Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Do you print a page, place each stamp on the template, cover it with a page protector (and hope they stay in place), scan it, then start the process over? Or do you place the stamps front down on the scanner and place the printed template over them? Please don't tell me you hinge the stamps onto the printed template!
It just seems easier to use stock sheets with numbered labels. No? Did I miss something easy?
This slow but inquisitive mind wants to know.
Thanks.
Peter
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Exactly why I have never even looked at them - I guess people use a special tape but the threads lately have indicated that the formulation has changed and that it may damage the stamps.
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I would never use any type of tape on stamps, let alone hinges.
I'm genuinely curious how people do use the templates. I think they provide great standardization but am at a loss as to how to present my stamps on them without hinging/taping them.
Peter
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I found the easiest way was to use them was behind a clear Vario sheet, using a piece of tape to hold them together.
If I use Vario's on their own then I have to write and cut out numbers to be applied next to stamps, which may or may not be in the right place for the next book.
vic
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I still like the SOR template and I still use them with the 3M tape (I still have a number of older rolls with fewer issues than the most recent roll), but I also now use a much smaller removable "hinge", something of the order of less than 1/4 inch wide by 1/2 or 3/4 inch (then folded in two).
This seems more than enough to secure the stamps for the short duration the stamps stay on the pages (6 months max, by my goal), and also no residue issue...but I am keeping an eye on it, especially with the newer rolls!
I tried using mounts on template pages..I have a whole bunch of used ones in a big box, used and salvaged as we all do, with no glue, of all sizes..just sitting around. Sticking them with the removable tape is quite easy, and it eliminates any potential side issues about the tape on the stamps...It does work, but it is definitely more time consuming!
So until I totally give up on the 3M removable tape, it is my back up plan. I will be sampling more rolls of 3M tape in a few months..who knows, maybe we just had a temporary glitch in manufacturing (wishful thinking)? Also trying to keep the conversation open with 3M, as my older tape usage (checked some collections where I used the tape 5+ years ago), shows no problems....so they created it recently.
My correspondence with 3M on the technical issues has gone nowhere so far, I just send them a reminder. I want some answers!
One of the reason I like the template, is that I keep my stamps on them until shipping. I cannot imagine what my inventory would be if I had 200 pages expensive stock pages to deal with! Or if I had to move the stamps to stock cards. And numbering each card uniquely is a pain.
With SOR templates, I can mix and vary the pages as needed. I can add notes, and it is so flexible with all the formats available, Uniform look (an esthetic plus for SOR) and trouble free inventory for me with minimum handling and cost..those are my reasons. It is a personal preference. It may also relate on how many book pages you activate.
rrr...
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Hi Everyone;
Yup you betya....
TuskenRaider
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Doug:
Let us be honest, the PHOBIA of collectors with anything touching tape has a lot to do with staining of stamps that came in contact with "scotch tape" some 50 years ago! It was disastrous! let us move forward please. This is 2015! I don't even use regular tape to seal my stamp packages, less something unforeseen happens!
But let me ask:
Has this stamp been in contact with a smoker, or in a smoker environment? Has this stamp been handled by hand? A dry hand? A sweaty hand? A smoker hand? Has this stamp been exposed to bright light? Sunlight? Was it dried in a microwave oven,or a regular oven>? Has this stamp been subject to high humidity? High ambient heat? Freezing cold? Was it stored in someone's mold infested garage or basement? Has this stamp been exposed to anyone with the flu? Has the hinged been licked? Did they have a clean bill of health?....One could go on and on... Pick what you want!
My biggest problem, is due to allergies, as I am violently allergic to molds. I will start coughing within a foot of any stamp that was exposed to any mold! even if the exposure happened years ago! Some stamp shows are just impossible for me due to the coughing fits they give me! Let us talk about that if you want!
Let us just not be ridiculous. Sorry, but I am a bit annoyed at collectors who are stuck in the past, and refuse modern technology, unless it fits their agenda, or they just pick and chose...and they ignore so many other flaws of their own collections. (I assume the only good hinge is a paper hinge with water soluble glue then? and a properly UV and ozone treated stamp in a clean room environment)
Even mounts could have issues...are we ever sure? Look at the older plastic mounts, (I see yellowing of the stamps sometimes, is it the mount itself or the environment?).
