How About A Big Blue 1840-1940 Thread?

tsmatx:

Thanks, I was trying to figure out if 1 standard binder and 1 jumbo binder would be enough to comfortably fit a 1947 Volume I containing 600 (1200) pages with glassine interleaves. It looks like it will, and maybe I won't have to purchase another binder for awhile.

I guess (as soon as I get it) I have joined the Big Blue Club...

I am impressed with a couple of things - The Big Blue Checklist and the Spreadsheet - Big Blue Country Collection Inventory which I downloaded from the Big Blue blog:

https://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/

And also, the dedication of Big Blue collectors!

This is my newest side collection, to work on when I am tired of working on my country collections.

John

I've had my '47 BB in 3 binders for a couple years now. I have about half glassine and about half poly interleaves- maybe someday it'll all be poly. Poly is a lot more expensive, but I like the look a lot better.

I did take my 3rd book and moved it into a jumbo binder I had packed away, and as I start to break down the large BB collection I just bought, I'll move them all into the jumbo binders. As has been mentioned, the binders don't hold up very well, and I'm hoping that the jumbos keep in better shape.

John, you'll go to 3, I suspect, sooner than later! Welcome to the club!!!!

Ray

Thanks, Ray. I had been going back and forth in my mind between the 2-posts and punching 3-hole for Vario-G Basic Binders - now that I have the pages, I can see that they comfortably fit in those, too. Not sure that the thinner 1947 pages can handle all the lifting, etc. from Vario-Gs.

Decisions, decisions. I'm leaning towards the Blue 2-posts, but I have plenty of Vario-G binders and acetate interleaves (3 ring 9x12) that I could use.

Here is a silly question - is it still a Big Blue if it is housed in black Vario-Gs?

John

Interesting note about a Big Blue collection sold on Ebay a few minutes ago ,I watch the final few minutes . It jumped in price over $100.00 in the last few seconds .

It was a 1840-1940 Scott International Album with 7500 stamps . All the stamps WEREN'T hinged in the album . It did not say if they were duplicates or later stamps ,it just said in a large envelope ,so this leaves you guessing what do you get ?

The album sold for $356.00 plus $15.00 shipping in a large priority box .It did say some stamps stuck down . So we got a sale at 5 cents per stamp ,to me that was low but because of what I said here stuck down and what was in the large envelope is questionable maybe the 5 cents isn't bad .

JOHNSIM03 -----Go with the 3 ring binders and get a extra binder that matches the two you will use,then have one for future expansion . You will also have to get a three hole punch and a chopping board if you need to cut 1/4 inch off the front end of the pages and maybe 1/4 inch off the bottom or top of your pages so they don't interfer with pressure tab to open and close the rings . Play with a few blank sheets to line it up to your satisfaction for holes and how it will be in the binder

floortrader:

Thank you!

John

Interesting posts about binders. I've filled two of the 3" thus far with my '47 Blue, and that's without glassine interleaving for most countries and about 15-20% of the total spaces filled. So I'll definitely need at least three.

Something I've been thinking about is creating my own binders; I have access to a 3D printer and have thought about making the binding ring mechanism that way, then getting sturdy chipboard and assembling my own. Even the 3" binders, when filled, are a bit unwieldy for my tastes.

I do have a 2.5" International binder (they're hard to come by), and that really is the ideal size for me - maybe even a bit smaller.

Thought I'd report a success!
For those who are using newer BB pages for 1840-1940, you can't imagine how difficult it is to complete or even find some of the countries that have been deleted from newer editions. Especially difficult are the Colombian and Nicaragua States, and the Spanish Colonies.

I finally completed my first Spanish Colony today-- Elobey, Annobon and Corisco!

I've needed the 3- and 5- Centimo stamps forever now, and picked up the entire set on Delcampe for about $16. Delcampe is a great source for some of the European stamps you can't find here, but usually the price is multiples of Scott CV. Found this one, finally, with a decent price I could live with.

Finding these types of stamps for sale at multiples of Scott, shouldn't they, and the other catalogues consider increasing the C.V.? Many of these have a minimum $.25 C.V., which is crazy....

Thought I'd gloat here, Ray

RAY ---- I have been crying on here for years about the amount of stamps that the BB pages require but the stamps are nowhere to be found unless you want to buy a country lot at public auction . These sell for $300.00 to $1,000 at auction just to get a few stamps that the catalogs value at $1.00 or less .

The key thing that Ray said "at a price you can live with " how true ,there are a lot of stamps in B.B. albums that I and many others would be happy to pay 2X or 3X catalog just to fill that darn blank space we been looking at for years ,so maybe better said -----just sell those 25 or 50 cents at a $1.00 and let people fill those blank spaces .

Somebody can have a hell've business just sell stamps at $1.00 each if they had the ability to list each stamp seperately and you can " pick-a-stamp- for-a-buck and your order is shipped once a month for a $1.00 or two . I could see buying 20 or 30 stamps a month and getting one shippment a month charged to a credit card . The two factors this would solve is the buying or getting too many duplicates with collection purchases and having to spend too much on shipping and postage for just one stamp .

Does anyone have a source for the acetate interleaves for a Big Blue?
Thanks!
Joe

Paul, not to make an obvious suggestion but have you tried either Hipstamp or stampstogo for the missing items you need?

When I started the thread back in '22, my BB was populated in the 26,000 range. Today, 2 nice things happened:

• I took 20 Spanish Guinea, and 15 Spanish Morocco stamps out of an APS circuit book. I'm usually on the bottom of the list, but this circuit came to me first. Both tough countries, as I've complained/mentioned before


• I passed the 30,000 mark. I started collecting BB back in '17 when I was 59, so hope that I still have a chance to get to 34,978!

Just gloating a bit today, but I've had my eye on 30,000 for some time now! And to those who've asked, nope, I still haven't had time to touch that 23 volume collection I bought a year ago!
Ray

My 25 big blues burnt up when my home burnt down in 2012. using stock books as albums mostly now. and binders w/ vario pages.

Big blue - I like the look of it but I went with Scott Specialty and Steiner pages. No missing stamps.