Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Adam
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01:29:22am
Adam, just off the top of my had this seems like a risky choice. Glues, chemicals and what ever is in non-acid free paper products often migrate rom where they were to where hey should not be.
Even philatelic glassine envelopes seem to tone after fifty o so years although as far as I can see that doesn't harm stamps. You are planning to store stamps for a significant period of time with untested chemicals in close proximity with one another and your stamps. I have stamps that were originally put in envelopes by my parents, some 60-70 years ago, possibly longer, not by plan, just by accident and I see no problem having developed.
But I think your results over time may be tragic for your stamps.
I am sure some other members will add specific dangers for you to consider.
Checking with Subway Stamp shop in Altoona Pennsylvania I see;
1000 #102BK CARDS & H BOX
Item #: ZGK102CK-O
$34.47
and
1000 #102 CARDS-BLANK
Item #: ZGK102C
$50.25
sale $30.15
I have dealt with Subway" since they were a small kiosk at the entrance to a NYC Subway station with no problem that was not dealt with immediately and courteously. They have been in business since the 1930s through several owners most in the same family.
I'd skip the eBay seller.
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The index cards I bought from Office Depot are acid free. No I just need to check the wax paper.
Thanks for the heads up.
Adam
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09:04:42am
Adam, also check the tape you use.
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The tape is critical. I've pulled some very expensive sets from the old crystal mounts that most people taped the ends of to prevent the stamps from falling out and not one of them came out totally unscathed. Nothing you can do to get rid of the tape stains either.
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Hi Everyone;
Why do people insist on re-inventing the wheel?
Are you kidding me? Tape and wax paper. That is a train wreck, waiting to happen.
By the way at what temperature does wax melt at? And what kind of wax is used for food safe use?
Were you going to braise or sauté those stamps? What kind of side dish would you serve with them?
Last-but-not-least, were you planning on selling them on SOR? Will you agree to a disclaimer if they
get listed on here so others will know to avoid them.
Keep the box, use the index cards for shopping lists, use the wax paper for leftovers, and just buy
glassines. They are what folks have been using for decades and they work.
Don't feel too bad tho....I've probably done dumber things than that for sure. I can recall at least
several Rube Goldbergs, and yes I did buy Crystal Mount and used tape, thankfully on only a few
items tho....live and learn huh?
Just pinein' away....
TuskenRaider
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Thanks for the comments. I think that while my intention was good (to save money) the results would have been bad in the end. I understand now that tape and/or wax paper can ruin stamps. I didn't know that. The tape wasn't really near touching the stamp, but I suppose the chemicals could leech over time through the paper. Better to be safe than sorry.
I liked the link posted to purchase a set of 1000 cards and it comes with a box as well. I think it was about $40 (shipping included). It's a lot more economical than other sites I've looked at.
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Chris,
Maybe you're right...I've learned that written communication can be perceived as harsh, but it is not necessarily intended that way. Anyway, I appreciated the correction as to methodology. It's important that I learn the proper methodology of storing even low value stamps. You're right, the bulk of these were for temporary storage of low value stamps, but there were a few worth more.
Anyway, thanks for your comments.
I do wonder how long it would take for wax paper to affect a stamp. It probably would depend on the storage temperature, humidity, etc.Some of these stamps had to be soaked apart because they had fused together into a real mess.
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adam31415926 said,
"Some of these stamps had to be soaked apart because they had fused together into a real mess."
I may be making an unwarranted assumption, but if you are talking here about storage of mint stamps that have been soaked, they won't be worth much at all, and may not even be worth the time and effort to store them safely. They are often referred to as "unused" stamps as opposed to mint stamps.
Stamp catalogues generally give the same value mint stamps without their original gum as they do for used stamps. In the real world, however, few collectors accept them unused stamps at all, and certainly wouldn't pay anything near catalogue value for them. If you do plan to sell them, it's imperative that you indicate that are without gum.
