Stamp Albums
Hello all. I am looking for recommendations for stamp Albums. I browsed Hipstamp and Ebay and the volume and variety just confuse me. I've seen Albums with stamps and without. Albums without pages. Pages without Albums. Used and new, from different times and eras. I'm lost.
I'm new to collecting but not a kid. I only collect US stamps. I'd like to spend less than $50.00 for one. Do I need a separate album for airmail? I also collect some covers and booklets, are there different albums for these? All suggestions welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.
I'm new to collecting but not a kid. I only collect US stamps. I'd like to spend less than $50.00 for one. Do I need a separate album for airmail? I also collect some covers and booklets, are there different albums for these? All suggestions welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.
Comments
It's not fancy, but it's good enough for me, at least for now.
https://www.stampcommunity.org/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17127
You could also print your own:
https://www.thestampweb.com/albumeasy
It all comes down to what you want to collect. Saying that you only collect one country is not enough. Are you only going to collect Postage Stamps? Are you also going to collect the Back of Book Stamps? Does this include Air Mail, Postage Due, Parcel Post, Certified Mail, Booklet panes/booklets, Air Mail Special Delivery, Official stamps, Envelopes, Plate Blocks? As you can see the list just goes on and on. One thing nice about Scotts is you can tailor what you want to collect by the numbering system that they use. Before I even try to explain that numbering system you have to decide which of the different stamp albums styles you want to use. I use the US National Album so I will focus on that numbering system. Please forgive me if I confuse you even more as this even confuses me! LOL The regular US Postage Stamps have a number for each section type; this is a mixed blessing I think but do understand why they had to do something due to the many different collectors and different interests. The 100S_ _ _ if for Postage Stamps, The 101S_ _ _ is for Booklets, The 105S_ _ _ is for US Postal Stationery, The 110S_ _ _ is for US Postal Cards, the 115S_ _ _ is for Duck Hunting Permit Stamps, the 117S_ _ _ is for Plate Number Soil Single Stamps. There are many other sections but these are the ones that I use. Each Country has their own series number; Austria is 300S_ _ _, Canada is 240S_ _ _, Czechoslovakia is 307S_ _ _, Germany is 315S_ _ _, Hungary is 323S_ _ _, Italy is 325S_ _ _, Poland is 338S_ _ _, and Russia is 360S_ _ _.
Most countries will require you to purchase two or more albums into which you will have to place the pages. Each year a new annual supplement will be issued which you will need to purchase in order to keep your stamp album up to date. Scott supplements are not cheap so be ready to continue investing funds into each album. This hobby is one of love so you either have to jump in and continue swimming or you will get so far behind that it will costs you a lot to play catch up. I wish you all the best of luck! Please ask any other questions that you have as I am sure that someone on here will be able to assist you with some information/suggestions. ;-) Dave
Thanks again. It's great to get answers from other collectors.
If you do an on-line search for Stamp stores or Stamp clubs you might be surprised as to who is out there available to assist you. I went to the APS home page and did a search for 'Stamp Clubs' and ran down the list to send out a request for assistance. I was at the time looking for a bunch of Minkus Supplements to complete my late Dad's albums. After receiving a few supplements here and there I managed to get most of the albums up to 2000. I still have a few that I need supplements back to 1969 or 1970. Most of the albums are hit and miss for most of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Most of the stamp clubs only required a small donation plus the shipping charges/costs so I was very happy with that. Some of the clubs asked me why I was wasting my time with Minkus? I informed them that I was not able to buy new Scotts albums as I am retired and just do not have the money that the resellers of Scotts albums are asking for them. I had a few that suggested that I just use regular paper to make my own supplement pages. Again I stated that I wanted to keep the pages as original looking, Uniformity! Others suggested buying blank pages and making my own pages with the real paper pages. The problem with that is that the ink that is used in most ink pens is not archive quality, thus it smears or bleeds through the pages. I have resorted to buying partial albums and pulling the needed pages as I can. Going to the 'big boys' to buy is another way to get there but a very expensive way to go. I do get a few from E-bay and here on Hipstamp but it is also hit and miss. If there was a way to put a list of albums, supplements, and accessories on here that would be great. Is anyone working on this issue? Thanks ;-) Dave
The only other acid component of paper comes from a weak acid solution used in the paper-making process, to separate the lignin from the cellulose. In days past, a strong acid solution was used which left enough residual acidity in the paper to make it unsafe for archival use. The weak acid solution used these days (again, according to HP), while technically not leaving the paper "acid-free" does not leave the paper dangerously acidic, "Therefore, modern papers may or may not meet the traditional definition of acid-free, but could still be suitable for archival purposes." - https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00740449
One day while sorting silver at one of my favorite coin shops, I noted a large number of albums on the storekeeper's shelves and inquired as to what they were. He told me he collected World-wide as well as coins and showed me a couple. I had a number of unorganized WW stamps at that time in cigar boxes (Dad was military and we traveled a lot) and I told him I should get them organized.
He reached up to one of the shelves, pulled a paperback "World Album" (dated from the early 60's) down and gave to me with instructions to finish it out (it had a few stamps in it).
That was tens of thousands of stamps (and decades) ago and every once in awhile I get it out and add to it... (I really need to "finish" one day: has anyone reading this NOT ever said that?) .
My collections now are inventoried & organized into many albums and bins of their own. I guess my point is to fill up any type of organizer that is close at hand and grow from there! Most of my bulk inventory is inside #3 glassines inside standard mailing envelopes (inside Rubbermaid bins from Wally World) until they have an album to call 'home'.
I have also started designing my own custom 3-hole pages of topicals (space as just one example).
The great news, also as previously stated, is that you can do this any way you want all the way from simple homemade pages to the expensive flagship albums...whatever fits best for you. Enjoy!!!