How To Store Sort And Soak Stamps

One of the most exciting ways to collect stamp is to process them while they are still attached to envelopes. It’s a little like detective work, and doing so is pretty fun and exciting. However, if you are careless in processing your stamps from the envelopes, you could very well damage them. And you know what they say, damaged stamps are worthless stamps.
If you are one of the countless stamp collectors that derive much pleasure from soaking and mounting stamps yourself, you will want to learn the proper way of processing stamps.
First of all, you have to collect all the envelopes with their stamps attached. Some of this mail will come from your mailbox. The others you can collect form neighbors and friends – having a foreign correspondence won’t hurt (plus they use stamps not readily available from where you’re from. But at least be sincere with your correspondence!).
You may then want to sort or organized them before and after soaking. Get your tools ready for the soaking and mounting process – your stamp tongs, scissors, and a saucer with lukewarm water, towels, and such.
Now, take an envelope and cut the envelope around the area around the stamp. Make sure you leave enough space so that it is easier to handle the stamp. You can then place the stamp along with the paper it is stuck too – reasonable trimmed by your earlier action – on the saucer of water. Make sure you put the stamp in with its front facing up. If possible avoid having the stamp getting damp on the face.
Also, avoid putting too many stamps in the saucer at the same time. The purpose of soaking the stamps is so that the stamp gum dissolves. However, the gum also can cause the stamps in the saucer to stick to each other if they are not properly spaced.
Make sure you use lukewarm water. Hot water can cause the color of the stamp to spread or stain. Now, place the stamps on a towel face-down. Use a pair of stamp tongs to separate the envelope paper from the stamps. Although using a newspaper is fine, try avoiding paper that has colored ink on it as may stain the stamp.
Let the stamps dry. It may take a while and they may end up curled and wrinkled. Do not fear, however, since the next step will take care of that problem. When the stamps are completely dry, place them flat in any book. Telephone directories do well for this. Just make sure the book does not have colored ink to stain the stamp. This step should take a few days. Make sure, that you remove them immediately as paper contains acid that could damage your stamp.
When you are ready to store your stamps, you will need a stamp album. This is where you store your stamps and should be the centerpiece among your tools. A good stamp album protects your stamps against chemicals, the elements, dust and dirt. This is probably the piece of equipment you will want to invest a better deal of money in. Shop around and compare products well before choosing a stamp album for purchase.
A good album will allow for the stamps to be laid flat and safe from damage. Use stamp tongs to deal when placing the stamps in your album.
For stamps which you will not place in your album – duplicates, or those that you plan to give away, use glassine envelopes. Glassine envelopes are great way to keep stamps temporarily. They also serve as transit storage for your stamps – a place to put them before mounting them in your collection. Avoid using paper envelopes as they have a high acid content that could very well damage your stamps. These envelopes also make a great container when mailing or giving stamps to other people.
In all, stamp collecting can be a fascinating experience for those who do it properly. As you build your stamp soaking, and mounting skills, you will better appreciate the beauty and the history of stamps. You may, as you go on, opt to purchase more specialized tools and equipment to keep your stamp collection in tip-top shape. But in any case, the knowledge of these basic stamp processing skills is integral to any stamp collector’s hobby efforts.

3 Types Of Coin Collectors – How To Identify Your Type

How would you place yourself as a coin collector? There are a few divisions in this department – And here’s how you could put yourself in one of these categories –