You also wonder how long it might take for wax paper to deteriorate and affect a stamp. There really is no answer. Not only are storage conditions highly variable, wax paper itself has probably never been tested for archival use and may vary greatly in its components from batch to batch and manufacturer to manufacturer.
Bob
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"Waxed Paper" generally comes in 2 forms
Paraffin coated
Microcrystalline wax coated - does not burn as easily
or mixtures of both + additives
In any event these are volatile petroleum derived products with unknown long term effects
Glassine is inert as it is basically just paper that is put through a mechanical process that aligns the fibers in one direction.
I imagine that one could buy it in roll form if needed.
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"I may be making an unwarranted assumption, but if you are talking here about storage of mint stamps that have been soaked, they won't be worth much at all, and may not even be worth the time and effort to store them safely. They are often referred to as "unused" stamps as opposed to mint stamps. "
Most of them aren't worth much at all anyway. I only had a handful of cases where I was forced to soak mint stamps. There was no other way to separate them. Some of them were CTO stamps stuck together. Regardless, I still would like to catalog them and store them properly. I will be sure to indicate that they are unused (no gum).
" Stamp catalogues generally give the same value mint stamps without their original gum as they do for used stamps. In the real world, however, few collectors accept them unused stamps at all, and certainly wouldn't pay anything near catalogue value for them. If you do plan to sell them, it's imperative that you indicate that are without gum."
I plan to indicate the condition, like I said above. I would think that the price a collector would be willing to pay would be similar to a used stamp for common stamps.
Thanks,
Adam
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Nelson
"I imagine that one could buy it in roll form if needed."
Could you really? Have you ever seen glassine paper sold like this? Now you have me curious. If you come across a link, maybe you could post it?
Thanks.
Adam
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Google is your friend...
http://www.amazon.com/Canson-Glassine-Roll-Inches-Yards/dp/B0015QAUEY
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Hi Everyone;
Yes Adam, my remarks probably came off as a bit harsh. I was just trying to be emphatic, to be
sure to make a point that it is a bad idea.
I was burned several times by some of my own ideas many decades ago, when there were no
forums to use where people could tell me what a bad & dumb idea I had come up with.
I wish that I had been in a stamp club and shared those ideas then, instead of wasting all that
time I could have used to sort stamps, or to warn others don't try this at home!
Someone else on here thought 811 tape was great for hinges, but after receiving a bad batch
of the tape and getting residue on their backs, he had second thoughts on his idea. We should
all be grateful for those people that are daring enough to think outside the box and be different.
We can learn from them and be glad it was tested and proven to be not so good of an idea.
I've been using 3"x5" index cards for shopping lists for about 20 years now, the result of one
of MY bad ideas. If you get a lemon, make lemonade. That box you show in the picture is very
useful for #3 glassine storage. I have some of those that I use and mine will also fit #4 glass-
ines as well.
Just thinkin' too much....
TuskenRaider
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I took a look at that Amazon page for a roll of glassine, not because I need it but because I was curious. Sheets of glassine are sometimes used as interleaving in albums; I have a box of glassine sheets that I bought for my U.S. Lighthouse album.
That Amazon add raises a question I have been wondering about: the seller will not ship to Canada. I often encounter stamp dealers on eBay who also won't ship to Canada. Why is that? The postage is just a few cents more, and I'm always willing to pay reasonable shipping costs. I don't get it? Last time I checked, Canadian money was legal tender. It's not like Canada is a bad risk when it comes to loss of mail. I can only think of one time in the last 30 years when mail from abroad went missing. And shipments of stamps these days almost never go through customs. What gives? Why are people in the U.S. so mean to us Canucks?
Bob
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Glassine in rolls ...