Look at the crease some modern split mounts cause to a stamp under storage pressure, due to the slit. Are all stamps in mounts stored with zero pressure on them?
I make no secret that I mount my stamps temporarily with removable tape. It is archival safe, tested to ISO Standard 18916. It is for temporary use. What can you tell me about the stamps you buy or sell?
If you don't like it, that is fine with me. But please make sure that what you buy is as described, or has full disclosure description, because even if it leaves no marks, you will never know for sure.
rrr....
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.â€
― John Adams"
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This experience should give some pause: Just a few months ago, I "re-housed" my covers in new binders and Vario stock pages, and used Avery Post-It notes as "temporary" index tags. In my life, "temporary" often means "long-term," because I'm pretty disorganized and easily distracted. It's partly a PTSD thing. Anyway, I just peeled off one of those Post-It notes. Guess what!: adhesive remains on the Vario page. It's quite sticky!
If Rrraphy offered a stamp I wanted, I'd probably buy it, but that's because I'm old and don't expect to live another 24 hours. Well, maybe I'll live a bit longer than that. But if I were just starting out on life and stamp collecting, I think I'd avoid his stamps. If, after a few months, that "removable" adhesive transfers from the Post-It Note to the supposedly archival plastic page, I can't imagine that some of it wouldn't stick to whatever it's stuck to for any length of time at all.
My stamps are too important to me to risk that sort of damage that might result from mounting them with self-adhesive tape. I can't do a thing about mistreatment a stamp has received before I obtained it, but I certainly can take care of it once it's in my care. I've always believed that we are not the owners of stamps and covers, but their caretakers. Just because something is new (such as "removable" tape) doesn't mean that it's good. Besides, I just don't trust big corporations such as 3M to protect my interests.
Bob
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09:18:14pm
I'll have to back Ralph up on this one (to a degree). The adhesive used on the 811 tape is not at all comparable to the adhesive used on Post-It notes. I ran out of regular tape prior to Christmas and used 811 tape in my wrapping endeavors. I had packages unwrapping themselves as the tape often failed to hold.
That being said, while I am not afraid to use the tape in a temporary capacity, I choose not to. I use Vario type pages to store approvals, auction items, etc. and hinges (on used inexpensive used) and mounts (for everything else) for my collection.
If I were using the templates, I would not hesitate to use the tape in lieu of hinges as it is the best alternative for short term use and, in my opinion, cause less damage than hinges (unless you are lucky enough to have some old Dennison hinges around).
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Bob, I hear you loud and clear. But the post-it comparison is just not relevant. I even know that post-it color bleeds! Let us not find guilt by wrong association.
The Photographic Activity Test, or PAT, developed by IPI became an ANSI standard and then ISO Standard 18916, is used by companies worldwide to assure their customers of their product's safety and most photograph-collecting institutions depend on it to make certain their collections are safely stored. Originally designed for paper-based materials, the PAT has evolved to include plastics, adhesives, and inks. Research is being done to determine if the PAT can be applied to the many digital print types now available.
And from Wiki re ISO 18916: The test evaluates materials for archival quality and their use in photographic enclosures. Many different types of materials can be tested including, but not limited to: paper, boards, plastic, adhesives, pens, stickers, labels, paints and inks. The test involves incubating samples and detectors in a high-temperature, high-humidity accelerated aging environment.
Now I know that stamps and photographs are not the same. If you ask my opinion, I think photographs are more delicate than stamps, chemically speaking, but this is beside the point.
The test does cover non photographic material, as is the case with the 3M 811 product.
I for one will always follow the science! If it fails me, I will admit it (as I did when we discussed a seemingly new recent product problem with the last rolls of tape received...and by the way, any residue noted did rub off easily and completely).
But I refuse the fear mongering that meets every new scientific step. We are not going back to paper hinges with water soluble glue!
How sure are you that the plastic material that mounts are made from today, will not react negatively with the precious stamps you house in them, in say 25 years? I see most collectors accepting mounts without any question. Has anyone checked the testing standards and protocols for mounts? You are putting your stamp in direct contact, top and bottom with a plastic based casing! think about it! How do pollutants react with it? temperature? humidity?
