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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

 

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karlfry
Members Picture


17 Apr 2017
01:23:11pm
Just want to see what everyone thinks. I have "thousands" of hinges. I have a new collection to mount. They are all mnh stamps. Is it really wrong to still use hinges for mint stamps? Just looking for some advise.Confused

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BermudaSailor
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17 Apr 2017
01:41:02pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I think it has a good deal to do with the value of the stamps themselves. The difference in resale value will diminish significantly if you hinge a MNH stamp. Obviously this relative downward change on stamp valued at 5 cents is a much smaller absolute number than similar downward change on a stamp valued at $50.

I suppose there is also the "disservice" you'd be doing to future generations of collectors as a result of hinging the collection, by depriving them of just that many MNH stamps.

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smauggie
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17 Apr 2017
02:04:56pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

Value isn't a huge consideration for me. I do not usually go out of my way to seek (and pay for) MNH examples. It is more a matter of preservation. Hinges can cause damage to the gum and to the stamp itself. Over all mounts provide the option of least possible damage.

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sheepshanks
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17 Apr 2017
02:12:10pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

Maybe, stock sheets/pages would also fit the bill and would allow for re-ordering without having to remove mounts or hinges from a page.

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stokesville
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18 Apr 2017
08:36:57am
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

As a rule if a MNH stamp has the minimum CV (currently 25 cents) I will not waste a mount on it and have no qualms about hinging it- especially if it's an older issue. Anything above minimum CV I will mount. Also, lower values of a set that may have the minimum CV, I will mount so the entire set is still MNH.

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lemaven
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18 Apr 2017
12:52:18pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I'm with "The Stoker" on this.

My "investments" are my stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Stamps are not an investment so much as an opportunity to learn about different cultures, history, politics, etc...to appreciate the beauty of the art...and to share this with my family and friends, walking them through albums and spinning stories.

Especially low/minimum CV. Isn't the "picture" worth more than the "frame"?

So why agonize over it? I'm happy to keep a nice-looking MH copy hinged to a page in my album to show my people, and give someone else (e.g. a fellow SoR member) a more pristine MNH version. The cost of a mount doesn't justify it (for me, at least) unless it is a more valuable stamp (e.g. I even mount Used if they are CV > $5).

Dave.

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angore
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Al
Collector, Moderator

18 Apr 2017
08:59:47pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

If it is Mint, I put it in a mount. Yes, I have stamps that are not as valuable as the cost of the mount. I had been putting many used ones in mounts too thinking I may replace it with a mint one later.

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"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"
HungaryForStamps
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18 Apr 2017
10:49:09pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I like mounts regardless of value of the stamp. I'd prefer not to spit on a work of art no matter how common. Plus, unless clear mounts are used, a mixture of hinged and mounted stamps on the same page look ugly.

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angore
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Al
Collector, Moderator

19 Apr 2017
07:06:58am
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I agree hinging a mint stamp is like damaging something. I sometimes feel guilty tossing some stamps in the trash that cannot be used.

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"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"
smauggie
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19 Apr 2017
01:52:42pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I prefer visual uniformity in my album. All stamps get mounted the same way with black mounts.

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lemaven
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19 Apr 2017
04:29:44pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"I sometimes feel guilty tossing some stamps in the trash that cannot be used."



An interesting side-point from angore/Al.

I was ruthless throwing away damaged stamps from "The Hoard" early on. But when I mentioned it, another member pointed out "your dreck could be be my gelt".

So I took a bunch of $1-10 CV stamps that had slight tears/thins/etc (all gum-side flaws - the face of the stamps looked fine. Even at 5% CV not a single one sold. So I tossed them.

And that's when I decided a nice looking stamp in an album - that I could show to people - was more "valuable" than a pristine MNH one encased in a plastic mount.

Just my thing as a common man - no disrespect to purists.






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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

20 Apr 2017
01:45:15am
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I agree;
".... I prefer visual uniformity in my album. ...."

So I use hinges, mint, used or otherwise.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
angore
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Al
Collector, Moderator

20 Apr 2017
12:40:56pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"So I use hinges, mint, used or otherwise."



My compromise on that was an experiment to use hinges and clear mounts as a test. I will be doing a some pages and see if I like it. I am likely going to remount them at some point on new pages.