1. The most common or casual collectors
You know that you belong to this category when-
– you had coins to your collection regardless of age
– you collected at random without a real plan
– You do not spend too much money on taking care of the coins or purchasing them
– You may and coins that are obsolete, with errors, some that are not in circulation
2. A curious or second-level collector
You may put yourself into this category if-
– you collect coins because you love the hobby and not for the reasons such as somebody handing you a gift of the coin collection kit
– You do spend some money on buying new coins to add to your collection
– You often visit car in shops to check out watt new commons they have to offer
– You do spend some time on the internet looking for coins on web sites such as ebay
– You do not have a clear cut objective about your collection
– You love to increase in knowledge of collecting coins and are considering getting into it on the move see as note or level
3. The most serious professional collector
You can place yourself into this category if-
-you spend a lot of time on this hobby of Kings
-you are the kind of collector who wishes to get variety, you are constantly on the lookout for new sources way you could get coins from, and you desire to complete a certain series at least
– you would rather complete one see these have a number of incomplete series
– if you are short of resources, you choose what is available to you and complete that series
It is not really important to find a category to put yourself into if you are coin connector, or any other kind of collector for that matter. However people do like calling themselves professionals, amateurs as or beginners for the sake of the ego. Usually a professional in any field is a person that makes money out of what they do. An amateur may be on par with a professional as far as talent or interest goes, but they do not make a living out of this past time. If you wish to get more information on the different categories of coin collectors you could use search engines such as yahoo or google to get to read more about the topic. No doubt this article would have helped you at least to get a rough idea of the category that you currently belong to. More often than not, people start off as beginners and then work their way up the ladder to the second and the third levels. However, some people do get right to the professional level, say for example of person who wishes to get into it for the sake of making money by opening a coin dealership.

The Boot Sale Guide For Sellers

1. Do Your Sums Beforehand

Planning and preparation is the key to any task and selling at a boot sale is no exception.

That’s why you should have all your prices worked out before you set off rather than make them up when you get there.

But DON’T price tag your items. Instead, write the prices in a little notebook that you can have to hand.

There are 2 reasons for this. Firstly, potential buyers may be put off by thinking the price on the ticket is the only price you will accept and that you are not prepared to haggle.

Now, I would imagine you are prepared to haggle but, even if you are not, encouraging the buyer to ask the price shows a genuine interest in the item.

Also, by price tagging an item, you may be undercutting yourself in the collectible market. Something that’s very easy to do with an item you don’t like and just want rid of.

But, remember, we are talking collectibles here and what is ugly and useless to you is beautiful and fascinating to somebody else. Thus, by price tagging an item, you are allowing the buyer to pay a lower price for something that they could well have paid more for because of its appeal to them.

You have to keep in your head at all times that somebody, somewhere will see the collectibility element in every item you are selling, even if you don’t.

2. Ready(ish) For Action!

Before you set off, plan for a quick set up. A simple mistake made by so many people is to put the table in FIRST. This is going to be a big problem for you when you get there as you need the table OUT FIRST! So, when you pack, put the table IN LAST.

And make sure you set off in plenty of time to arrive early.

The big tip here is LOOK SET UP EVEN IF YOU AREN’T SET UP. In other words, get your stall full within minutes of arriving, even if it’s with large bulky items, such as toys, that can later be moved to the floor to make way for the smaller delicate items.

Now I know that many fragile items such as pottery and glassware need to be wrapped carefully and, consequently unwrapped carefully. But by unwrapping these smaller items first you will appear to be getting nowhere fast and possibly look disorganised.

What’s more important is that you will attract buyers who are keen to catch you off guard and they will start to look through your stuff before you’ve unpacked it. Don’t be surprised if you find people looking through your things whilst they are still in your car and even ‘helping you to unpack’ by taking stuff out to get a closer look.

Now, not only is this frustrating, it also means that you are not able to give neither the seller nor the set up your full attention. Therefore, you are likely to sell something at a knock-down price just to get rid of the persistent buyer and what’s more, your set up will take even longer with the potential of attracting even more Nosey Parkers who are intent on invading your space.

Instead, have a set up plan such as:

• Table out – 2 minutes
• Toys and bulk onto table – 2 minutes
• Books, magazines, etc onto table – 2 minutes
• Breakables/small items onto table – 30-45 minutes 

This is a little basic, I know, but it is important to be organised and efficient.

You have to be in control at all times. If not, then sellers will sense that you could easily be intimidated and part with items way below their true worth.

3. Check Out The Competition

This is where it is always good to work with someone else because, whilst one of you looks after the stall, the other can take a walk around the other sellers to see what the competition is like.

You can find out if any of the sellers have items similar to you or are even just set up like you.

Are they attracting a crowd? If so, that’s good news because the crowd is sure to come to you.

And don’t worry if it takes a while for them to come to you. Everyone who goes to a boot sale will generally visit every stall at least once.

4. Interact With Your Buyers

When you have a group of people approaching, make contact with them. Talk to them, about the weather, about what they’ve bought elsewhere, about anything. Just to get them to stop and browse.