It is easy to pick one thing you are uncomfortable with, but let us do it with science, not just feelings, and "folktales". And you may still be 100% correct!
rrr..
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rrr.. (my black lab, Snug, often said your name.) 
Fair comments, and you're right, I don't know whether my mounts (and stock pages) are archival. It's possible, in fact, that the Vario pages contain plasticizers that act as solvents on those Post-It notes. You have certainly done your homework. Thank you for providing that additional background.
Bob
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There is mention of smaller hinges, and the 3M tape being used.
What's wrong with just getting a couple of packets of ordinary hinges to put the stamps on the pages? Problem solved.
Put 3 holes in the pages, put the pages in a binder and then you have them when you need them. As the pages empty, take off the last few stamps, and reuse the page. Doesn't matter if there are a lot of hinge marks on the pages.
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I thank everyone for their responses; I have a better idea of this now. If I post approvals, I will use the clear vario pages and templates. That sounds like the best solution to me.
If I were to buy any item here, I would hope the seller discloses that they did use tape of any kind, no matter what the science or personal opinion of that process is. It is up to the BUYER to determine if it matters, and yes, that could be seen as irrational in the face of recent technological advances in tape development, but do provide that information and let the buyer decide.
Cheers,
Peter
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11:25:32am
You got it in one, Peter. Regardless of any seller opinion, anything which might affect the buyer's decision to purchase any item should always be disclosed. I am a big fan of light pencil notations on the back of used stamps with common designs and see no harm in the practice, but knowing that many buyers object to same, I will always note my predilection to making those marks to buyers of my used stamps.
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Hi Everyone;
@ Peter;
I like the black Vario pages because, I don't have to waste VERY expensive printer ink,
trying to make a dark background to better show off my offerings. To avoid the VERY
expensive Vario pages, I just re-use them. As I take the scanned stamps off of the page,
I place them in #4 glassines, also re-usable (less than 5¢ ea. per/1,000). I add a paper
insert, so I'm not marking on the glassine, so it is more easily re-used. The paper insert
has been marked with country name, book #, and page #.
I don't have to buy expensive hinges or tape. The paper slips are from cut-up fan-fold
that my sister gave me 4,000 sheets of. She threw out her pin printer years ago. If you
really try to conserve it is very easy to save money. You do not have to be a tree-hugging
hippie to be a good conservationist, only a real cheap skate like me. 
Also some fussy collectors (me included) don't like hinge goop on the back of even cheap
used stamps. Even if they intend to mount with hinges.
It might be possible to contract HEP-C from licking the portion of the hinge to go on the
album page. When you lick that area, your tongue is very close to touching the stamp.
I have heard on here of collectors who use Q-tips to moisten the hinge claiming that it
gives better control and makes the hinge more easily removable.
I always soak/press all stamps that are used and have any hinge adhesive remaining.
I no longer buy mounted stamps either. Too much time spent removing hinges or causing
thins. So the few stamps I do get that have goop on their backs, I just soak/press clean.
That makes for a very flat and much cleaner specimen for someone's album.
I will be publishing some articles on these techniques when I have all the wrinkles ironed
out. And everyone take note, that if I got any ideas from your posts that I incorporate
into an article I will get your permission to include and give credits if you wish.
Just a couple thoughts....
TuskenRaider
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"I place them in #4 glassines, also re-usable (less than 5¢ ea. per/1,000"
Do you mail the stamp in the glassines or do you remove them and reuse the glassines?
And isn't it extremely time consuming to make up a slip of paper with country name, book and page number? I suppose if you pre-made sheets with this info that you'd be able to slip them in the envelope.
I just move the stamps off the vario sheet onto a cheaper manila stock page and move the number with the stamp (I use slips of paper for numbers). It is quick and easy. I wait until after the first week of sales to move them. By then I have usually sold a bunch so there are many fewer to move. I switched to books with only 12 pages so I only need 6 Hagnar sheets per book.
In any case, I really enjoy reading how everyone else does their approvals. I think you were the one who suggested moving to the manila cards - that really helped to free up the Hagnar sheets. So - keep sharing those ideas!!!! Super helpful.