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"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"
cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

21 Apr 2017
11:18:53am
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

If you are mounting what we should consider as "premium" stamps, mounts, properly sized might be justified. Otherwise traditional hinges work well.
Future buyers will always find reasons to devalue their offer. Some will complain about hinges and disturbed gum. At the next opportunity to make an offer for MNH mounted stamps they will often complain that mounts might conceal defects and are more difficult to check so a 20% - 30% deduction is made.
Essentially "You can't win."
Linn's reports that there are now some 700,000 different catalog listings and I am quite sure that some 90%++ are common enough to not justify the added expense and physical effort to be in mounts.
I'd love to know how many stamps can be mounted from a pack of crystalline mounts on the average. Let's say the common size for classic US Commemoratives. (At 45mm x 30mm per stamp, or 22mm x 15mm for definitives. )

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
sheepshanks
Members Picture


21 Apr 2017
12:29:14pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

My Machin mounts that I purchase as an 100 strip bundle (215mm length) work out to just over 2.3 cents Canadian per mount.
Probably a fair comparison figure for most mount sizes.
I have not factored in postage as I usually combine order with stamps or other items but would not make a huge difference in price.

Edited to correct decimal point placing.

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ChrisW
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APS# 175366

21 Apr 2017
02:45:38pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"If you are mounting what we should consider as "premium" stamps, mounts, properly sized might be justified. Otherwise traditional hinges work well."



This is assuming you are using "traditional" peelable hinges, which as we know are getting harder to find and when you do are quite expensive. Modern hinges or even if you use too much moisture on the old hinges will stick like cement. Trying to remove these will often thin the stamp or even tear a hole in the stamp.

And I would say you should never hinge a MNH stamp, at least one that is worth more than a few cents.
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"Collecting worldwide classic era stamps"
HungaryForStamps
Members Picture


21 Apr 2017
04:35:15pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I can understand the world wide collector's dilemma here. Were I a WW collector I would certainly not use mounts on every stamp. I'd probably go to hinges and mounts if stock books were not easy enough.

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larsdog
Members Picture


APS #220693 ATA#57179

21 Apr 2017
11:52:43pm
re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"I can understand the world wide collector's dilemma here. Were I a WW collector I would certainly not use mounts on every stamp. "



Good point! I only collect US and two topicals, so it's 100% black background mounts for me because I like the presentation, but I doubt I would feel the same way with a WW collection!

I know I could buy a few very expensive stamps with the money I spent on mounts (and pages and binders and dust covers), but for me, it's the final product that I want to reflect my care and research and planning.

As with most things in a hobby, what works best for you is right for you.

Lars

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Author/Postings
Members Picture
karlfry

17 Apr 2017
01:23:11pm

Just want to see what everyone thinks. I have "thousands" of hinges. I have a new collection to mount. They are all mnh stamps. Is it really wrong to still use hinges for mint stamps? Just looking for some advise.Confused

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this post
Members Picture
BermudaSailor

17 Apr 2017
01:41:02pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I think it has a good deal to do with the value of the stamps themselves. The difference in resale value will diminish significantly if you hinge a MNH stamp. Obviously this relative downward change on stamp valued at 5 cents is a much smaller absolute number than similar downward change on a stamp valued at $50.

I suppose there is also the "disservice" you'd be doing to future generations of collectors as a result of hinging the collection, by depriving them of just that many MNH stamps.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
smauggie

17 Apr 2017
02:04:56pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

Value isn't a huge consideration for me. I do not usually go out of my way to seek (and pay for) MNH examples. It is more a matter of preservation. Hinges can cause damage to the gum and to the stamp itself. Over all mounts provide the option of least possible damage.

Like
Login to Like
this post

canalzonepostalhisto ...
Members Picture
sheepshanks

17 Apr 2017
02:12:10pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

Maybe, stock sheets/pages would also fit the bill and would allow for re-ordering without having to remove mounts or hinges from a page.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
stokesville

18 Apr 2017
08:36:57am

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

As a rule if a MNH stamp has the minimum CV (currently 25 cents) I will not waste a mount on it and have no qualms about hinging it- especially if it's an older issue. Anything above minimum CV I will mount. Also, lower values of a set that may have the minimum CV, I will mount so the entire set is still MNH.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
lemaven

18 Apr 2017
12:52:18pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I'm with "The Stoker" on this.

My "investments" are my stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Stamps are not an investment so much as an opportunity to learn about different cultures, history, politics, etc...to appreciate the beauty of the art...and to share this with my family and friends, walking them through albums and spinning stories.

Especially low/minimum CV. Isn't the "picture" worth more than the "frame"?

So why agonize over it? I'm happy to keep a nice-looking MH copy hinged to a page in my album to show my people, and give someone else (e.g. a fellow SoR member) a more pristine MNH version. The cost of a mount doesn't justify it (for me, at least) unless it is a more valuable stamp (e.g. I even mount Used if they are CV > $5).

Dave.

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Members Picture
angore

Al
Collector, Moderator
18 Apr 2017
08:59:47pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

If it is Mint, I put it in a mount. Yes, I have stamps that are not as valuable as the cost of the mount. I had been putting many used ones in mounts too thinking I may replace it with a mint one later.