Seems there are a few sellers
http://www.amazon.com/Glassine-Roll-36-Inches-Yards/dp/B00K5WBQX8/ref=sr_1_4?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1430777049&sr=1-4&keywords=glassine+rolls
http://www.amazon.com/Glassine-Rolls-25-inches-yards/dp/B003XKDCKE
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I bought my last lot of Glassine envelopes from http://clearbags.ca/
not sure if they sell it by the roll but you could inquire. Shipping was fast and quality seems very good. They are top opening and come in usual standard sizes.
Vic
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06:25:20pm
Bob, when a letter get over a few ounces, or becomes non-machinable, the cost to ship to Canada is much more than a few pennies more. That being said, if the recipient is willing to pay, I also do not understand why sellers refuse. Maybe it is the custom form thing? Now there are places I will not ship, but it is because of the unreliability of the destination's postal system, something which is not true of Canada.
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@Bobby:
I almost never buy anything on eBay other than a single cover or stamps (singles or sets, or souvenir sheets, booklet panes, etc. The covers might come packed with stiff cardboard or plastic, but weight is negligible. And, as I say, customs really isn't an issue, although I suppose that filling out customs forms is a bit of a hassle. I'm afraid that the problem may be nothing more than isolationism. After all, we Canucks are a shifty lot. I might be a Muslim terrorist!
Bob
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Adam, this is a very timely post, as I am going through a similar decision process. What to do with the thousands (tens of thousands?) of used US stamps I have accumulated? I was considering these options:
1. Manila stock pages - would easily hold 12 issues per page.
2. Manila stock pages - squeezing in two issues per row would hold 24 issues per page.
3. 104 Cards - one issue per card.
4. #4 Glassine Envelopes - one issue per card.
Haven't made a decision yet, but I have done the cost analysis. Since US stamps are up to Scott # 5000 or so, I figure there are about 4000 issues to contend with. Buying in lots of 100 manila stock pages or 1000 104 cards or #4 glassine envelopes, plus adding in costs for 3-ring binders and red boxes, I come up with the following:
So basically, the cost is about $200 unless you double up on the manila pages and cut that in half. Another "benefit" of the manila pages is that because of their lot size, the capacity is actually 4800, and not 4000. So at the current rate of issue from the US Post Office, that extra 800 issue capacity should last about 18 months. 
That extra capacity also drops the per issue cost down to about 2 cents each for the Manila 24 option.
For what it's worth, here are the rest of my assumptions and constraints:
- Capicity required is 4000 stamp issues
- Manila sheets cost $39.12 per 100
- 104 Cards cost $37.69 per 1000
- #4 Glassines cost $42.57 per 1000
- 2" 3-ring binders costs $5 each
- #104 Red Storage Boxes costs $5.33 each
- Manila stock sheets hold 12 or 24 issues per page
- A 2" 3-ring binder holds 50 manila stock pages
- A #4 Red Box will hold 1000 104 cards or #4 glassines
- Shipping costs excluded
Prices are from Subway where possible.
And yes, the cost analysis is only part of the decision process.
And yes, I are an engineer. 
-Steve
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Hi Everyone;
@ GeoStamper;
Here is an idea; I purchased some mailers from either Office Max or Staples a few years ago.
They are standard size mailers and should still be available. Their size is 12" front-to-back,
15½" side-to-side, and 4¼" high. These are outside dimensions.
I use them for #4 glassines. Here's how:
1) I placed two pieces of 3/8" x 3½" x 11-7/16" pine inside the box to be glued to front and back.
2) The boards were slotted ¼" wide slot half-way thru.
3) I then cut a 15¼" long x 3½ high x ¼" thick pine board.
4) I cut two slots ¼" wide and half-way thru this board.
5) Next I interlocked the two small boards to the longer board, looks like a Loraine cross.
6) Then I drilled holes for drywall nails (very large heads), to make them a gentle press fit.
7) Last I placed the whole thing inside of the box and applied Elmer's white wood glue, and
gently pressed the nails into the drilled holes to give the box added strength.
The extra steps of glue and large headed nails will give the box enough strength to last for
many years.