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Hi Everyone;
All these steps have been exhaustively time-studied. I learned that science as a
Manufacturing Engineer years ago.
1) All the stamps stay in the marked envelopes, until sold or retired. All the stamps
for one buyer's selections, are removed from the envelopes and placed in a single
envelope for shipping, and further protected by non-corrugated cardboard
(pizza box, I like to recycle).
2) The blank slips are cut from sheets on a large (X-acto brand) paper cutter, with
adjustable stops. I can cut 200-400 per hour.
3) Writing by pencil "Great Britain bk # xxxx, page # xxxx", takes all of ten seconds!
4) Cutting the slips up if printed in a printer would be too slow, writing is faster.
5) Placing slips with numbers into Vario, and then moving them again to manila stock
pages is handling them twice, but I'm happy to hear that it is working well for you tho.
Adding numbers to the scans is very fast and you only need to do it once!
Thanks so much for the compliments, and I'm glad you found my tips useful! I'll
publish some articles after I do a bit more research, so others can find out what I've
learned in fifty some odd years of collecting.
I intend to do extensive research on Watermark detection, as this aspect seems to
be the least understood and mastered art of collecting.
Not everyone will agree on the methods I chose. Not everyone will approach a task
with mathematical precision. They do what they do the way they do it, because their
hobby is very relaxing, and that is enough for them. It's okay to do it any way you
like as long as it works for you, and makes you happy.
Just some thoughts....
TuskenRaider
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But Tusken, You've only sold a few hundred lots - would your method work for thousands or would it become unwieldy?
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Hi Everyone;
@ nl1947;
Hey that's a very clever approach! However all my stamps aren't yet scanned, so it would
be extra steps for me, so I'll stick with just one scan. Your's is not only clever but very
attractively presented and better than most of what I've seen on here.
@ philatelia;
I'll just ramp up the scale some. I've found a cardboard mailer, that holds rows of #4
glassines in three rows wide, by 12" in depth. They are from Office Max or Staples, I
can't remember which. Here are the specifics; they are 15½" in width, by 12"
front-to-back, and 4" high, and have a attached cover that hinges in the back.
I cut 3" wide x 14" long strips of cardboard for dividers. I then bent 1" over at each end.
Next I glued the bent-over tabs to the inside front and back of the boxes. This produces
a three bin box for three rows of #4 glassines. My estimate is fifty pages of approvals per
row, or 150 pages per box. the average size of most of my pages is 25-30 stamps per
page and more for definitives. So 150 pages x 25 stamps is = 3,750 per box, and I have
4 boxes, so 3,750 x 4 = 15,000.
My original plan was to only test out the approvals section, and list more material later.
So I have 150,000 stamps to sort thru, and estimate 60,000-75,000 can be sold in
approvals. Gee I'm gonna need more boxes!!!
In the past I've only bought stamp supplies with my PayPal funds from stamp sales on five
other sites. I always buy glassines in 1,000 lot boxes, because I know I'll always be able
to use them. I have 2,000 #4s and 5,000 #3s.
I knew that with such a huge number of stamps to organize, I would have to experiment
and plan ahead to do everything with efficiency if I expect to finish in my lifetime.
I will have to start my watermarking research soon, so I can sort out this giant mountain
of stuff, but I'm looking forward to using my problem solving and engineering skills once
again!
Keep on stampin'....
TuskenRaider
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Holey Smokes that's a lot of stamps! OK get busy! Let's see some approval books. Do the Ireland first, hint hint!!!
Heh heh, just thought you needed a woman nagging to get you posting some material. tee hee
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Peter, I use clear Hawid mounts that I obtain in collections, sales books, etc., on the spaces of the templates. Easy to put the stamps in and take them out when sold. Can be used over and over again, and there is no need to add number tabs. Yet, most of my pages are black stock pages...go figure...
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07:35:23pm
I think the spatial cortex of my brain just went on vacation because for the life of me, I can't think of how you would use the Approval Templates provided on SOR and how they are easier than using stock pages.
Do you print a page, place each stamp on the template, cover it with a page protector (and hope they stay in place), scan it, then start the process over? Or do you place the stamps front down on the scanner and place the printed template over them? Please don't tell me you hinge the stamps onto the printed template!
