Break the Block?

For all common (or relatively common) stamps, meaning modern stamps, that I need I rarely hesitate to break off a single stamp from a multiple. This is for modern stamps available in large quantities. In most cases, the multiple is not worth more than "x times the number of stamps" so doing so does not affect value. If it's a much older stamp or an unusual stamp or has interesting marginal markings, on the other hand, I would not do that. I'd mount it as is. I think there's a bit too much reverence in stamp collecting for barely touching things and never breaking up blocks of stamps is one of those things, as if they were the Holy Grail. All stamps come in sheets, and those sheets get torn apart. Breaking up a block doesn't bother me since I'm just continuing that process.

On the stranger end of this are many German collectors who seem absolutely obsessed with collecting selvage. I've purchased a number of collections of modern German stamps to complete my postwar German collection. They're all very common modern stamps, cheaper to buy as collections than as sets or singles, but I had no idea how often German stamps are collected with their selvage still attached. Maybe someone can explain this odd habit to me? And much of that selvage is just plain white paper with not even a design on it.

When the selvage has an interesting design on it, and when that adds to the stamp in some way, I try to leave it on. Otherwise to me it's just excess paper to clutter up my album pages. Blank or pointless selvage, I just tear off. I'm a stamp collector, not a selvage collector. If the selvage is interesting or of some value, I leave it. Otherwise, I remove it.

I also remove any remnants of envelopes from the back of stamps I want to mount -- soaking them in warm water. I hate mounting thick, messy stamps which are still stuck to paper as some collectors do. I straighten bent perfs -- gently. I carefully trim off the "fuzzy" edges of messy perfs. I remove stray "perforation holes" which never fell off. When I do it safely, I remove old hinge remnants. And so on. I don't like messy stamps in my collection. When something can't be done safely, of course, I don't attempt it. 

I don't consider myself a passive archivist who just accepts what I get. I consider myself a caretaker who at least tries to fix obvious stamp problems so my stamps can be saved by future collectors in the best shape. With very old (prewar) stamps, I leave the imperfections alone.

Each to their own. If you like to collect selvage, then collect selvage! Sorry, I meant to say "Wenn du Selvage sammeln möchtest, dann sammle Selvage!"

If I can find a single for my collection, of course I'd buy it. But for modern stamps, there's nothing sacred about a block of four. If I've looked for a single stamp for a long time and the only available stamp is a block, I buy the block and take one stamp from it for my album. With some countries, for years a single stamp is simply unavailable -- but I find a block of four. The three remaining stamps go into my duplicates stock book or get sold. Thus helping solve the problem of other collectors being unable to find a single!

I respect you, khj

Very much, in fact!

Selvedge without markings can indicate the position in the sheet.
Modern stamps rarely have errors in the design.
German collectors look for these errors and the next step is to prove that it is a "plate flaw" - the repeated appearance in a field of the sheet.
Once proven to be a plate flaw, they are mentioned in the Michel catalog (not necessarily all found) or in specialized books.
Always when I buy a block with selvedge, I check in Michel if "plate flaw" is mentioned on the respective columns or lines of the sheet.
There are also happy cases with the stamps in the corners of the sheet - when I know the number of the field.
An example with Mi#1806 (July 6, 1995, minisheet 2x5) where in field 10 there is a plate flaw - a black dot in the sailor's boot on the right.
In Michel it is mentioned that this plate flaw does not appear in all the prints - probably that more plates were used.

stanley64, your questions are very good, but I doubt that anyone will answer them.
All the minisheets I have seen do not have any particular markings - probably the printing plate has only one minisheet.
On modern stamps - sheet 5x10 or 10x10 - the number of the plate still appears at the bottom of the sheet and the number of the sheet on the side.

Some blocks are just interesting as they tell you something about how sheets were printed (in panes). These 'gutter' blocks, often are found folded because the sheets did not fit stock books at post office counters unfolded.



And the markings in the margin may identify different printers.

This conversation has certainly meandered! I’ve enjoyed reading it. I’m not sure, though, that the comments as a whole have convinced me that I should keep the block together. Let’s say it’s a 1910 or 1920 issue. Not super rare but also not available anywhere and everywhere, so to speak. Maybe sells for less than, say, $10, so the market does not view it as highly desirable. I think I’d break the block. Holding it intact is not safeguarding something that needs to be protected.