I was wondering if there are any other ideas for storing a collection safely without using a stamp album or a stock book. Being a topical stamp set collector I went out and bought some Vario pages and a few albums to store them in. After adding some stamps to a few pages I decided I didn't like the fact that 1 page had a few stamps in it and then I had to switch to another size page because the next stamps were a different size. I'm trying to keep the countries together. I want to fill a page then work on the next page. To do this I thought I would do my own pages so I bought a few binders from Staples, some mounts and the blank quad-ruled Scott pages. I didn't realize that the Scott pages were larger than the binders I bought. I returned the binders and figured my only option was to buy the Scott binders to fit the pages until I saw the cost. Before I drop $60 on an empty binder and slipcase I was wondering if there's another option out there. I was looking at sketchbooks for a reasonable price that I could use to make my own pages. They come hard or spiral bound with 65 lb paper. If anyone has an opinion on these please let me know. Other than that I'm lost. Right now I'm using Glassine Envelopes to store my stamps in until I come up with something. Thanks for the read and any ideas appreciated.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
"I didn't realize that the Scott pages were larger than the binders I bought. I returned the binders and figured my only option was to buy the Scott binders to fit the pages until I saw the cost. "
Why didn't you go the other way? Keep the binders, ditch the Scott pages and buy standard size 3-ring quadrille pages?
You can also find free on-line templates for printing your own "graph" paper with various weights of lines. Then you can print your own on whatever paper you like.
Roy
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re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
Thanks for the response. Doesn't the paper have to be a certain pound to handle the weight of the stamps on the page? Are those quad-ruled pages thicker for the 8x10 binders? That's why I kept the Scott ones.
and you can print free pages in several designs and even add your own heading before printing
You can also buy commercially printed pages. Here is a link to the catalogue of a Canadian supplier. I searched for similar products in the US, but didn't find any immediately. I am sure they are available somewhere.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
"Think the web site said it was 50lb stock. I use 65lb card stock for my Steiner pages."
North American paper weights are just about the most confusing system of measurements imaginable. There is actually no discernible relationship between different types of paper and types of card stock weights, they are on completely different scales.
Logically one would expect 50lb paper to be around 77% as thick as 65lb card stock but that is not the case. The only way to compare is to first convert (using tables found on the web) each to a common unit such as grams/square meter. It turns out that 65lb card stock is nearly 2 1/2 times as thick as the 50lb paper.
"Go to this page http://www.iswsc.org/iswsc_albums.html
and you can print free pages in several designs and even add your own heading before printing"
If those don't exactly suit your needs, similar pages can be created in minutes using AlbumEasy , and with a little more effort you can create fully custom pages.
Clive
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re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
The paper weights can be confusing (bond, text, cover, index, card, etc) but all US papers show a metric equivalent such as 104 g/m2, etc. I prefer 28paper (around 5.8 mil) and 65/67 cover (around 8 mil). Minkus pages were around 8mil.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
I make my own album pages using 60# acid free stock from Staples. To do this I use a free software platform called Album Easy www.thestampweb.com. Before you panic, I want to let you know that I am no means a computer geek, and I was able to learn to use this in fairly short order. Album Easy allows the user to lay out different sized stamps on the same row, etc. There is a thread on the Supply Topic about Album Easy, check it out.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
David
I looked on line at Staples in the USA and i Canada and I could not find anything that was 60# acid free stock. Maybe I missed it or didn't search properly.
Could you provid a stock number or link to the paper?
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
When you talk about paper weight you must either use "GSM" (g/m2) or if you choose to use "lbs" you must indicate the type of paper, "text", "bond", "index", "cover". There is a different scale of weight in "lbs" for each paper type.
For example, Scott National paper is roughly 100 lb text. That is not the same in card or index weight.
So either use GSM or remain consistent when you quote paper type. I think in most cases people mean "text" but are saying index or card and provided the "text" weight.
Randomly search and you will find plenty of FAQs on paper company sites, such as...
The truth is within and only you can reveal it 08 Sep 2017 07:37:54pm
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
You might be well served by trying springback binders. Light house and some other manufactures make them and used ones can be found quite cheaply. They will accomodate many different types and sizes of pages.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
Doug,
As others have said, there is no 60# paper, I was working from memory (not always the best idea in my case). What I use is 67# acid free paper from Staples. The package does not have any stock numbers or other identifiers on it.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
I use both Stock books and defined pages using hinges for my GB collection. However, I'm currently reorganising my entire collection and have decided to make up my own pages following along the line of the Stanley Gibbons Windsor Album pages - one issue, one page. It'll take time but will be worth doing.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
"What I use is 67# acid free paper from Staples. The package does not have any stock numbers or other identifiers on it."
I was in Staples recently and checked their house brand 67 lb cover and it is listed as acid free on the package. If you go to their website, it does not show the colors as acid free.
re: Looking for an alternative to a stamp album and stock book
""acid free" versus archival"
Tom,
Would it not make a difference whether you are using hinges to attach directly to the paper versus mounts that protect the stamp?
I like using 8-1/2 x 11 pages, and when I don't use pre-printed pages or pre-printed blanks (with the decorative border), I use 67 pound card stock, a three hole punch, and a 3/8" corner rounder to match my pre-printed pages. Anything too big to go on a page goes into a sheet album. Often I will get two copies and split one for my album but keep the intact item in the sheet album. The only two things I have that won't fit that plan are an uncut press sheet of the World Stamp Expo Space sheet and intact strips of those silly US Flags of Our Nation coils. Those are both framed, and the divided versions of each are in the albums.
The advantages of 8-1/2 x 11 (more choices for paper, binders; easier to run through a printer; easy to punch holes) far outweigh the disadvantages (smaller page size).
Lars
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