Post by Jerry B on Feb 2, 2021 16:11:10 GMT
There is a link to one of my Stamp documents. However, that is not a viable soluition. Therefore, I am creating this thread.
I worked part time for a friend that was a stamp dealer (store now closed). I broke down collections for the purpose of putting stamps in store stock. When I was in the store , I did not use this method as stamps from album pages, or loose stamps, went directly into stockbooks. However, at home I sorted the stamps by catalog numbers and put the stamps on manila stockcards. Later, in the store the stamps were put in stock or the stockcards were filed for a later time.
Over the years, a method was devised to make the sorting process easy. At first, the sorting method may seem complicated, but it really isn't. After using the method a few times it becomes easy. The sorting method is described below.
a. Have on hand a number of 12 row Manila Stockcards. The number necessary will depend on how much material you will be sorting. You will need more than 6. The stockcards are fairly
inexpensive. If you have a large amount of material, the sorting stockcards may get "worn out" and have to be replaced.
Note: Before using any stockcard, run your stamp tongs through the rows to loosen them up a bit. It will lessen the chance of damaging stamp(s) while putting them in the stockcard.
b. A supply of glassine envelopes. They should be at least medium sized and do not have to be new, used is fine. If there are no quantities of loose stamps then only a few are needed.
If loose stamps then you may need more
c. Definitely a good eraser. The plastic ones, like Staedtler, work best as they do very little damage to a stockcard. You will be doing a fair amount of erasing. Using a "Ruby" type of
eraser will wear out a stockcard very quickly.
d. A soft pencil will make erasing easier.
e. Stamp tongs. For this process I find that the long tongs with a spade tip on an angle works best for me, but any tongs will do. I have used both needle point and spade tip tongs.
You have to be a little more careful with the needle point tongs so you do not poke a hole in a stamp.
2. Setup
a . Reserve 2 stockcards. These will be used for the actual sorting. Mark the reserved stockcards as Sorting.
b. On the 2 sorting stockcards mark the rows (in the margin where the hole punches are) as follows:
Row Card 1 Card 2
1 0 60
2 0 60
3 10 70
4 10 70
5 20 80
6 20 80
7 30 90
8 30 90
9 40
10 40
11 50
12 50
c. The remaining 4 rows on stockcard 2 may be used as overflow rows. Very rarely will a third stockcard be needed but it can happen. If you can remember what the rows
signify this step can be eliminated.
d. Put the stockcards aside. They will be used later in the process.
3. Cataloging - Setup
a. Sort any album pages by album, country, year and category, usually album page order. Put the pages for each album type in separate piles.
Note: You may end up with some loose stamps (stamps do fall off pages), so put those in a glassine. If you already have a glassine of loose stamps put them in that glassine.
b. If any loose stamps, sort the stamps by country and put each country's stamps in its own glassine.
c. Select the album pile with the greatest number of pages. This album will be the base for cataloging and identifying stamps.
d. From the base album pages select a country. Select the same country from the other album pages and from the country glassines.
4. Cataloging - Identification
a. This process assumes that all stamps will be removed from album pages. However, you may elect to leave stamps on pages if there is a large number of one type of stamp,
or if there is no interest. It is also assumed Scott catalogs are used, but this process will work for any catalog.
b. Sort the country's glassine stamps by image type. There may be the same image with different values, but at this stage only image is necessary. You can elect to put the stamps
in glassines but leaving them in 'piles' is alright.
c. Use separate stockcards for Regular, Air Mail and Back of the Book. Do not put these categories together as it will make the sorting process more difficult. Additional 'Category'
stockcards may be designated.
d. Carefully remove a stamp from the base album page and remove the same stamp from the other country pages and the image pile (by value if multiple values). If a page is empty,
put the page aside in a separate 'processed' pile. I usually put a stockcard at the back of each album pile as a divider. When a page is processed, I put the page behind the divider.
This way when the divider is on top I know that the album has been fully processed and the album is in its original order.
e. Referring to the catalog, identify the stamp(s) (image, value, perforation, watermark, etc,).
f. Place the stamp(s) in the appropriate stockcard and lightly pencil the catalog number under the stamp(s). Do not worry about catalog number order which comes later.
Put the stamps in the stockcard with caution.
Note: Collectors are famous for putting stamps in an album wherever there is room on a page. Using the category stockcards the stamps are automatically sorted by Regular,
Air Mail and Back of Book.
