I agree. It’s a pleasure working with that program.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind words.

Thanks, Mike. I know the feeling, always trying to get organized. LOL

My pleasure, Clive. Thank you for all your great work in making it available to collectors.

I’m glad you like it, Raul. Thanks.

Thank you very much, Jagath.

Sounds great, Kenneth. Thanks for watching.

Sounds good, Jeffrey. Thanks for watching.

Thank you, Torbjørn. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

My pleasure!

Thank you very much.

Thanks a lot. I appreciate your watching.

Thank you, Karen. Hope you enjoy using it as much as I do.

Yes ,i'm using it too and its great .you must use the WORLD STAMP COLLECTOR with it to get the images of the countries you collect, although the images are not complete.You will have to get used to these 2 to be happy.

@@rogerturner1881 Also, World Stamp Collector does not have all of the stamp dimensions. But when you create an album it will first give you a message warning you some dimensions are missing.

You’re welcome, Jeffrey. Thanks for watching.

Thank you, Richard.

Thank you, Drew, I appreciate your watching.

Thanks. I did not know at what weight the name changes from paper to card stock. Acid-free paper is pretty much standard now, and is not really a concern.

Thank you, your excellency.

Thank you, Mick. And thanks for watching.

Thank you for watching.

Thanks, Andy. I have had Scribus for quite some time now, but have never gotten around to spending much time to learn it.

Sounds good, Mila. 👍

AlbumEasy is the best program I have found for designing my own pages. Since you code in the page size parameters, you can print on any size paper your printer can handle, and populate them as densely as you like.

@@tedtalksstamps Thank you - I'll check that out

Thank you, Yme. That typeface is Edwardian Script.

Not really. It depends on if you want the stamp box on the page to surround the mount or not. I prefer no box around the mount, so I make my stamp boxes the same size as the mount (4mm wider than the stamp). If you like a frame around the mount, make the stamp box 6mm wider than the stamp.

Sorry for the late reply, Roger. I will be discussing my binder choices in the next video. Thanks for watching.

From what I’ve read, that should be of little concern, as almost all paper is acid-free these days. Manufacturers have shifted to the use of precipitated calcium carbonate as the main filler in paper. This an alkaline that neutralizes the acidity, with the added benefit that manufacturing equipment lasts longer, being free of the corrosive effects of acid.

I plan on going over my experience with binders in a future video.

Thank you, Nisarg.

For classic issues, the 1860 Nova Scotia Queen Victoria, and the 1922 Giraffes, of Tanganyika. 2 modern issues I love are the 2010 set of European classical composers, issued by China, which were engraved by Martin Morck, and the USA full pane of the 2012 Miles Davis/Edith Piaf stamps.

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll check it out.

Yes, it is acid free, as is practically all paper these days. Thanks for watching.

@@tedtalksstamps Could you do a short video on acid free paper etc

@@rogerturner1881 Sure. I'll talk about that along with binders.

I think as long as it’s copy paper, laser paper, or similar, that indicates regular paper and not cardstock or other specialized paper, you should be all right with the 32 lb designation.

@@tedtalksstamps yeah I do like what I've been using. It's heavier than normal paper, but still very flexible. I've seen some people recommend things like 60-pound cardstock and for me, that's just way to much. Having that in an album is like flipping through wooden planks. Hey, with all those editors you've been researching have you found anything that can straight-up edit Steiner Pages?

@@loreauvillephil Flipping through wooden planks. That’s exactly how I feel. I think a pdf program that has editing functions will work on Steiner pages. I tried a trial version of one, once, and it was impossible for me to figure out how to do it. There were all kinds of frames, boxes, and groups, and stuff, that I couldn’t make heads nor tails of. I couldn’t simply drag and drop boxes or text where I wanted them.

@@tedtalksstamps Yeah Bill does some arcane wizardry with those pages. I have actually contacted him via email and he has no problems with editing and freely redistributing them. Little ironic though being how difficult they are to edit. By the time I'm finished they're hardly Steiner Pages anymore.