In use I can get three rows of #4 glassines in this box about 1,000 per row if they are not
too full, or 2,000 in the whole box if they are thicker. Although it is not as deep as your
"red boxes" it probably costs way less, is fun to make yourself and will probably outlast
your red boxes. I have the "black boxes" very similar to the red ones, and I can tell they
would not last as long.
Yesterday I couldn't spell enganear, now I are one.
I worked as non-degreed Manufacturing Engineer in the 90s and later became a member of
Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Just lurkin'....
TuskenRaider
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09:06:37am
I guess I bought a few Manila stock pages at the beginning, but soon noticed that at some stamp stores or at the local stamp bourse there were frequently piles of relatively clean Manila pages, some with light pencil notations that could be erased with little effort, for sale at a fraction of new.
The last time I bought new stock pages was a fifty or hundred page box from Subway Stamps in Pennsylvania around fifteen years ago. I recall that because I had found a fellow selling large three inch, three ring binders at Howard's Flea Market, three for a dollar. That seemed like a good price so I asked him if he had any more. I wound up buying several boxes of six plus some loose ones for $1.00/ each box. On the outside was the logo from the Arthur Anderson Accounting firm which went belly up (2000-2001) due to their part in the Enron Bankruptcy Scandal.
Half of them still house newspaper clippings from Linn's and other stamp papers and the rest, I count seventeen, here on shelves house a large stock of extra stamps that I had accumulated on manila stock pages.
There are many good ways to economize, but home made "102" cards is not one of them.
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there's great information here; and I'm especially impressed with Adam's ability to soak it up and not take offense with our sometimes pointed ways.
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10:30:26am
I am impressed with Adam's ingenuity. Hey, this one didn't work out, but the next one might. Keep thinking outside the box, Adam, and keep sharing your ideas!
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Adam,
I wouldn't fill those 3 X 5 cards with recipes too quickly, since you can put glassines on them to make your own 102 cards. Several years ago I acquired a collection that was stored on this type of card. The collector just folded over the flap, or you could cut it off, to keep it out of the way and applied little dabs of glue at the top and bottom. I have not had any bad effects from the glue on these 50 year old cards, or any stamps in them. The glassine is 2 1/2 X 4 3/8"
Mike
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Good points, Anglophile & Webpaper. I don't begin to understand the regulation and application of Canada's taxes and customs duties as they apply to foreign stamp dealers, but at some point about a decade ago, it became impossible in practical terms for American dealers to "import" their stock into Canada for sale at stamp shows.
As I understand it, the dealers suddenly had to pay tax on every item they were importing into Canada, and then applying for a tax rebate for stamps that they didn't sell. My stamp club's annual stamp show, VANPEX (VANcouver Philatelic EXhibition), used to be attended by at least a dozen dealers from the U.S., most from the Pacific Northwest, especially Seattle. Then number of stamp dealers from the U.S. who attended VANPEX dropped to…zero!
I can't remember the last time I had to pay customs duty on stamps or covers. For a while in the late 90s and early 2010s, we had to pay a $5 fee just for "customs inspection" of items that were too inexpensive to apply customs duty on. Talk about a cash grab!
There's only one area of my "economic life" that is free of taxes, and that has to do with my military disability compensation. My university education was completely paid for by U.S. taxpayers, and my monthly 40% disability compensation in U.S. dollars is not taxable by either the U.S. or Canada.
Bob
Bob
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Mike,
That's a very interesting approach. Thanks for sharing that!
I'd be interested in seeing other homemade methods that are stamp safe.
Adam
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Something I just began working on is creating my own stock cards. I could have bought a block of 1000 cards from ebay for about $50, but I thought I would just make my own and save a little money. I am using a small piece of wax paper taped to a 3" x 5" plain index card on the sides and bottom using clear tape. I can cut a larger piece if needed. I also bought a box to store the cards that will hold 1000 cards. Anyway, I just thought I would share the idea.