It just seems easier to use stock sheets with numbered labels. No? Did I miss something easy?
This slow but inquisitive mind wants to know.
Thanks.
Peter
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07:53:52pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Question about using Approval Templates
Exactly why I have never even looked at them - I guess people use a special tape but the threads lately have indicated that the formulation has changed and that it may damage the stamps.
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10:31:07pm
re: Question about using Approval Templates
I would never use any type of tape on stamps, let alone hinges.
I'm genuinely curious how people do use the templates. I think they provide great standardization but am at a loss as to how to present my stamps on them without hinging/taping them.
Peter
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Approvals
re: Question about using Approval Templates
I found the easiest way was to use them was behind a clear Vario sheet, using a piece of tape to hold them together.
If I use Vario's on their own then I have to write and cut out numbers to be applied next to stamps, which may or may not be in the right place for the next book.
vic
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Approvals
re: Question about using Approval Templates
I still like the SOR template and I still use them with the 3M tape (I still have a number of older rolls with fewer issues than the most recent roll), but I also now use a much smaller removable "hinge", something of the order of less than 1/4 inch wide by 1/2 or 3/4 inch (then folded in two).
This seems more than enough to secure the stamps for the short duration the stamps stay on the pages (6 months max, by my goal), and also no residue issue...but I am keeping an eye on it, especially with the newer rolls!
I tried using mounts on template pages..I have a whole bunch of used ones in a big box, used and salvaged as we all do, with no glue, of all sizes..just sitting around. Sticking them with the removable tape is quite easy, and it eliminates any potential side issues about the tape on the stamps...It does work, but it is definitely more time consuming!
So until I totally give up on the 3M removable tape, it is my back up plan. I will be sampling more rolls of 3M tape in a few months..who knows, maybe we just had a temporary glitch in manufacturing (wishful thinking)? Also trying to keep the conversation open with 3M, as my older tape usage (checked some collections where I used the tape 5+ years ago), shows no problems....so they created it recently.
My correspondence with 3M on the technical issues has gone nowhere so far, I just send them a reminder. I want some answers!
One of the reason I like the template, is that I keep my stamps on them until shipping. I cannot imagine what my inventory would be if I had 200 pages expensive stock pages to deal with! Or if I had to move the stamps to stock cards. And numbering each card uniquely is a pain.
With SOR templates, I can mix and vary the pages as needed. I can add notes, and it is so flexible with all the formats available, Uniform look (an esthetic plus for SOR) and trouble free inventory for me with minimum handling and cost..those are my reasons. It is a personal preference. It may also relate on how many book pages you activate.
rrr...
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
Hi Everyone;
Yup you betya....
TuskenRaider
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Approvals
re: Question about using Approval Templates
Doug:
Let us be honest, the PHOBIA of collectors with anything touching tape has a lot to do with staining of stamps that came in contact with "scotch tape" some 50 years ago! It was disastrous! let us move forward please. This is 2015! I don't even use regular tape to seal my stamp packages, less something unforeseen happens!
But let me ask:
Has this stamp been in contact with a smoker, or in a smoker environment? Has this stamp been handled by hand? A dry hand? A sweaty hand? A smoker hand? Has this stamp been exposed to bright light? Sunlight? Was it dried in a microwave oven,or a regular oven>? Has this stamp been subject to high humidity? High ambient heat? Freezing cold? Was it stored in someone's mold infested garage or basement? Has this stamp been exposed to anyone with the flu? Has the hinged been licked? Did they have a clean bill of health?....One could go on and on... Pick what you want!
My biggest problem, is due to allergies, as I am violently allergic to molds. I will start coughing within a foot of any stamp that was exposed to any mold! even if the exposure happened years ago! Some stamp shows are just impossible for me due to the coughing fits they give me! Let us talk about that if you want!
Let us just not be ridiculous. Sorry, but I am a bit annoyed at collectors who are stuck in the past, and refuse modern technology, unless it fits their agenda, or they just pick and chose...and they ignore so many other flaws of their own collections. (I assume the only good hinge is a paper hinge with water soluble glue then? and a properly UV and ozone treated stamp in a clean room environment)
Even mounts could have issues...are we ever sure? Look at the older plastic mounts, (I see yellowing of the stamps sometimes, is it the mount itself or the environment?).
