Due to lack of time, funds and brain power I am thinking of giving up with USA stamps before 1936, unless anyone has any ideas of simplifying the earlier pages (I am using the Philosateleian pages).
You can always collect one of each "design" different stamp and not worry about varieties such as re-engraved, secret marks, paper, watermark, perforation, color shades, sheet/coil/booklet format...
Some people are really into that. I admit I am one of those, but for some reason, I really dislike working on my early US. Blame it on the Washington-Franklins issues.
PSE (despite all my misgivings about "professionally graded stamps") has a little booklet entitled "A Guide to US Design Numbers 1847-1947" that they published in 2008 but were mailing out free upon request (at that time). It is a new numbering system (that has since died out) based on main design rather than on minute differences in the design or production. For example, USD has 435 catalog numbers, whereas Scott has 947+ major catalog numbers for the same time period (not including appended catalog numbers, minor catalog numbers...)
The booklet is in full color with all stamps illustrated, and is 5.5"x8.5". I thought about actually using the booklet as a stamp album and hinging/mounting stamps directly into it. Unfortunately, it turns out the illustrations are slightly larger than the actual stamps (~5%).
I'll try to dig it out later this week and scan a couple of pages to give you an idea. Feel free to tag me if I forget.
I use Vario pages for the early US so I can include and exclude according to my own criteria. I exclude coils and any other Washington-Franklin complications, and also exclude grills, and minute differences in scrollwork. Collecting simplified did not prevent me from being sucked into the secret marks of the banknote issues.
I collect each country, dead or alive, but focus on France, French African colonies, older German area, allegorical men, carnivorous plants, Vikings, rock art, engraved pictorials.
Butterfly
Stamp Bears Posting Guru Stamp Bears Supporter
My suggestion: If you go that route, include also 1934 parks issue, it is a very pretty set. I could send you a used perfed set for free as well as many of the later stamps mint for free. Ignore, of course all the varieties of special printings, though I find the mint imperf version (issued without gum) is the most spectacular. (less than $10.00 usually) Luckily for all of us purchasing such items, a lot of these 1930s+ issues can now be bought in mint condition for 80% of the face value at local stamp clubs. Here is a sample from the Oregon Stamp Society. The sort of sad truth is that there are many more US mint 1930s+ stamps available than the market can bear now that stamp collecting has become primarily a hobby for the geriatric set. HA HA, You can now get for $25 a UN collection that cost my mother likely a thousand or more. But it was a nice donation to the UN as I see it, anyway.
Last Edit: Oct 7, 2015 19:51:54 GMT -5 by Butterfly
I make my own pages, so I do it all in chunks — sets, areas, eras, etc. The toughest to set up was the Washington-Franklin heads, but it's done; now to fill the spaces. Butterflies has a good idea, do the parks. I started with the 1938 Prexies, myself.
I make my own pages, so I do it all in chunks — sets, areas, eras, etc. The toughest to set up was the Washington-Franklin heads, but it's done; now to fill the spaces. Butterflies has a good idea, do the parks. I started with the 1938 Prexies, myself.
As for the classics, I do one series at a time.
I have to agree with Craig, if you want to do something from the norm then you have to adapt.
Well wish me luck.The short story when Mom passed I inherited her U.S. collection which she started somewhere around 1927.It is well organized and mostly up to date til 2016.I've not really worked on U.S. stamps for over 50 years so to me a new endeavor.I've waited until now to decide what to do with them and my inner self says for Mom I should try to seriously work on her stuff.The new year is going to be the launch into a new realm.I'm still waiting for my sister to return the U.N. binders which Mom said should go with the U.S. Sis inherited her WW collection numbering about 130 binders.
Thanks crazyquilter, I think the cobwebs will shake off easily.yes my older sister started Scandinavia years ago and is currently(I think) an active WW collector.I tried a few years ago to get her to explore the forum scene but her only comment was"I didn't see anything for sale there". I was under the impression her own collection would surpass my own but when an occasion presented itself I peeked.It was pretty meager which was surprising to me as her budget and mine are worlds apart.
They have free pages for the early US issues, including a basic "face different" set of pages covering 1847-1898. It won't help with the Washington/Franklins, but it will cover the earlier ones.
They also have highly detailed pages for the 1847-1861 issues which I found immensely useful when I was creating my own early US pages (I go to the other extreme, wanting to have a space for every possible stamp, even when it's highly unlikely I would ever have the funds to buy them).
Worldwide collector of stamps and covers! I gave up on limiting to only certain countries.
I know I'm replying to an ancient post, but am just going through all my US duplicates and becoming bamboozled by all the perf and printing differences pre-1932.
My concern isn't so much with my collection itself (which, trust me, is a bit devil-may-care in its arrangement), but with organizing my duplicate stock book. How do I deal with all the unknowns? I have a perforation gauge that I'm using to verify a few things, but then there's the question of printing process and watermarks. Should I perhaps just tell prospective swap folk that I don't have certain Scott numbers from their want lists, so I can avoid the pitfalls of the pre-1932 era?
As I type this, I'm realizing that perhaps that's the best thing to do for now.
I collect US, Canada, Great Britain; interested in Commonwealth
No problem reviving old threads, bethg . At least for me, it gives me an opportunity to catch up on some posts I might have missed, like the post by zepherusbane that preceded your post.
