The split back mounts are what I use, never tried the hinges. Not even sure how I ended up with these
i would like to say that you should stay as far away from hinges as possible, they damage the stamp if gummed, and sometimes when you try and take it off a used stamp it tears the stamp if it was not put on correctly stick with mounts you can not go wrong
Alright, thanks for the advice, and thanks Sam B for the kind offer, I think I'll try to stick with mounts. Much appreciated though!
About 25 +/- Miles to any sort of town. That is all my property. I bought it a few years back. It's in rural Pennsylvania for sure. I'm originally from Jersey Shore Pennsylvania (Pine Creek area) and moved up to Clearfield County a few years back when my daughter was born. I grow all sorts of stuff and would like to start growing Tobacco if I can get the permits. The stars are just immense looking from my front porch! The stars are certainl much brighter up here as I am now located on top of the "Allegheny Plateau" as opposed to the "Pennsylvania Wilds" and/or "The Sprowl State Forest land" from where I originally came from. I would also have to agree that it it indeed gorgeous here and it's so silent that just the peep frogs and crickets are in-fact deafening in the evenings! Like a symphony of the wild! I just love it here! So does my Dalmatian "Master Buck" ! ~Jay
And yes, USE MOUNTS if you have a choice! Hinges depreciate the stamps value as well as damages it. This topic has been known to get very heated/controversial so, I say just to do it the way that YOU want but I would encourage you to maybe think of yourself as sort of a steward- keeping them preserved for future generations. JMO.
I use mounts, black and split-back, either Scott or Showgard. I even use mounts on used stamps. I know that might seem like overkill but I like the way it looks on the page and I don't like the stamps flapping away from the paper when you turn the page of a stamp album. I have seen old albums brimming with hinged stamps and I was excited to see them but I could never help thinking how flimsy and easily damaged the stamps could be.
Me too...I figure I will 1 day replace the used with a mint so I already have the mount ready waiting for it
If there is a difference it is not significant from what I could tell. Truthfully I haven't used showgard mounts in a while because the Scott were always a little bit cheaper. I would guess that Scott makes more specific mounts for US stamps but that is only a guess.
Thanks for all of the advice! I'll definitely be looking to buy some mounts. However, I've noticed that none really state a SIZE. Are mounts one-size-fits-all, or do you need to purchase different sized hinges for different sized stamps? I mean, I know some stamps and revenues are just too big, but what about smaller variations and horizontal vs. vertical stamps?
i am not sure about the U.S, but here in the UK i buy multipaxs that have 8 different size strips at 210mm long and 10 of each in a pack, so u just use the mount closest to the stamp size i want. i also only buy the 3 side open so if need be i can place most of stamp in the mount and leave the top part of the stamp open, as all my album pages are also stored in plastic sheets and placed in 4 ring binders this does work quite well
Hmm, I'll have to look. I don't remember there being too many size variations on MysticStamps, but I also haven't checked any of the local shops yet. Hopefully I can buy a nice combination pack so I can just pick and choose whatever I need as I go along.
Mike, I found this website which may be of interest to you..Global Stamps. They have Scott/Prinz mounts available to order but as you scroll down the page they give a complete list of sizes available as well. I am like Steve in that I buy packages with 210mm strips of the sizes I need. Tonight for example I am using 30mm wide strips to house my 1960s Spanish Franco Definitives. I just cut the desired size from the strip. Here is the website and I hope this helps. http://www.globalstamps.com/scottmt1.htm
Thanks for the link Darrin, do you know (or anyone else) the most common stamp sizes? Perhaps I can buy 3-4 of the most common sizes, and expand out only as needed so I don't spend too much right away. Thanks in advance!
Mike, like stated they come in packs of long strips and you simply cut them to size. Some use scissors and there is even a little guillotine style mount cutter. (looks like a school issue paper cutter with the long blade hooked to the table thingy).
There can be big arguments on the quality of hinges. When a person finds ones that "easily" peels off over time, buy several packages. Hinges are fine for used or gumless stamps, and they do take a little care in use. If a person has an "elephant tongue" that drools, forget the hinges. With practice, you will lick the hinge with a thin, small band of moisture, that looks like it has already evaporated, but just mixed with the adhesive. Apply with tongs carefully to the position desired close to the top, and press slightly. The part that attaches to the page is not as delicate, but the same application techniques will work well. There is no need to use expensive mounts for inexpensive stamps if you do it right. Mounts are great for the expensive or MNH stamps. Jim
Good on you mike, Hinges are bad news and new stamps should never be hinged mint or used - they just damage the stamp. Damages the gum causing a MNH to become hinged and the used gets thicker in the Album transfering the colour onto to the covering Page of interleave when used a lot. Erich
One thing I have noticed is some hinges (I assume lower quality) leave a discoloration that bleeds through to the front of the stamp over time. It looks like a rust spot on the stamp, and I have only found these stains directly on the other side of the hinge itself, so it's obvious where the stain came from. On mounts, the mini guillotine device is nice to cut your own custom mounts. You can buy the long strips of uncut mount in many different 'heights' (in millimeters), then cut the exact width you need. Scissors work to, but my own hands have never proven steady enough to get a nice square cut. Using this method you can make mounts for literally ANY stamp, even odd size/extra long revenues or whatever.
The mounts is the way to go. You design your own page layout to the size of the stamps and available space for detail. I found my guillotine to be the next most used instrument to my stamp tongs. To get back to the title New or Used stamps look good in mounts, should just be collected separately in an Album, not mixed on a page.