@@loreauvillephil 👍

My preference in mounts has done a complete flip-flop in the last year or so. I was always a staunch black-mount user, because of the way they framed each stamp and made them stand out. But then it all flipped. For a number of reasons I decided I preferred the clear mounts. The first reason was that the thing that made me prefer the blacks in the first place now seemed to work against them. While they did frame the stamps and set them off, they also served to sort of separate the stamps from the album page. I’m not sure how to explain it, but it’s like the stamps are on the page, but they are not an integral part of it. Another thing: I had too many stamps that were in slightly oversized mounts, because Showgard did not have the exact size for them. The black backgrounds really made the extra wide top and/or bottom margin noticeable. It throws the balance of the framing off, and it bothered me to see it. With clear mounts, that effect is much less noticeable and jarring to my eyes. Also, when you cut the mounts imperfectly, like cutting a slanted edge or cutting them slightly narrow creating thin side margins, it’s not as noticeable with the clear mounts. Finally: I like to pre-install the mounts on the pages before I even have the stamps. The black mounts spoiled the look of the empty and partially filled album pages. And for album pages with images in the mounting boxes, the empty clear mounts allow you to see the image. The last couple of reasons I gave are just icing on the cake. My main reason is simply that I have come to prefer the appearance of the stamps in clear mounts.

Thanks, Roberto.

I will put it on list. Thanks for watching.

LOL, nevermind... It pays to watch all the way through. You are AWESOME!!!

@@lauraorben7128 Thank you, Linda. I appreciate it.

I like 120gram paper. I just don’t like the feel of turning pages of heavyweight card stock.

@@tedtalksstamps yeah that's the same here.. Finding the half-way house. I'll definitely do my own one but it'll be a case of deciding to just do heavily annotated on 120gsm or opt for a slightly heavier weight that won't be affected when painting on.. Other option is paint a background, scan it in, have it faded and when producing the pages, insert the scanned art and send it to the background. I guess am trying to get as close to these mass produced collectors books with varnished/glossy pages in full colour. OMG too many decisions 😱😱😱.. Think I'll just get another stock book, fill it up in blissful ignorance and go to bed.. 😴😴😴

I use an inkjet; it works fine. You just have to be mindful that the ink is easily water soluble. A couple of times I have put a little too much moisture on the stamp mount and it seeped out from the edge of the mount bringing a little ink from the printed stamp box. When I wiped it off it left a black smear.

Yeah, binders are a sore spot with me. I’m still in search of the ideal binder for me. You might try a hobby/crafts store like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. They carry scrapbook albums in various sizes, including 12 x 12 ones. You may find something useful there.

@@tedtalksstamps Thanks, I’ll give them a try.

@@jamiemclean4555 If you find the 12x12 album suitable, Hobby Lobby sells 2 similar looking brands. One is by The Paper Studio and has a metal frame on the spine for a title label. The other one I’m not sure of the brand, maybe Pioneer. It has a plastic pocket on the spine to hold a label. They are both padded vinyl albums. I’ve got both, and find the Paper Studio one more durable. I’ve got 2 of the other brand and the vinyl developed multiple tears in it within a couple of years of light use. The Paper Studio binder has no tears, yet.

In the description on the Staples web site www.staples.com/Staples-25-Cotton-Fine-Laser-Paper-Ivory/product_703366 they state it is acid-free. “ The 32-pound paper weight gives each sheet a sturdy, high-quality feel, and acid-free construction prevents yellowing or crumbling for long-lasting quality.”

Hi Zvezdan. Thank you for your comments. I have not noticed the differences you mentioned, in the Dietrich stamp, but I will keep an eye out for them.

@@tedtalksstamps Hi Ted, I have received the answer from Michel, that Marlene Dietrich stamp was forged! I got used stamps. Unbelievable. I do not know if my stamp was forged.

Actually, I got 4 used and 1 unused stamp. Serbia issued stamp and FDC on 250 th Beethoven birth anniversary. I could send it to you, but need the address.

@@zvezdanmilojevic6341 Interesting. I did not know that stamp had been forged.

Zvezdan, thank you very much. Email me at Ted.Talks.Stamps at gmail, and I can give you my mailing address.

The problem with any catalogue that gives stamp sizes is that they will be the dimensions of the stamp design, not including the margins and perfs. The only thing I can think of is to join a group such as Stamp Album Pages on Facebook and see if anyone has the box dimensions you need.

@@tedtalksstamps thanks ted, I really appreciate the advice. I'll try that

@@BigPongus You're welcome.

It seems to me topical collecting is more popular than it's ever been, but I also think most collectors are content to store their stamps in stock sheets rather than album pages.