Look at the crease some modern split mounts cause to a stamp under storage pressure, due to the slit. Are all stamps in mounts stored with zero pressure on them?
I make no secret that I mount my stamps temporarily with removable tape. It is archival safe, tested to ISO Standard 18916. It is for temporary use. What can you tell me about the stamps you buy or sell?
If you don't like it, that is fine with me. But please make sure that what you buy is as described, or has full disclosure description, because even if it leaves no marks, you will never know for sure.
rrr....
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.â€
― John Adams"
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
This experience should give some pause: Just a few months ago, I "re-housed" my covers in new binders and Vario stock pages, and used Avery Post-It notes as "temporary" index tags. In my life, "temporary" often means "long-term," because I'm pretty disorganized and easily distracted. It's partly a PTSD thing. Anyway, I just peeled off one of those Post-It notes. Guess what!: adhesive remains on the Vario page. It's quite sticky!
If Rrraphy offered a stamp I wanted, I'd probably buy it, but that's because I'm old and don't expect to live another 24 hours. Well, maybe I'll live a bit longer than that. But if I were just starting out on life and stamp collecting, I think I'd avoid his stamps. If, after a few months, that "removable" adhesive transfers from the Post-It Note to the supposedly archival plastic page, I can't imagine that some of it wouldn't stick to whatever it's stuck to for any length of time at all.
My stamps are too important to me to risk that sort of damage that might result from mounting them with self-adhesive tape. I can't do a thing about mistreatment a stamp has received before I obtained it, but I certainly can take care of it once it's in my care. I've always believed that we are not the owners of stamps and covers, but their caretakers. Just because something is new (such as "removable" tape) doesn't mean that it's good. Besides, I just don't trust big corporations such as 3M to protect my interests.
Bob
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
29 Jan 2015
09:18:14pm
re: Question about using Approval Templates
I'll have to back Ralph up on this one (to a degree). The adhesive used on the 811 tape is not at all comparable to the adhesive used on Post-It notes. I ran out of regular tape prior to Christmas and used 811 tape in my wrapping endeavors. I had packages unwrapping themselves as the tape often failed to hold.
That being said, while I am not afraid to use the tape in a temporary capacity, I choose not to. I use Vario type pages to store approvals, auction items, etc. and hinges (on used inexpensive used) and mounts (for everything else) for my collection.
If I were using the templates, I would not hesitate to use the tape in lieu of hinges as it is the best alternative for short term use and, in my opinion, cause less damage than hinges (unless you are lucky enough to have some old Dennison hinges around).
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Approvals
re: Question about using Approval Templates
Bob, I hear you loud and clear. But the post-it comparison is just not relevant. I even know that post-it color bleeds! Let us not find guilt by wrong association.
The Photographic Activity Test, or PAT, developed by IPI became an ANSI standard and then ISO Standard 18916, is used by companies worldwide to assure their customers of their product's safety and most photograph-collecting institutions depend on it to make certain their collections are safely stored. Originally designed for paper-based materials, the PAT has evolved to include plastics, adhesives, and inks. Research is being done to determine if the PAT can be applied to the many digital print types now available.
And from Wiki re ISO 18916: The test evaluates materials for archival quality and their use in photographic enclosures. Many different types of materials can be tested including, but not limited to: paper, boards, plastic, adhesives, pens, stickers, labels, paints and inks. The test involves incubating samples and detectors in a high-temperature, high-humidity accelerated aging environment.
Now I know that stamps and photographs are not the same. If you ask my opinion, I think photographs are more delicate than stamps, chemically speaking, but this is beside the point.
The test does cover non photographic material, as is the case with the 3M 811 product.
I for one will always follow the science! If it fails me, I will admit it (as I did when we discussed a seemingly new recent product problem with the last rolls of tape received...and by the way, any residue noted did rub off easily and completely).
But I refuse the fear mongering that meets every new scientific step. We are not going back to paper hinges with water soluble glue!