Adam
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
04 May 2015
01:29:22am
re: Homemade Stock Cards
Adam, just off the top of my had this seems like a risky choice. Glues, chemicals and what ever is in non-acid free paper products often migrate rom where they were to where hey should not be.
Even philatelic glassine envelopes seem to tone after fifty o so years although as far as I can see that doesn't harm stamps. You are planning to store stamps for a significant period of time with untested chemicals in close proximity with one another and your stamps. I have stamps that were originally put in envelopes by my parents, some 60-70 years ago, possibly longer, not by plan, just by accident and I see no problem having developed.
But I think your results over time may be tragic for your stamps.
I am sure some other members will add specific dangers for you to consider.
Checking with Subway Stamp shop in Altoona Pennsylvania I see;
1000 #102BK CARDS & H BOX
Item #: ZGK102CK-O
$34.47
and
1000 #102 CARDS-BLANK
Item #: ZGK102C
$50.25
sale $30.15
I have dealt with Subway" since they were a small kiosk at the entrance to a NYC Subway station with no problem that was not dealt with immediately and courteously. They have been in business since the 1930s through several owners most in the same family.
I'd skip the eBay seller.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
The index cards I bought from Office Depot are acid free. No I just need to check the wax paper.
Thanks for the heads up.
Adam
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
04 May 2015
09:04:42am
re: Homemade Stock Cards
Adam, also check the tape you use.
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12:29:22pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Homemade Stock Cards
The tape is critical. I've pulled some very expensive sets from the old crystal mounts that most people taped the ends of to prevent the stamps from falling out and not one of them came out totally unscathed. Nothing you can do to get rid of the tape stains either.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Hi Everyone;
Why do people insist on re-inventing the wheel?
Are you kidding me? Tape and wax paper. That is a train wreck, waiting to happen.
By the way at what temperature does wax melt at? And what kind of wax is used for food safe use?
Were you going to braise or sauté those stamps? What kind of side dish would you serve with them?
Last-but-not-least, were you planning on selling them on SOR? Will you agree to a disclaimer if they
get listed on here so others will know to avoid them.
Keep the box, use the index cards for shopping lists, use the wax paper for leftovers, and just buy
glassines. They are what folks have been using for decades and they work.
Don't feel too bad tho....I've probably done dumber things than that for sure. I can recall at least
several Rube Goldbergs, and yes I did buy Crystal Mount and used tape, thankfully on only a few
items tho....live and learn huh?
Just pinein' away....
TuskenRaider
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Thanks for the comments. I think that while my intention was good (to save money) the results would have been bad in the end. I understand now that tape and/or wax paper can ruin stamps. I didn't know that. The tape wasn't really near touching the stamp, but I suppose the chemicals could leech over time through the paper. Better to be safe than sorry.
I liked the link posted to purchase a set of 1000 cards and it comes with a box as well. I think it was about $40 (shipping included). It's a lot more economical than other sites I've looked at.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Chris,
Maybe you're right...I've learned that written communication can be perceived as harsh, but it is not necessarily intended that way. Anyway, I appreciated the correction as to methodology. It's important that I learn the proper methodology of storing even low value stamps. You're right, the bulk of these were for temporary storage of low value stamps, but there were a few worth more.
Anyway, thanks for your comments.
I do wonder how long it would take for wax paper to affect a stamp. It probably would depend on the storage temperature, humidity, etc.Some of these stamps had to be soaked apart because they had fused together into a real mess.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
adam31415926 said,
"Some of these stamps had to be soaked apart because they had fused together into a real mess."
I may be making an unwarranted assumption, but if you are talking here about storage of mint stamps that have been soaked, they won't be worth much at all, and may not even be worth the time and effort to store them safely. They are often referred to as "unused" stamps as opposed to mint stamps.
Stamp catalogues generally give the same value mint stamps without their original gum as they do for used stamps. In the real world, however, few collectors accept them unused stamps at all, and certainly wouldn't pay anything near catalogue value for them. If you do plan to sell them, it's imperative that you indicate that are without gum.