5. Cataloging - Sorting
a. At this stage there should be no more stamps remaining on country pages or in glassines. If there are, recheck and place in the appropriate stockcard. There should be three
stockcard piles, Regular, Air Mail and Back of the Book, or additional category stockcards. Note that any one of these categories may have no stamps and, therefore, no stockcard.
b. The two sorting stockcards will now be used.
c. Sorting is as follows (seems complicated but very easy to accomplish):
1. Select the Regular stockcards.
2. Stamps are extracted from the stockcards, created in the Identification process, in catalog number groups of 100. First, stamps with catalog numbers from 0 to 99 are
extracted from all the appropriate stockcards and placed in the appropriate row of the sorting stockcards, in catalog number subgroups of 10 (note: the sorting stockcard
row designations). For instance, catalog numbers 1 to 9 go in rows 1 and 2, catalog numbers 10 - 19 go in rows 3 and 4, etc.. If too many stamps for a row then use the
overflow rows on stockcard 2, or another stockcard. Do this carefully so that you do not miss anything. I always do a recheck to make sure I have everything.
Note: Make sure you enter catalog numbers on the sorting stockcards.
3. After step 2, you should have sorting stockcards with stamps in groups of 10 catalog numbers. It is easy to sort 10 numbers by eye. Transfer the sorting stockcard stamps,
by catalog number, to the appropriate permanent location.
4. After step 3, you should have empty sorting stockcards. Erase all catalog numbers as the stockcards will be reused.
5. Repeat steps 5c2 and 5c3 for catalog numbers 100 - 199, 200 - 299, etc.. Note that for each group of 100 the stockcard row designations are 100 more than the previous process.
6. Repeat steps 5c2 through 5c5 for Air Mail stamps.
d. Once Regular and Air Mail stamps are sorted then Back of the Book is sorted. The Back of the Book stamps are sorted by category, Postage Due, Semi-Postal, Official, etc.. For each
category repeat steps 5c2 through 5c5.
6. Completion
a. Repeat Cataloging steps 4 and 5 for each country in the base album pages.
b. If country pages are left over in any of the remaining album page piles, repeat Cataloging steps 3, 4 and 5 for the next album page pile.
Jerry B
I worked part time for a friend that was a stamp dealer (store now closed). I broke down collections for the purpose of putting stamps in store stock. When I was in the store , I did not use this method as stamps from album pages, or loose stamps, went directly into stockbooks. However, at home I sorted the stamps by catalog numbers and put the stamps on manila stockcards. Later, in the store the stamps were put in stock or the stockcards were filed for a later time.
Over the years, a method was devised to make the sorting process easy. At first, the sorting method may seem complicated, but it really isn't. After using the method a few times it becomes easy. The sorting method is described below.
How To Sort Stamps by Catalog Number
1. Suppliesa. Have on hand a number of 12 row Manila Stockcards. The number necessary will depend on how much material you will be sorting. You will need more than 6. The stockcards are fairly
inexpensive. If you have a large amount of material, the sorting stockcards may get "worn out" and have to be replaced.
Note: Before using any stockcard, run your stamp tongs through the rows to loosen them up a bit. It will lessen the chance of damaging stamp(s) while putting them in the stockcard.
b. A supply of glassine envelopes. They should be at least medium sized and do not have to be new, used is fine. If there are no quantities of loose stamps then only a few are needed.
If loose stamps then you may need more
c. Definitely a good eraser. The plastic ones, like Staedtler, work best as they do very little damage to a stockcard. You will be doing a fair amount of erasing. Using a "Ruby" type of
eraser will wear out a stockcard very quickly.
d. A soft pencil will make erasing easier.
e. Stamp tongs. For this process I find that the long tongs with a spade tip on an angle works best for me, but any tongs will do. I have used both needle point and spade tip tongs.
You have to be a little more careful with the needle point tongs so you do not poke a hole in a stamp.
2. Setup
a . Reserve 2 stockcards. These will be used for the actual sorting. Mark the reserved stockcards as Sorting.
b. On the 2 sorting stockcards mark the rows (in the margin where the hole punches are) as follows:
Row Card 1 Card 2
1 0 60
2 0 60
3 10 70
4 10 70
5 20 80
6 20 80
7 30 90
8 30 90
9 40
10 40
11 50
12 50
c. The remaining 4 rows on stockcard 2 may be used as overflow rows. Very rarely will a third stockcard be needed but it can happen. If you can remember what the rows
signify this step can be eliminated.
d. Put the stockcards aside. They will be used later in the process.