Most of my US classics, including lots of the Washington-Franklins and the transition from flat to rotary definitives, are still left unidentified in glassines/envelopes. Blame the Scott US Specialized for aggravating the OCD in me and make me try to ID every single variety instead of just sticking the stamp in the album spot. It wasn't much fun after awhile, and so many of the stamps were common. I didn't have the patience for it. Past 20 years, I've IDed more early US stamps online than I have for my own collection! Once in awhile, I can tolerate.
One day, after I finish getting all the other WW stamps, I'll go back and ID the rest of those W-F's.
That being said, Stamp Smarter is a pretty good source, and it does now host the former excellent 1847usa website.
I have a perforation gauge that I'm using to verify a few things, but then there's the question of printing process and watermarks.
bethg , There is a rather simple way to distinguish between flat plate stamps and rotary press stamps, where the image is elongated a bit, of the Washington-Franklin series. By taking an inexpensive known flat plate stamp and making a template out of it, you can easily distinguish between the two printing methods. Simply trim the corners from a flat plate stamp, in my case a readily available Scott #499, and place it over the questionable stamp. If the outside frame lines line up, you have a flat plate stamp. If the frame lines of the stamp in question extend beyond those of your template stamp, you have a stamp printed using a rotary press. I hope this helps!
Last Edit: May 24, 2021 21:07:32 GMT -5 by coastwatcher
“The President of today is just the postage stamp of tomorrow.” ~ Gracie Allen
“What should I do? I think the best thing is to order a stamp with my face on it.“ - Charles, Emperor of Austria (1882-1922) on learning of his accession to the throne
Post by coastwatcher on May 24, 2021 21:36:26 GMT -5
bethg , Although I find the template method to be much easier and cheaper, another way to distinguish between flat plate and rotary printings is to get a Precision U.S. Specialty Multi-Gauge, made by Sonic Imagery Labs and available on eBay.
Here is the relevant spot on the gauge which determines rotary vs. flat plate printings. Sorry about the poor quality photo. By the way, the gauge is clear, but I have it laying on a white sheet of paper for clarity.
Last Edit: May 24, 2021 21:51:22 GMT -5 by coastwatcher
“The President of today is just the postage stamp of tomorrow.” ~ Gracie Allen
“What should I do? I think the best thing is to order a stamp with my face on it.“ - Charles, Emperor of Austria (1882-1922) on learning of his accession to the throne
I have a perforation gauge that I'm using to verify a few things, but then there's the question of printing process and watermarks.
bethg , There is a rather simple way to distinguish between flat plate stamps and rotary press stamps, where the image is elongated a bit, of the Washington-Franklin series. By taking an inexpensive known flat plate stamp and making a template out of it, you can easily distinguish between the two printing methods. Simply trim the corners from a flat plate stamp, in my case a readily available Scott #499, and place it over the questionable stamp. If the outside frame lines line up, you have a flat plate stamp. If the frame lines of the stamp in question extend beyond those of your template stamp, you have a stamp printed using a rotary press. I hope this helps!
What a great idea coastwatcher, I never would have thought to do that.
Worldwide collector of stamps and covers! I gave up on limiting to only certain countries.
Post by coastwatcher on May 25, 2021 7:39:55 GMT -5
Phil , Just go to eBay and type “Precision U.S. Specialty Multi-Gauge” into the search box and you should get back several results. That’s where I got mine about a year ago, but I can’t remember which seller I got it from.
EDIT - As khj stated, mine is a newer version than the one that he showed. Mine is a version 5.1 and, though I don’t know if there are any newer versions, at least try to find the 5.1.
Last Edit: May 25, 2021 7:47:36 GMT -5 by coastwatcher
“The President of today is just the postage stamp of tomorrow.” ~ Gracie Allen
“What should I do? I think the best thing is to order a stamp with my face on it.“ - Charles, Emperor of Austria (1882-1922) on learning of his accession to the throne
coastwatcher, oh yeah .... that's the first thing I'd after posting. They are there, though I didn't check which version. Doesn't matter - I'm in the middle of 2-week quarantine before I go to Guyana for a month. When I get back home I'll look into ordering one.
Keep in mind, the Sonic Imagery Labs Precision US Specialty Multi Gauge is intended for those going deeper into US varieties. In this sense, the newer revisions are preferable if you are working on US. For WW, the older revisions may or may not be preferable. I'll explain at the end of the post.
The newer revisions has some nice additional features, to name just a few: -- much more comprehensive Schermack/vending perforations/slits -- includes frame type guide for 10cWashington/5cFranklin -- millimeter grid is now 50mm wide
Keep in mind, the Kisuala perforation gauge is for US Bureau issues, not for Canadian stamps. There is a different Kisuala gauge for classic Canada. In other words, remember "US Specialty".
I am a heavy user of the millimeter grid, as it turns out it is great for measuring dimensions of multi-line overprints on certain WW stamps. On the newer revision, the grid is rotated, so the fine line part of the grid in perpendicular to the overprint width I want to measure. Of course you can rotate the gauge, but then it is cumbersome to use due to the way I arrange my desk as the gauge will stick out forward and jab my laptop. This is a deal-breaker for me, so despite my OCD, I never bothered to get the newer revision, as the older revision is sufficient and more suitable for my current needs.
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