@@tedtalksstamps Thats true but for juniors an album would help you plan what you need to complete a collection so not have 100 buses and no cable car or a hundred lions and no wilderbeast because once you have 1 of each item your collection is complete then you are building from there and have something to show a friend Regards Bob Forrest

That’s a good question Freddie. I run into similar problems with my own topical collecting. I’ll try to get a video out on this subject soon.

I haven’t checked in on WSC in a while. I’ll need to revisit it and see how it’s going. Thanks, Roger.

Album makers have to pay a licensing fee to the catalogue publishers, in order to use their numbers.

160g paper is fine. Many collectors prefer it because it is heavyweight and durable. I prefer 120g myself because I think it is durable enough, and more pages fit in a binder.

Stamps are placed on album pages using either stamp hinges, which are small tabs of glassine paper which have an adhesive on one side and are pre-folded so that the small folded end is attached to the stamp, and the larger part to the album page. These are mostly used for used/cancelled stamps instead of mint stamps, as collectors want to keep the gummed side of mint stamps in pristine condition. For mint stamps, stamp mounts are used, which are like little envelopes that completely enclose the stamps without damaging or altering them in any way, such as hinges will do. The most popular brand of these is Showgard. You can get them either pre-cut to specific sizes, or in strips which you cut down to fit your stamps. If you go to HipStamp.com, do a search on Showgard to find mounts. For hinges do a search for stamp hinges under the category Publications and Supplies. I will soon be starting a series of videos making up a complete course in stamp Collecting basics for beginners, so stay tuned to this channel. In the meantime, you can read up on getting started in stamp collecting on the website of The American Philatelic Society (APS). stamps.org/learn/getting-started

And thanks for watching. 😄

@@tedtalksstamps thank you so much Ted for the detailed answer. You made my day and I will definetely check the web sites you shared, right away! 🙏🏻

@@pinkgirl1x im using opp acid free plastic, wrap the stamps/sheets in plastic and stick it to the page using double sided tape

@@tedtalksstampsI was thinking of using the adhesive part of “post its” as hinges I don’t know if that’s okay or not, I heard it doesn’t damage the stamp because it uses pressure and not glue or something like that. Can you tell me if that would work please? Thanks a lot for your videos!!

Hi Bart. I use AlbumEasy, and you have complete control over the layout, from the arrangement of the stamp boxes, to the page titles and stamp captions, and to adding images to your pages. I love it.

Hey Ted, great video! I recently retired and I'm returning to stamp collecting after a 50-year break, lol. Your videos and tips are great. Really appreciate everything that you're doing to support the hobby.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind words. Welcome back to the stamp world.

Virtually any printer will work. I’m using the bottom of the line Brother scanner/printer I bought several years ago for just $59.

@@tedtalksstamps forgot to ask Ted , do I need an ink jet or laser printer ? I have a ink jet. Thanks

@@jaycfc6955 An inkjet is probably more economical if you are going to add color to your pages. I'm not sure if laser printers have any particular advantages for printing album pages.

Penny Black Penny Red Two Pence S.

Don’t know what I could add to the subject that hasn’t been heard a thousand times.

You have to punch your own holes.

or you could put your pages in plastic sleeves instead of punching them with holes. It will save the pages long time..ie you can replace the plastic cover every time you need to. Except if the damage goes on the page itself you'll have to reprint the page and re-stick the hinges again.

@@rogerturner1881 I only use page protectors on modern used stamps that are hinged to pages. Otherwise, for stamps in Showgard mounts, they just add another layer of plastic over the stamp, obscuring the view of the stamps, and adding too much thickness and weight to the album.

Richard Fornier

No, I don’t. I don’t find it necessary, especially when the pages have stamps mounted only on one side.

@@tedtalksstamps Thanks. What about a binder? Do you use a standard ring binder?

@@peterhowell7657 I use photo binders from Hobby Lobby. They are the same size as standard notebook paper binders, but better made, with cloth covers and a photo slot on the front cover in which I place a pictorial label to identify the contents.

I’m sorry, I don’t have any experience with PDF Stampland.

@@tedtalksstamps Thanks for your reply.

I'm sorry, I missed your post Melissa. Sure, archival paper is best. But, honestly, good enough is good enough. And almost all of today's papers are acid free and suitable for stamp storage.

Sorry to hear that, General Bob. I would say that's a good excuse to buy a new computer, but then think of all the stamps you could buy with that money, instead.😁