You also wonder how long it might take for wax paper to deteriorate and affect a stamp. There really is no answer. Not only are storage conditions highly variable, wax paper itself has probably never been tested for archival use and may vary greatly in its components from batch to batch and manufacturer to manufacturer.
Bob
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05:25:09pm
re: Homemade Stock Cards
"Waxed Paper" generally comes in 2 forms
Paraffin coated
Microcrystalline wax coated - does not burn as easily
or mixtures of both + additives
In any event these are volatile petroleum derived products with unknown long term effects
Glassine is inert as it is basically just paper that is put through a mechanical process that aligns the fibers in one direction.
I imagine that one could buy it in roll form if needed.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
"I may be making an unwarranted assumption, but if you are talking here about storage of mint stamps that have been soaked, they won't be worth much at all, and may not even be worth the time and effort to store them safely. They are often referred to as "unused" stamps as opposed to mint stamps. "
Most of them aren't worth much at all anyway. I only had a handful of cases where I was forced to soak mint stamps. There was no other way to separate them. Some of them were CTO stamps stuck together. Regardless, I still would like to catalog them and store them properly. I will be sure to indicate that they are unused (no gum).
" Stamp catalogues generally give the same value mint stamps without their original gum as they do for used stamps. In the real world, however, few collectors accept them unused stamps at all, and certainly wouldn't pay anything near catalogue value for them. If you do plan to sell them, it's imperative that you indicate that are without gum."
I plan to indicate the condition, like I said above. I would think that the price a collector would be willing to pay would be similar to a used stamp for common stamps.
Thanks,
Adam
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Nelson
"I imagine that one could buy it in roll form if needed."
Could you really? Have you ever seen glassine paper sold like this? Now you have me curious. If you come across a link, maybe you could post it?
Thanks.
Adam
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Google is your friend...
http://www.amazon.com/Canson-Glassine-Roll-Inches-Yards/dp/B0015QAUEY
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Hi Everyone;
Yes Adam, my remarks probably came off as a bit harsh. I was just trying to be emphatic, to be
sure to make a point that it is a bad idea.
I was burned several times by some of my own ideas many decades ago, when there were no
forums to use where people could tell me what a bad & dumb idea I had come up with.
I wish that I had been in a stamp club and shared those ideas then, instead of wasting all that
time I could have used to sort stamps, or to warn others don't try this at home!
Someone else on here thought 811 tape was great for hinges, but after receiving a bad batch
of the tape and getting residue on their backs, he had second thoughts on his idea. We should
all be grateful for those people that are daring enough to think outside the box and be different.
We can learn from them and be glad it was tested and proven to be not so good of an idea.
I've been using 3"x5" index cards for shopping lists for about 20 years now, the result of one
of MY bad ideas. If you get a lemon, make lemonade. That box you show in the picture is very
useful for #3 glassine storage. I have some of those that I use and mine will also fit #4 glass-
ines as well.
Just thinkin' too much....
TuskenRaider
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
I took a look at that Amazon page for a roll of glassine, not because I need it but because I was curious. Sheets of glassine are sometimes used as interleaving in albums; I have a box of glassine sheets that I bought for my U.S. Lighthouse album.
That Amazon add raises a question I have been wondering about: the seller will not ship to Canada. I often encounter stamp dealers on eBay who also won't ship to Canada. Why is that? The postage is just a few cents more, and I'm always willing to pay reasonable shipping costs. I don't get it? Last time I checked, Canadian money was legal tender. It's not like Canada is a bad risk when it comes to loss of mail. I can only think of one time in the last 30 years when mail from abroad went missing. And shipments of stamps these days almost never go through customs. What gives? Why are people in the U.S. so mean to us Canucks?
Bob
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06:06:32pm
re: Homemade Stock Cards
Glassine in rolls ...
