Album Review: United States Albums

Rhett,
Thanks. My mistake. But National has no descriptions, such as the Minuteman, and the Heirloom, if I have that right...

@Baker, just a note about the Mystic Heirloom. Mystic has some strange ways of laying out se-tenants. Some will be strips of 4 instead of blocks of 4. And some will be individual stamps instead of se-tenants.

I have a whole website full of Mystic heirloom page modifications to make it more to my liking.

I REALLY like the layout of the Minuteman album. I like the oversize pages. I like the descriptions. I DO NOT like the paper. It's REALLY thin.

I asked Scott to offer a "print on demand" Minuteman album on Scott National paper. I'd buy that in a heartbeat. They shot down that idea.

@apastuzak,
Thank you. Yes, I had seen the discussion about the se-tenants. I looked at your website. Very impressive! It's great that you shared these. I guess you may be using page designer software, but I still wonder how you get the left-hand side stories onto the custom pages. And are you buying special paper to use for printing? Or the dedicated blanks from Mystic? Anyway, nice work.

One thing, just trying to be helpful: On your "about" page, you're providing a link to the "DS111", which I think was a listing for a sale price (?). Anyway, it does link to anything at the moment. I assume the item you're using is the Heirloom Standard DS112, which nowadays goes for $79 (regular price.) (https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...n/DS112/USA/

Here's a post outlining some research I did, still trying to decide on either Heirloom Standard, Heirloom Hingeless, or Scott National. Maybe it will help anyone else considering the same choices:

I simply can't justify buying the Minuteman with its thin paper. So you had a good idea there, asking about print on demand. Too bad they didn't go for it. I'm under the impression that the paper used in the Heirloom, either Standard or Hingeless is heavier than the Minuteman, but lighter than the Scott National, but I'm not sure.

Heirloom Standard DS112 vs. Scott National Kit:
I think the Heirloom Standard is a great deal as compared to the Scott National. The 3-volume DS112 is advertised as "1847-present." Judging by the DS112C (vol 3), it must be up to 2015 at least. It's $79. Adding optional (3) slipcases @ $34 each it would be a total of $181. The Scott National Kit from Amos Advantage is $490, with slipcases (4 volumes) to 2015.
(https://www.amosadvantage.com/produ...15-696-pages) So that's about 63% less for the Heirloom. Quite a difference. Plus, the Heirloom has the stories, and if I'm not mistaken, the Scott numbers are visible after mounting whereas they will be hidden under the mount in the National.

Heirloom Standard HLM000 vs. Scott National Kit:
Checking the Mystic website, I see that there is something there now called "HLM000", "Mystic American Heirloom Albums Vol 1-6 - 1847-present. ("Present" here seems to mean 2019 +. See the HLM006). Mystic says:
"Mystic's American Heirloom albums have just been split into six smaller volumes to make handling individual albums much easier. No more bulky volumes crammed full of pages." (https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product.../HLM000/USA/) This seems like a reasonable idea. The HLM000 is $130. Adding 6 slipcases @ 34 each = $334 total. This is still about 32% less than the National kit, and still a very good deal.

I can definitely see the benefits of the Heirloom Standard as compared to the Scott National. But I'm also tempted by the Heirloom Hingeless. And here is where I'm seeing a difference the other way, if I'm making a fair comparison:

Heirloom Hingeless vs. Scott National Kit:
On the Amos website, the Scott National Kit for $490 is 4 volumes to 2015, including slipcases. The binders are metal-hinged. The Heirloom Hingless binders seem much nicer than the Heirloom standard. They look to me like a close second to the National with its metal hinges. In trying to make a fair comparison, I took the Heirloom Hingeless DS156 (vols. 1-3), (https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...s/DS156/USA/) plus the DS141, 42, 43, 44, and 53 (vols. 4-8). That takes me through 2014. Cost? $1140. Yikes. Scott? $490. So that's a 57% premium over the National for the Heirloom Hingeless. There is the difference of the drop-in mounts being included in the Heirloom Hingless. I suppose that can really add up. And also, you're investing in all the mounts at once with the Heirloom Hingeless. With the Heirloom Standard, or National, you may buy mounts as needed.

My conclusions so far:

• The HLM000 with the 6 binder design seems like the best way to get the stories, and visible Scott numbers at a very good price.
• The DS112, 3 binders, even better price.
• The Heirloom Hingeless is more costly than the Scott National. But this gap would start to close as separate mounts are purchased.
• The Heirloom Hingeless offers a very convenient mounting approach.
• With Heirloom, you get stories, visible numbers, and 8 binders compared to 4.
• The Heirloom has some of the layout oddities you pointed out.

For me, the Heirloom edges out the National except for the metal hinges, and the National's time-honored appeal. And the National may have heaver paper that the Heirloom. If I'm mounting by hand, the Heirloom Standard versions offer the best value with functional binders. If I want the convenience of drop-in mounts, the Heirloom Hingeless would be good, and has very nice binders.

My measurements of paper thickness:

Scott Specialty 7.1 mils
Mystic Heirloom 4.6 mil

Thank you angore. That's a pretty big difference I think.

Heirloom Hingeless uses thicker paper. I cannot measure the thickness, but working with both today (hingeless and non) the hingeless is much heavier.