How sure are you that the plastic material that mounts are made from today, will not react negatively with the precious stamps you house in them, in say 25 years? I see most collectors accepting mounts without any question. Has anyone checked the testing standards and protocols for mounts? You are putting your stamp in direct contact, top and bottom with a plastic based casing! think about it! How do pollutants react with it? temperature? humidity?
It is easy to pick one thing you are uncomfortable with, but let us do it with science, not just feelings, and "folktales". And you may still be 100% correct!
rrr..
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
rrr.. (my black lab, Snug, often said your name.)
Fair comments, and you're right, I don't know whether my mounts (and stock pages) are archival. It's possible, in fact, that the Vario pages contain plasticizers that act as solvents on those Post-It notes. You have certainly done your homework. Thank you for providing that additional background.
Bob
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
There is mention of smaller hinges, and the 3M tape being used.
What's wrong with just getting a couple of packets of ordinary hinges to put the stamps on the pages? Problem solved.
Put 3 holes in the pages, put the pages in a binder and then you have them when you need them. As the pages empty, take off the last few stamps, and reuse the page. Doesn't matter if there are a lot of hinge marks on the pages.
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10:03:53am
re: Question about using Approval Templates
I thank everyone for their responses; I have a better idea of this now. If I post approvals, I will use the clear vario pages and templates. That sounds like the best solution to me.
If I were to buy any item here, I would hope the seller discloses that they did use tape of any kind, no matter what the science or personal opinion of that process is. It is up to the BUYER to determine if it matters, and yes, that could be seen as irrational in the face of recent technological advances in tape development, but do provide that information and let the buyer decide.
Cheers,
Peter
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
30 Jan 2015
11:25:32am
re: Question about using Approval Templates
You got it in one, Peter. Regardless of any seller opinion, anything which might affect the buyer's decision to purchase any item should always be disclosed. I am a big fan of light pencil notations on the back of used stamps with common designs and see no harm in the practice, but knowing that many buyers object to same, I will always note my predilection to making those marks to buyers of my used stamps.
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
Hi Everyone;
@ Peter;
I like the black Vario pages because, I don't have to waste VERY expensive printer ink,
trying to make a dark background to better show off my offerings. To avoid the VERY
expensive Vario pages, I just re-use them. As I take the scanned stamps off of the page,
I place them in #4 glassines, also re-usable (less than 5¢ ea. per/1,000). I add a paper
insert, so I'm not marking on the glassine, so it is more easily re-used. The paper insert
has been marked with country name, book #, and page #.
I don't have to buy expensive hinges or tape. The paper slips are from cut-up fan-fold
that my sister gave me 4,000 sheets of. She threw out her pin printer years ago. If you
really try to conserve it is very easy to save money. You do not have to be a tree-hugging
hippie to be a good conservationist, only a real cheap skate like me.
Also some fussy collectors (me included) don't like hinge goop on the back of even cheap
used stamps. Even if they intend to mount with hinges.
It might be possible to contract HEP-C from licking the portion of the hinge to go on the
album page. When you lick that area, your tongue is very close to touching the stamp.
I have heard on here of collectors who use Q-tips to moisten the hinge claiming that it
gives better control and makes the hinge more easily removable.
I always soak/press all stamps that are used and have any hinge adhesive remaining.
I no longer buy mounted stamps either. Too much time spent removing hinges or causing
thins. So the few stamps I do get that have goop on their backs, I just soak/press clean.
That makes for a very flat and much cleaner specimen for someone's album.
I will be publishing some articles on these techniques when I have all the wrinkles ironed
out. And everyone take note, that if I got any ideas from your posts that I incorporate
into an article I will get your permission to include and give credits if you wish.
Just a couple thoughts....
TuskenRaider
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
"I place them in #4 glassines, also re-usable (less than 5¢ ea. per/1,000"
Do you mail the stamp in the glassines or do you remove them and reuse the glassines?
And isn't it extremely time consuming to make up a slip of paper with country name, book and page number? I suppose if you pre-made sheets with this info that you'd be able to slip them in the envelope.
I just move the stamps off the vario sheet onto a cheaper manila stock page and move the number with the stamp (I use slips of paper for numbers). It is quick and easy. I wait until after the first week of sales to move them. By then I have usually sold a bunch so there are many fewer to move. I switched to books with only 12 pages so I only need 6 Hagnar sheets per book.