Seems there are a few sellers
http://www.amazon.com/Glassine-Roll-36-Inches-Yards/dp/B00K5WBQX8/ref=sr_1_4?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1430777049&sr=1-4&keywords=glassine+rolls
http://www.amazon.com/Glassine-Rolls-25-inches-yards/dp/B003XKDCKE
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Approvals
re: Homemade Stock Cards
I bought my last lot of Glassine envelopes from http://clearbags.ca/
not sure if they sell it by the roll but you could inquire. Shipping was fast and quality seems very good. They are top opening and come in usual standard sizes.
Vic
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
04 May 2015
06:25:20pm
re: Homemade Stock Cards
Bob, when a letter get over a few ounces, or becomes non-machinable, the cost to ship to Canada is much more than a few pennies more. That being said, if the recipient is willing to pay, I also do not understand why sellers refuse. Maybe it is the custom form thing? Now there are places I will not ship, but it is because of the unreliability of the destination's postal system, something which is not true of Canada.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
@Bobby:
I almost never buy anything on eBay other than a single cover or stamps (singles or sets, or souvenir sheets, booklet panes, etc. The covers might come packed with stiff cardboard or plastic, but weight is negligible. And, as I say, customs really isn't an issue, although I suppose that filling out customs forms is a bit of a hassle. I'm afraid that the problem may be nothing more than isolationism. After all, we Canucks are a shifty lot. I might be a Muslim terrorist!
Bob
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Adam, this is a very timely post, as I am going through a similar decision process. What to do with the thousands (tens of thousands?) of used US stamps I have accumulated? I was considering these options:
1. Manila stock pages - would easily hold 12 issues per page.
2. Manila stock pages - squeezing in two issues per row would hold 24 issues per page.
3. 104 Cards - one issue per card.
4. #4 Glassine Envelopes - one issue per card.
Haven't made a decision yet, but I have done the cost analysis. Since US stamps are up to Scott # 5000 or so, I figure there are about 4000 issues to contend with. Buying in lots of 100 manila stock pages or 1000 104 cards or #4 glassine envelopes, plus adding in costs for 3-ring binders and red boxes, I come up with the following:
So basically, the cost is about $200 unless you double up on the manila pages and cut that in half. Another "benefit" of the manila pages is that because of their lot size, the capacity is actually 4800, and not 4000. So at the current rate of issue from the US Post Office, that extra 800 issue capacity should last about 18 months.
That extra capacity also drops the per issue cost down to about 2 cents each for the Manila 24 option.
For what it's worth, here are the rest of my assumptions and constraints:
- Capicity required is 4000 stamp issues
- Manila sheets cost $39.12 per 100
- 104 Cards cost $37.69 per 1000
- #4 Glassines cost $42.57 per 1000
- 2" 3-ring binders costs $5 each
- #104 Red Storage Boxes costs $5.33 each
- Manila stock sheets hold 12 or 24 issues per page
- A 2" 3-ring binder holds 50 manila stock pages
- A #4 Red Box will hold 1000 104 cards or #4 glassines
- Shipping costs excluded
Prices are from Subway where possible.
And yes, the cost analysis is only part of the decision process.
And yes, I are an engineer.
-Steve
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Hi Everyone;
@ GeoStamper;
Here is an idea; I purchased some mailers from either Office Max or Staples a few years ago.
They are standard size mailers and should still be available. Their size is 12" front-to-back,
15½" side-to-side, and 4¼" high. These are outside dimensions.
I use them for #4 glassines. Here's how:
1) I placed two pieces of 3/8" x 3½" x 11-7/16" pine inside the box to be glued to front and back.
2) The boards were slotted ¼" wide slot half-way thru.
3) I then cut a 15¼" long x 3½ high x ¼" thick pine board.
4) I cut two slots ¼" wide and half-way thru this board.
5) Next I interlocked the two small boards to the longer board, looks like a Loraine cross.
6) Then I drilled holes for drywall nails (very large heads), to make them a gentle press fit.