Like
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this post

"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"
Members Picture
HungaryForStamps

18 Apr 2017
10:49:09pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I like mounts regardless of value of the stamp. I'd prefer not to spit on a work of art no matter how common. Plus, unless clear mounts are used, a mixture of hinged and mounted stamps on the same page look ugly.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
angore

Al
Collector, Moderator
19 Apr 2017
07:06:58am

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I agree hinging a mint stamp is like damaging something. I sometimes feel guilty tossing some stamps in the trash that cannot be used.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"
Members Picture
smauggie

19 Apr 2017
01:52:42pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I prefer visual uniformity in my album. All stamps get mounted the same way with black mounts.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

canalzonepostalhisto ...
Members Picture
lemaven

19 Apr 2017
04:29:44pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"I sometimes feel guilty tossing some stamps in the trash that cannot be used."



An interesting side-point from angore/Al.

I was ruthless throwing away damaged stamps from "The Hoard" early on. But when I mentioned it, another member pointed out "your dreck could be be my gelt".

So I took a bunch of $1-10 CV stamps that had slight tears/thins/etc (all gum-side flaws - the face of the stamps looked fine. Even at 5% CV not a single one sold. So I tossed them.

And that's when I decided a nice looking stamp in an album - that I could show to people - was more "valuable" than a pristine MNH one encased in a plastic mount.

Just my thing as a common man - no disrespect to purists.






Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
20 Apr 2017
01:45:15am

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I agree;
".... I prefer visual uniformity in my album. ...."

So I use hinges, mint, used or otherwise.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Members Picture
angore

Al
Collector, Moderator
20 Apr 2017
12:40:56pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"So I use hinges, mint, used or otherwise."



My compromise on that was an experiment to use hinges and clear mounts as a test. I will be doing a some pages and see if I like it. I am likely going to remount them at some point on new pages.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Stamp Collecting is a many splendored thing"

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
21 Apr 2017
11:18:53am

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

If you are mounting what we should consider as "premium" stamps, mounts, properly sized might be justified. Otherwise traditional hinges work well.
Future buyers will always find reasons to devalue their offer. Some will complain about hinges and disturbed gum. At the next opportunity to make an offer for MNH mounted stamps they will often complain that mounts might conceal defects and are more difficult to check so a 20% - 30% deduction is made.
Essentially "You can't win."
Linn's reports that there are now some 700,000 different catalog listings and I am quite sure that some 90%++ are common enough to not justify the added expense and physical effort to be in mounts.
I'd love to know how many stamps can be mounted from a pack of crystalline mounts on the average. Let's say the common size for classic US Commemoratives. (At 45mm x 30mm per stamp, or 22mm x 15mm for definitives. )

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Members Picture
sheepshanks

21 Apr 2017
12:29:14pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

My Machin mounts that I purchase as an 100 strip bundle (215mm length) work out to just over 2.3 cents Canadian per mount.
Probably a fair comparison figure for most mount sizes.
I have not factored in postage as I usually combine order with stamps or other items but would not make a huge difference in price.

Edited to correct decimal point placing.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
ChrisW

APS# 175366
21 Apr 2017
02:45:38pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"If you are mounting what we should consider as "premium" stamps, mounts, properly sized might be justified. Otherwise traditional hinges work well."



This is assuming you are using "traditional" peelable hinges, which as we know are getting harder to find and when you do are quite expensive. Modern hinges or even if you use too much moisture on the old hinges will stick like cement. Trying to remove these will often thin the stamp or even tear a hole in the stamp.

And I would say you should never hinge a MNH stamp, at least one that is worth more than a few cents.
Like
Login to Like
this post

"Collecting worldwide classic era stamps"
Members Picture
HungaryForStamps

21 Apr 2017
04:35:15pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

I can understand the world wide collector's dilemma here. Were I a WW collector I would certainly not use mounts on every stamp. I'd probably go to hinges and mounts if stock books were not easy enough.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
larsdog

APS #220693 ATA#57179
21 Apr 2017
11:52:43pm

re: Mounts or Hinges? for mint stamps.

"I can understand the world wide collector's dilemma here. Were I a WW collector I would certainly not use mounts on every stamp. "



Good point! I only collect US and two topicals, so it's 100% black background mounts for me because I like the presentation, but I doubt I would feel the same way with a WW collection!

I know I could buy a few very expensive stamps with the money I spent on mounts (and pages and binders and dust covers), but for me, it's the final product that I want to reflect my care and research and planning.

As with most things in a hobby, what works best for you is right for you.

Lars

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

"Expanding your knowledge faster than your collection can save you a few bucks."

stamps.colp.info
        

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