In any case, I really enjoy reading how everyone else does their approvals. I think you were the one who suggested moving to the manila cards - that really helped to free up the Hagnar sheets. So - keep sharing those ideas!!!! Super helpful.
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
Hi Everyone;
All these steps have been exhaustively time-studied. I learned that science as a
Manufacturing Engineer years ago.
1) All the stamps stay in the marked envelopes, until sold or retired. All the stamps
for one buyer's selections, are removed from the envelopes and placed in a single
envelope for shipping, and further protected by non-corrugated cardboard
(pizza box, I like to recycle).
2) The blank slips are cut from sheets on a large (X-acto brand) paper cutter, with
adjustable stops. I can cut 200-400 per hour.
3) Writing by pencil "Great Britain bk # xxxx, page # xxxx", takes all of ten seconds!
4) Cutting the slips up if printed in a printer would be too slow, writing is faster.
5) Placing slips with numbers into Vario, and then moving them again to manila stock
pages is handling them twice, but I'm happy to hear that it is working well for you tho.
Adding numbers to the scans is very fast and you only need to do it once!
Thanks so much for the compliments, and I'm glad you found my tips useful! I'll
publish some articles after I do a bit more research, so others can find out what I've
learned in fifty some odd years of collecting.
I intend to do extensive research on Watermark detection, as this aspect seems to
be the least understood and mastered art of collecting.
Not everyone will agree on the methods I chose. Not everyone will approach a task
with mathematical precision. They do what they do the way they do it, because their
hobby is very relaxing, and that is enough for them. It's okay to do it any way you
like as long as it works for you, and makes you happy.
Just some thoughts....
TuskenRaider
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
But Tusken, You've only sold a few hundred lots - would your method work for thousands or would it become unwieldy?
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
Hi Everyone;
@ nl1947;
Hey that's a very clever approach! However all my stamps aren't yet scanned, so it would
be extra steps for me, so I'll stick with just one scan. Your's is not only clever but very
attractively presented and better than most of what I've seen on here.
@ philatelia;
I'll just ramp up the scale some. I've found a cardboard mailer, that holds rows of #4
glassines in three rows wide, by 12" in depth. They are from Office Max or Staples, I
can't remember which. Here are the specifics; they are 15½" in width, by 12"
front-to-back, and 4" high, and have a attached cover that hinges in the back.
I cut 3" wide x 14" long strips of cardboard for dividers. I then bent 1" over at each end.
Next I glued the bent-over tabs to the inside front and back of the boxes. This produces
a three bin box for three rows of #4 glassines. My estimate is fifty pages of approvals per
row, or 150 pages per box. the average size of most of my pages is 25-30 stamps per
page and more for definitives. So 150 pages x 25 stamps is = 3,750 per box, and I have
4 boxes, so 3,750 x 4 = 15,000.
My original plan was to only test out the approvals section, and list more material later.
So I have 150,000 stamps to sort thru, and estimate 60,000-75,000 can be sold in
approvals. Gee I'm gonna need more boxes!!!
In the past I've only bought stamp supplies with my PayPal funds from stamp sales on five
other sites. I always buy glassines in 1,000 lot boxes, because I know I'll always be able
to use them. I have 2,000 #4s and 5,000 #3s.
I knew that with such a huge number of stamps to organize, I would have to experiment
and plan ahead to do everything with efficiency if I expect to finish in my lifetime.
I will have to start my watermarking research soon, so I can sort out this giant mountain
of stuff, but I'm looking forward to using my problem solving and engineering skills once
again!
Keep on stampin'....
TuskenRaider
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re: Question about using Approval Templates
Holey Smokes that's a lot of stamps! OK get busy! Let's see some approval books. Do the Ireland first, hint hint!!!
Heh heh, just thought you needed a woman nagging to get you posting some material. tee hee
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07:17:43pm
re: Question about using Approval Templates
Peter, I use clear Hawid mounts that I obtain in collections, sales books, etc., on the spaces of the templates. Easy to put the stamps in and take them out when sold. Can be used over and over again, and there is no need to add number tabs. Yet, most of my pages are black stock pages...go figure...
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