3. Cataloging - Setup
a. Sort any album pages by album, country, year and category, usually album page order. Put the pages for each album type in separate piles.
Note: You may end up with some loose stamps (stamps do fall off pages), so put those in a glassine. If you already have a glassine of loose stamps put them in that glassine.
b. If any loose stamps, sort the stamps by country and put each country's stamps in its own glassine.
c. Select the album pile with the greatest number of pages. This album will be the base for cataloging and identifying stamps.
d. From the base album pages select a country. Select the same country from the other album pages and from the country glassines.
4. Cataloging - Identification
a. This process assumes that all stamps will be removed from album pages. However, you may elect to leave stamps on pages if there is a large number of one type of stamp,
or if there is no interest. It is also assumed Scott catalogs are used, but this process will work for any catalog.
b. Sort the country's glassine stamps by image type. There may be the same image with different values, but at this stage only image is necessary. You can elect to put the stamps
in glassines but leaving them in 'piles' is alright.
c. Use separate stockcards for Regular, Air Mail and Back of the Book. Do not put these categories together as it will make the sorting process more difficult. Additional 'Category'
stockcards may be designated.
d. Carefully remove a stamp from the base album page and remove the same stamp from the other country pages and the image pile (by value if multiple values). If a page is empty,
put the page aside in a separate 'processed' pile. I usually put a stockcard at the back of each album pile as a divider. When a page is processed, I put the page behind the divider.
This way when the divider is on top I know that the album has been fully processed and the album is in its original order.
e. Referring to the catalog, identify the stamp(s) (image, value, perforation, watermark, etc,).
f. Place the stamp(s) in the appropriate stockcard and lightly pencil the catalog number under the stamp(s). Do not worry about catalog number order which comes later.
Put the stamps in the stockcard with caution.
Note: Collectors are famous for putting stamps in an album wherever there is room on a page. Using the category stockcards the stamps are automatically sorted by Regular,
Air Mail and Back of Book.
5. Cataloging - Sorting
a. At this stage there should be no more stamps remaining on country pages or in glassines. If there are, recheck and place in the appropriate stockcard. There should be three
stockcard piles, Regular, Air Mail and Back of the Book, or additional category stockcards. Note that any one of these categories may have no stamps and, therefore, no stockcard.
b. The two sorting stockcards will now be used.
c. Sorting is as follows (seems complicated but very easy to accomplish):
1. Select the Regular stockcards.
2. Stamps are extracted from the stockcards, created in the Identification process, in catalog number groups of 100. First, stamps with catalog numbers from 0 to 99 are
extracted from all the appropriate stockcards and placed in the appropriate row of the sorting stockcards, in catalog number subgroups of 10 (note: the sorting stockcard
row designations). For instance, catalog numbers 1 to 9 go in rows 1 and 2, catalog numbers 10 - 19 go in rows 3 and 4, etc.. If too many stamps for a row then use the
overflow rows on stockcard 2, or another stockcard. Do this carefully so that you do not miss anything. I always do a recheck to make sure I have everything.
Note: Make sure you enter catalog numbers on the sorting stockcards.
3. After step 2, you should have sorting stockcards with stamps in groups of 10 catalog numbers. It is easy to sort 10 numbers by eye. Transfer the sorting stockcard stamps,
by catalog number, to the appropriate permanent location.
4. After step 3, you should have empty sorting stockcards. Erase all catalog numbers as the stockcards will be reused.
5. Repeat steps 5c2 and 5c3 for catalog numbers 100 - 199, 200 - 299, etc.. Note that for each group of 100 the stockcard row designations are 100 more than the previous process.
6. Repeat steps 5c2 through 5c5 for Air Mail stamps.
d. Once Regular and Air Mail stamps are sorted then Back of the Book is sorted. The Back of the Book stamps are sorted by category, Postage Due, Semi-Postal, Official, etc.. For each
category repeat steps 5c2 through 5c5.
6. Completion
a. Repeat Cataloging steps 4 and 5 for each country in the base album pages.
b. If country pages are left over in any of the remaining album page piles, repeat Cataloging steps 3, 4 and 5 for the next album page pile.
Jerry B
