

Buy whichever binders will make you happy. For some that would mean splurging on Vario binders, while for most the office supply store variety will do just fine. As others have pointed out, the resale value of any of those binders is practically zero, so don't expect to ever recoup it.

I have a set of circa 1900 deluxe Scott International albums - high quality paper, gilt edged, leather covers - but I paid a good chunk for the albums, and then an even bigger chunk to get the covers and binding professionally restored by a bookbinder. Was it worth it? To me, yes, but to many others that's good money not being spent on stamps.

Finally, regarding 'archival', 'acid free', etc. - few, if any, of these products can actually back up those claims. Which isn't to say that they're all bogus, but that just because something *says* it's archival quality or acid free or whatever doesn't mean it actually is. You can verify some of these claims yourself (they make those pH test markers), but with plastics especially I'd be cautious. We've seen how plastic philatelic supplies marketed as "archival quality" and "safe" turn out to be anything but.

When it comes to paper, the most important determinant is the environment in which your collection is stored: favorable temp and humidity and, importantly, no big fluctuations. Two recent collections I looked at had very different fates because of where they were stored here in New England. One was in an uninsulated garage, and even some of the Forever stamps in there had developed toning. Whereas much older material stored in a climate-controlled setting was still nice and fresh.

So buy whichever supplies you can afford and are happy with, and don't worry about coughing up extra for additional quality unless you really like it. Whatever you purchase, keep them in as stable a climate as you can muster, and go through your collection frequently to keep an eye on things.