Album Review: United States Albums

If just the Scott National binders are purchased, will the Minuteman pages fit into the National album binders?


-IBFS

Wow, I love this thread. Just when you think your experiences are unique, you find out that others are going through the same thing. I started collecting stamps when I was 8 years old. I had used a Harris Liberty album like many kids do. When I was a young adult, I re-purchased all the stamps I had licked a hinge to and bought a new Harris Liberty album and went to town with stamp mounts. Then back in 1999, I thought I needed a real professional album and I purchased the KABE hingeless US stamp albums. KABE was having a super deal and I think I paid $300-$400 for the entire US series in 4 binders. I absolutely loved the albums and the superior pages. This was the ultimate in luxury to me at the time. For those of you that aren't familiar with KABE, it is a German company that manufactured stamps albums for the world until they were purchased by Lighthouse sometime in the early 2000s. They still sell the supplements, but they are nearly identical to the Lighthouse. I love the larger pages KABE uses that can accommodate the full page sheets and any other sheet the post office issues. They feature the commemorative sets intact, as issued, and do not include them separated too. I like to collect these stamps once and only as issued. So this works out nicely. So what is wrong? I recently took the set off my shelf to see about updating it since the last time I bought a supplement was 2002. I realized I never look at the books because I miss the information that come in my Harris Liberty book. I collect stamps because they are beautiful and tell the history of our country. I like to read about each stamp and why it was issued. These KABE and Lighthouse pages have nothing on them. So I have been again looking at getting a new album. I contacted Mystic about their hingeless album, but I don't like that they break up the commemorative sets, and while they have information, it is on the reverse of the page. Also, they have raised their prices making them a little less competitive. I wish I could take parts of each company and make the perfect book. My perfect book would be the Harris Liberty or Scott Minutemen pages printed on thick paper. I am so sad to hear the user apastuszak asked to get them printed that way and was told no. Of course, if the pages were hingeless and priced like Mystic, that would be my choice. I might look at White Ace again too. It is so frustrating to find just the perfect album!

I'm satisfied with my system which consists of the Mystic Heirloom, Vario pages to hold first day covers, programs, plate blocks, and postcards. I've had to replace some pages but I too found some heavy stock (125lb) from Office Depot. I use the reinforcement rings but at least this item is available in the dollar store; you get over 900 rings in a pack. I'm thinking about doing some pages myself but that is not a hot topic on the to do list. Of course with the current material US each year has its own binder, most of them are free for me.
Tom

I actually just switched from the Mystic to the National. Had always wanted one and got a good deal on a new one that went to 1985. Almost done switching everything over. It's been fun. I now prefer having no info and just the stamps for some reason. At least the National has a title for each stamp. I never read the little blurbs on the Mystic anyway. I'd rather read longer stories elsewhere.

I really like seeing a complete series/issue on one page rather than spread out over 2-3 like the Mystic does. Didn't bother me until I actually switched and saw how they looked in the National. There are a few things I don't like about the National though - no cap over 2 variety spaces, no broken hat, and some pages make no sense as to why they would put certain stamps on them like the 1954 issue having the 1962-63 Jackson/Washington stamps on those pages and a page from the early 60s that has flag stamps up to 1976 on it.

I don't like the fact with the Mystic album that when you put the stamp in the book the scott number disappears. I'm using mounts not hinges.
tom

The Scott albums do the same thing.

Fix the mounts in place by moistening lightly along the top edge only.

Terry

Great discussion! I'm quite the newbie here, but only to this forum, not to stamp collecting. I've been collecting since getting my first paper route (remember those?) at age 12.That was 38 years ago. My first "proper" album was a Scott Minuteman, which lasted me through my early collecting years, till I discovered girls and cars a few years later. My collection sat on the shelf till I joined ebay in 1998 when I started buying and selling stuff that tickled my fancy. On day I checked out the stamps section and I was hooked again. One of my first purchases on ebay stamps was a a beautiful "new" used set of US Specialty pages and 3 3-ring binders with cases. It was part of a larger collection lot, and I still prefer the "classic" look of the specialty pages. I also like the size.