Striking up a conversation here is non-threatening or pressurised but gets them to stop and have a better look at your stall.

If you can, have a look at what they have bought elsewhere and try to find out what they paid. Make sure you tell them they got a good deal (even if, in the back of your mind, you think otherwise!) This will further endear them to you and reassure them that they have been paying fair prices and, more importantly, your prices will be as reasonable.

5. Haggling Gets Sales

Be prepared to haggle. Your prospective buyer will expect you to.

Remember you guide price and don’t go too low and give stuff away. On the other hand, don’t be greedy. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know where any buyer’s interest in a particular item will come from.

For instance, is the item a real collectible? Or does it have a high novelty attraction? Two types of buyers seeing different things in your item.

And get this, it is very common for someone to pay a higher price for an item’s novelty value than a collector would pay for its collectible value ON THE DAY.

So remember the deal ON THE DAY is what counts and only you can make the decision to sell, even if occasionally the price isn’t quite what you wanted.

6. Do A Deal On Multiple Items

If you have more items similar to the ones your buyer is interested in then this is the time to introduce them.

Even if they are still in a box somewhere (although, being organised, you’ll know exactly where to find them!)

Now you can strike a bargain on two or more items and get those extra sales.

7. Job Lots Clear Space But Lose Revenue

Avoid selling items as job lots. Job lots can lose you money unless you are sure you just want rid of certain items.

If you have to do this, break the job lot down into smaller bundles. For instance, with a batch magazines, break down into smaller related bundles, such as a consecutive run of issues or ones with a similar theme such as fishing or home improvements. This way, you will get a little more money for your stock.

In the early days, I move several job lots and immediately realised that I had just parted with stock that could easily, over a little longer period , have made 10 times what I got for the job lot, perhaps more.

All you are doing is putting money into the pockets of other sellers because it really is only sellers who buy job lots purely to sell on.

8. It’s No Place For Valuables

Boot sales are not the place for real collectibles or antiques. You will never get a worthy offer.

Collectors (like me) and antique dealers are all over boot sales like a rash hunting out very cheap deals and gullible sellers to buy from. Don’t be one of them!

Check every item out that you are selling before you get there and if you have any incling that an item may be worth more than a few pounds, then don’t take it for sale.

There are numerous specialist auction houses that will value and sell collectibles for you so that the items have more chance of realising their true worth.

Online auction sites such as eBay and eBid are still good for selling collectibles.

9. When Not To Sell

If you are selling that day as well buying, DON’T put anything up for sale that you have just bought from another stall minutes before. This is a BIG NO! NO!

Selling something you have just bought from somebody else 2 stalls down not only hacks people off but you are blatantly saying that you ripped them off.

Word soon gets around and you could find yourself short of bargains in the fut
ure.

10. Until The Bitter End!

Don’t pack up early, even if there is hardly anyone around. And especially if other stalls have packed up and gone.

There will always be latecomers and they will still want to spend.

What’s more, they will have fewer stalls to spend at so there is still some good money to be made by going the full distance.

And you can always pack as you unpacked so that your stall can still look full until doors finally close. Then you can be packed and away within minutes!

Go Forth And Sell!

Hopefully you now have a few pointers to help you get the best from your boot sales and, more importantly, how to generate a real income from something you first thought was totally worthless.

Market your junk properly and it will no longer be junk. It will be a collectible to someone, somewhere!

Remember “One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure!”