7) Last I placed the whole thing inside of the box and applied Elmer's white wood glue, and
gently pressed the nails into the drilled holes to give the box added strength.
The extra steps of glue and large headed nails will give the box enough strength to last for
many years.
In use I can get three rows of #4 glassines in this box about 1,000 per row if they are not
too full, or 2,000 in the whole box if they are thicker. Although it is not as deep as your
"red boxes" it probably costs way less, is fun to make yourself and will probably outlast
your red boxes. I have the "black boxes" very similar to the red ones, and I can tell they
would not last as long.
Yesterday I couldn't spell enganear, now I are one.
I worked as non-degreed Manufacturing Engineer in the 90s and later became a member of
Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Just lurkin'....
TuskenRaider
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
05 May 2015
09:06:37am
re: Homemade Stock Cards
I guess I bought a few Manila stock pages at the beginning, but soon noticed that at some stamp stores or at the local stamp bourse there were frequently piles of relatively clean Manila pages, some with light pencil notations that could be erased with little effort, for sale at a fraction of new.
The last time I bought new stock pages was a fifty or hundred page box from Subway Stamps in Pennsylvania around fifteen years ago. I recall that because I had found a fellow selling large three inch, three ring binders at Howard's Flea Market, three for a dollar. That seemed like a good price so I asked him if he had any more. I wound up buying several boxes of six plus some loose ones for $1.00/ each box. On the outside was the logo from the Arthur Anderson Accounting firm which went belly up (2000-2001) due to their part in the Enron Bankruptcy Scandal.
Half of them still house newspaper clippings from Linn's and other stamp papers and the rest, I count seventeen, here on shelves house a large stock of extra stamps that I had accumulated on manila stock pages.
There are many good ways to economize, but home made "102" cards is not one of them.
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
there's great information here; and I'm especially impressed with Adam's ability to soak it up and not take offense with our sometimes pointed ways.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
05 May 2015
10:30:26am
re: Homemade Stock Cards
I am impressed with Adam's ingenuity. Hey, this one didn't work out, but the next one might. Keep thinking outside the box, Adam, and keep sharing your ideas!
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Adam,
I wouldn't fill those 3 X 5 cards with recipes too quickly, since you can put glassines on them to make your own 102 cards. Several years ago I acquired a collection that was stored on this type of card. The collector just folded over the flap, or you could cut it off, to keep it out of the way and applied little dabs of glue at the top and bottom. I have not had any bad effects from the glue on these 50 year old cards, or any stamps in them. The glassine is 2 1/2 X 4 3/8"
Mike
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Good points, Anglophile & Webpaper. I don't begin to understand the regulation and application of Canada's taxes and customs duties as they apply to foreign stamp dealers, but at some point about a decade ago, it became impossible in practical terms for American dealers to "import" their stock into Canada for sale at stamp shows.
As I understand it, the dealers suddenly had to pay tax on every item they were importing into Canada, and then applying for a tax rebate for stamps that they didn't sell. My stamp club's annual stamp show, VANPEX (VANcouver Philatelic EXhibition), used to be attended by at least a dozen dealers from the U.S., most from the Pacific Northwest, especially Seattle. Then number of stamp dealers from the U.S. who attended VANPEX dropped to…zero!
I can't remember the last time I had to pay customs duty on stamps or covers. For a while in the late 90s and early 2010s, we had to pay a $5 fee just for "customs inspection" of items that were too inexpensive to apply customs duty on. Talk about a cash grab!
There's only one area of my "economic life" that is free of taxes, and that has to do with my military disability compensation. My university education was completely paid for by U.S. taxpayers, and my monthly 40% disability compensation in U.S. dollars is not taxable by either the U.S. or Canada.
Bob
Bob
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re: Homemade Stock Cards
Mike,
That's a very interesting approach. Thanks for sharing that!
I'd be interested in seeing other homemade methods that are stamp safe.
Adam
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