I believe presentation is very important - I use mounts for all my primary collecting interests (US to 1990, US B.O.B., British North America) and I use smaller albums and hinges (except for mint) for everything else I collect (Classic Latin America, Australia & New Zealand).

I'm a graphic designer, and I love the look of the older Scott brown pages. This type of page just looks "right" to me. Most new pages are too modern for my tastes. The fonts are all wrong, paper is bright white, they are boring. They don't really look appropriate for classic collections! And they certainly don't aesthetically add value in my eyes. So here's what I've done for pages and albums for my collection. As I mentioned I'm very happy with my 3 Scott Specialty binders and pages with Showguard mounts. For everything else, years ago, I bought Bill Steiner's pages, when he offered the native Pagemaker files, which I downloaded for my collecting areas and have converted to current Adobe InDesign files. Thankfully Bill created his pages the proper way, using style sheets and master pages. It was easy for me to change the master page, adding a decorative border, and tweak the style sheets with more appropriate fonts and sizes. At that point it was very easy to just append the style sheets on subsequent files and print out the pages on my laser printer.

For the pages I use my HP2035n laser printer (purchased lightly used on eBay for $179). This printer has a very low cost-per-page compared to inkjet, plus it has a straight-through paper-path option so I can easily run cover stock through it. For paper I use Cougar Natural 60lb cover I get from my local printer (about $13 for 250 8.5x11). Cougar is acid-free and archival.

For binders I use We R Memory Keepers Faux Leather 3 ring binders. By far, these are THE best binder for the money. They are a padded D-ring binder that opens flat, has actual stitched edges with reinforced metal corners, and a nameplate holder riveted to the spine. They come in 10+ colors and look and feel is incredible. I've seen them sold at Target and Michaels but I get them from JoAnn.com, with free shipping over $50:
http://www.joann.com/we-r-memory-ke...lse&start=25

They are designed for scrapbookers, and I use 8.5 x 11 versions for my minor collections, and their 12x12 for my really nice collections. My Match & Medicine collection is housed in a blue 12x12. The 12x12 is the page size, also on Cougar Natural, with pages of my own design. The big binders actual size is 15"x13" with a 3" spine. It makes for a beautiful presentation. They have other sizes too!

Eventually I plan to offer personalized 8.5 x 11 pages for download, and 12 x 12 pages with binders as a kit. I'm looking into licensing Bill Steiner's classic pages as a starting point, but even if that doesn't happen I hope to roll out pages, it will just take a bit longer. In a few months I hope to have classicstampalbums.com live.

Sorry for the long first post, but I too have long been disappointed by what's available (and their prices, particularly for binders.)

So, those pages are Steiner pages you modified? That's impressive work!

I subscribed to Bill's pages 2 years ago, and he did not offer his Pagemaker files then.

If anyone would like to see what the pages look like, I've uploaded my 12X12 Nevada State Revenue pages here (since this is a labor of love at this point, I've begun with some obscure stuff you can't find pages for!): www.hi-testdesign.com/US_Sta...ue_NEVADA.PDF

Yes I sure wish Bill still made the native files available as over the years I've lost the Canada file and a couple of others! None of Bill's pages will be made available unless I can license his originals. He's put in so much good work and I have no intention of stealing or even competing with what he does -- subscription, CDs, new issues. I'm really happy to be able to create the pages for my own collection.

Link doesn't work

It seems to me that you're starting a business?
Tom

Can you post JPGs of your modified Steiner pages? I'd love to see what you did with them!

that's weird, sorry, try this http://southpaw-design.com/
the URL is being truncated

<<not truncated exactly, just "shortented" in the middle; it still works. It's the PDF file that is missing. And it appears you have a redirected domain name?>>