Birthday Stamps

11:00am. I have made a start on the birthday stamps mainly out of the bag where the paper is still attached from the original envelopes. The green album has good quality in it from a quick perusal.  Separating the paper is a staged operation. Firstly don't overfill the container. Use hot water and let that sit for 10 mins.  It may take an hour to get thru 3 or 4 hundred stamps depending on their age. Generally older stamps separate more easily than newer ones.  Place them face down on paper towels and let that lot dry for 4 or 5 hours.  Then gather them up in manilla folders and place them between a dozen coffee table books for a week.  Then you can decide which ones may be of interest.

We hadn't checked the beach for a week so we wandered down this morning with the plastic bag in hand. I don't think there has been much wind however we still got a half bag of stuff, including a child's bracelet.  Too bad in the bin it went.  I also tried out the water. I waded waist deep out about 50 metres.  There are grass beds around which have bounced back quite lush but mostly it seems to be open sand.

Stamp separation bench

4:00pm.  I have had a detailed look at the Green Hingeless Australian Album. Earlier I said it looked good quality that is an understatement, it is of a very high standard. The front page although only half full is around $1000 worth.  The entire album contains mint varieties and I will include those first eight Kangaroos as I have none of them in a mint condition.  All up I have selected 53 stamps from that book that I do not have.  That would have to be a record for Australian pre decimal mint stamps going into my collection at the same time.  It is good to have stamp spotters out there. 

I need all of these