Interesting. I figured they were both made using the same paper. So this raises the question which is the 4.6 mil angore is referring to? The Standard, or the Hingeless? I would hope that the Hingeless is closer to the 7.1.

DS111 was the part number for just the pages. But that was back in 2009. They've had to add 10 years worth of supplements since then, so I assume they upped the item number and raised the price accordingly.

The right hand side stories, I re-type by hand from the pages. I learned that a LOT of these descriptions are on Mystic's website. If you search for a Scott Catalog number, each web page has a description of the stamp. That description is usually a superset of what's in the album. So, a lot of times I can just cut and paste and do a little editing.

As for paper, I used to buy Mystic's blank pages. But then I switched 32 lb. 100% paper. It's a little thicker. But the color is a match, and it's sturdier than the mystic paper.

I really like Christopher Diaz USA stamp albums
Colour printing and hingeless, excellent value
Check them out
Stamp paraphernalia.

@ apastuszak:

Well, very nice work. You mean 32 lb 100% cotton?

@Laurie 02:

I looked this up. Christopher Diaz/Stamp Paraphernalia is new to me. Those pages do look very nice with the graphics, and looks like there are some stories there too. It also reminds me that binders and slipcases can be a separate buy...although I get into these rabbit holes, I'm sometimes looking to simplify things with a system.
Do you have any commentary on the paper thickness, etc? I may be reading in too much, but this notion of adding page protectors worries me; why would these be needed? And they're hingeless? Unless I'm missing it, he does not mention that they're hingeless--I would think he'd mention at least that.

Once again, I see no hi-res images, and no specifications. Although this is pretty much par for the course I guess.

Not sure. Again, I can't measure "mils". But the hingeless album pages have more of a cardstock feel to them (well, they are) while the normal album is definately "just paper".

Amended: There are several related discussions on this forum. I made an "observations" (in-general) post not long ago where I outlined my first experiences with the hingeless set. I have some minor nits to pick, but overall I am happy and these albums (to 1999) will be my long-term keeper set.

In fact, I'll go back and amend my observations post later today.

Some additional notes:

The hingeless album (HA from now on) is NOT laid out exactly as the non-HA. I THINK the HA tends to be more in-Scott#-order where the non-HA is close but based more on making things fit.

As such, the HA seems to be more spaced-out in general.

The HA has Scott#'s printed UNDER each stamp's box and mount, so even when filled, you can see the #. The non-HA album I have here has NO SCOTT NUMBERS but may be older. Wait, I have a much newer plain-paper copy ... Ok, I take that back. NEWER non-HA albums do have Scott #'s but they are right under the stamp image and get covered up.

I have a few other notes, but since I seem to be working with an older non-HA album, they may not hold true so I'll not add them.

And I did just add a post to the thread I mentioned. I picked out the 3 that primarily deal with my experiences with the Mystic Hingeless albums. Remember again that I am pretty happy with these as you read some of my nits! In chronological order with today's post the last link:

http://goscf.com/t/74552#665550
http://goscf.com/t/74552&whichpage=3#665886
http://goscf.com/t/74552&whichpage=5#668198

I read so many posts here in my own research - these forums have so much information available for a simple search. A great resource for sure.

One other note here only: Quite a few albums (the Scott Nationals?) Have spaces for coil (line?) pairs and things like different gutter pairs for the imperf park issues of the 30's. I'm not interested in either of these, so I appreciate that the Mystics do not have these. If you care ... might aid in your decision.

knick1959,

I absolutely agree that these forums are an invaluable resource, and including your remarks. I saw your other post plus about the selvage, I'll post there too.

On the album, I see that you like the Hingeless, and it does seem very nice, even with some of its flaws. Now it seems clearer that the Standard Heirloom has lighter paper, and the Scott numbers will be hidden, which I truly find annoying. The Hingeless seems less forgiving if someone wanted to, for example, mount a plate single, as in your example. I suppose one could slice off a drop-in mount for a special reason, but wow: buy hingeless, remove drop-in, add a regular mount. Seems like too much. Plus, I also like the black background of black mounts. I might just have opted for the Heirloom Standard, but I now have this hidden Scott number issue to consider. As I think everyone knows, there really is no "perfect" album. Either you hack pages (apstuszak), summarily add stuff to pages, or follow the album's layout whether you always like it or not. I guess the album is ultimately about enjoyment. My opinion: I want to preserve material in the best way possible, but I'm not a dealer. If I was, it wouldn't be of the stamps that are being placed in an album I guess.

Yep, I meant 100% cotton paper. I worked as an IT Consultant at the National Archives and Records Administration. One of the Archivists in Philadelphia told me that 100% cotton paper is acid and lingen free and is considered archival.

I also learned what a PITA mold is. They had a bunch of old moldy documents and books they kept in a freezer. The freezer just stopped the mold from growing, but didn't kill it. If you wanted to see one of those books, then you had to request it, and you were time limited, because it had to go back in the freezer before the mold started growing again.

The guy told me there were some monks in Italy that could remove mold from pages without damaging them, but they charged a fortune for their work.

So if you ever get moldy pages in a stamp album, remount the stamps and burn the pages.