Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't 12 Mar 2018 01:54:19pm
re: Watermarks?
Hi JR,
Some countries used watermarked paper extensively, others somewhat more limited. Sometimes the only difference between a rare stamp and a common one is the watermark; so yes watermarks are important. I would go further and say that some hobbyists do not bother to learn stamp manufacturing details and this lack of knowledge results incorrect stamp identification.
Wow, great info! Thanks a lot for helping a "Mega-Newbie!".
I had never heard of the "Stamp Smarter" website and will absolutely check out those videos/articles that you have outlined. Most likely this will be on my "Hobby To-Do" list for tonight.
My essential kit. Stamp tongs with rounded (spatulate) edges. Combination watermark tray and perforation gauge. Watermark fluid. Stamp mounts - Davo (the self adhesive kind -- not lick). Catalogues not shown.
I prefer Paloalbums.com for this stuff. There are more likely less expensive places to purchase these items.
Determining watermark and perforation are vital. Never touch a stamp with your fingers - use tongs.
Collecting Worldwide is a great way to go, but if you want to bore down deep, you may want to consider collecting one country. I finally came to that conclusion and collect Great Britain, Australia, U.S. and Colonial Africa.Oh, that's more than one country isn't it.
I never had even heard of such a thing and to be honest, I'm surprised. I also used to like to build model kits of WW1/WW2 stuff, so certainly I would have thought that a "kit" of such a thing would have existed. Very interesting stuff, thank you!
@Wine,
Thank you for defining a watermark "kit". This is very helpful to me. Two additional nice things from your post that will really help me are: 1) Knowing that self adhesive mounts exist. Now I want those! 2) Knowing about Palo Albums - seems like a GREAT site. Had to laugh about your just collecting "one country" statement... I can already see myself falling into this pattern of "just one more topic" that I collect... My problem is, that being new to the hobby, I like them all!
@All,
Thanks you all have been super helpful and VERY welcoming!
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 14 Mar 2018 02:28:32am
re: Watermarks?
Watermark Fluid --- I have used, readily available
70% rubbing alcohol from a local pharamacy.
Usually about $1.50 +/- for a (US) quart,
and have for over fifty years. It is also quite useful
in releasing Machin Stamps from the death grip of
modern glues.
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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. .... "
Everything in moderation. If you read the labels everything is bad for you. As a kid we inhaled copious amounts of carbon tet cleaning the tires on our slot cars. I often overfilled my Zippo lighter with fluid bacck when I was smoking. Charcoal grilled steaks are bad for you. Saturated fats are bad for you (except they now realize that they are not that bad).
Seriously, I wouldn't want to spend days and weeks on end watermarking stamps with lighter fluid (or anything else for that matter - if those high priced special fluids don't have a warning label on them it's only because no one has reported them to the government yet for not having a warning label....). But the hour or two a week I spend a couple minutes at a time is unlikely to be the final cause of my demise, or even contributory to it.
Sir Mick has led a life that by all rights should have ended his life decades ago. If anyone watched the clip of him prancing around the stage like a teenager with Taylor Swift before they removed it - tell me again how bad all those things are for you....
Just a warning on rubbing alcohol (surgical spirit) it will dissolve some dyes used for ink and postmarks, especially registered mauve/purple, this will then stain the stamp in the same manner that red envelopes will when soaking stamps.