Wii Balance Board Games

Are you getting sick and tired of sitting in front of the computer playing video games? If so, perhaps the Nintendo Wii offers a great alternative. When you play games on the computer, you sit in front of the system for hours, using your fingers to type or click. In the long run, this may pose serious health hazards for you. Stiff or incorrect posture can cause injuries to your neck, shoulder, as well as spinal area. Your wrists may also get injured as well if you are not careful.
Nintendo Wii games work very differently from traditional computer games. The system works with sensors, and controllers are sensor based. That means there are no wires connecting the controllers to the system. And that allows greater freedom of movement. You can play all kinds of fun and exciting games on the Nintendo Wii. Popular games include bowling, tennis, cooking, and racing.
The gaming concept is simple – allow players to respond to signals in the game using the controllers. With a greater degree of movement, fans find that they get a great work out while playing Wii games. It’s only a matter time that Nintendo starts releasing fitness related games. True enough, we now have the Wii balance board.
With the release of the balance board, fans can now enjoy a whole range of different games. When the balance board was first released, you have to buy it together with a game called Wii Fit. Fans are thrilled by the balance board, but they also want to find out if the balance board is available for sale without the purchase of Wii Fit. After all, there are other games that they can play using the balance board. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a disappointing “no”. You cannot buy the balance board without the Wii Fit.
Realizing that there is a gap in the market, manufacturers started to release copycat balance boards. These are boards that work in the same way as the original balance board, but you don’t have to buy it together with Wii Fit. As far as fans are concerned, they don’t really care. As long as the balance board works, they are happy.
The list of Will balance board games include All Star Cheer Squad,
Babysitting Party, Don King Presents: Prizefighter, EA Sports Active, Equilibrio, and more.
The balance board is far from being a contender as a serious fitness board. It does, however, provides lots of fun for family and friends. Be careful with the movements though. You may end up hitting somebody in the face. This happens when you get too carried away while playing the games. You may also find yourself getting addicted to the games and playing too many hours. This may cause bodily injuries to various parts of your body such as your wrist or knee.
So play with moderation and enjoy your Nintendo Wii balance board.

Meet Steve – Autographs & Memorabilia – Recommended Resources

How to Successfully Collect Autographs “In – Person”    

There you are standing nervously, a small bead of sweat coming down your forehead, the limo door of your favorite celebrity or sports star just opened and now it’s gut check time to see if you have what it takes to ask them for an autograph. You have been waiting for two hours for this moment and then the moment comes only to be turned down in a heartbeat.     Welcome to the world of collecting autographs in person, do you have what it takes? Let me give you some suggestions when trying to meet your favorite celebrity.    

The first rule that I have always lived by is just to be as respectful as possible. Sure you have been waiting for two hours in the cold night air, but please don’t insult or disrespect the security staff or the celebrity if things do not work out. The things they do might make me angry but I have never taken it out verbally on them. At the end of the day they are just people who may be having a really bad day, which all of us can relate to.

  This may be an obvious suggestion, but try and know a little something about the celebrity you are trying to meet. Trust me, there is nothing more embarrassing or awkward than having the celebrity call you out when you don’t know the last film they were in.

  The next step is to find out where celebrities will be visiting, chances are you will   find an event at Sports Stadium or Theatre near you. I’ve been fortunate enough to  meet       many big name celebrities. You just have to keep looking and you may be surprised who is coming to your town or city.     The Internet, Local newspapers and other publications are the best resource you have trying to find events. I don’t know how many times I’ve read the newspaper to find out that a Celebrity or Sports Star, Politician would be in town for a Film Premiere, Sports Event, Fundraiser or Political Rally. If you are really lucky the celebrity could be in town for the purpose of signing autographs book signings etc., and meeting their fans 

  What should you bring? Along with a camera, bring something to get signed and a  Sharpie (Blue is the Autograph Collector’s Preference). If you don’t have a photograph or CD of the celebrity you can try to be creative by bringing along something unique, like a microphone for a singer or a chef’s hat for a celebrity chef. If creativity isn’t your thing then simply bring along a double sided blank index card, you don’t want to risk having the celebrity turn the index card over and sign the lined part of the card.

  Here we are the day of the event, it’s getting exciting. I strongly recommend that you show up at the venue at least 2-3 hours early, depending on your venue. This is especially true of musical acts who always perform sound checks before the concert even starts. It is a great time to ask for autographs.     Showing up early also gives you the opportunity to find the backstage entrance and get the lay of the venue. If you are going to a movie premiere, showing up early is a must because it will allow you to choose the prime spots at the barrier.    

The stage door is usually located in the back of the building (hence backstage) and is usually out in the open. In the worst case scenario the backstage entrance is located underground or in a loading dock, where a limo or tour bus can actually drive into. In this case, security guards will probably prohibit anyone from going down to wait for autographs and it makes things much more complicated.

 So you’ve found the stage door and now comes the hardest part… the wait! The thing about collecting autographs, whether in person or by mail, is that it takes patience. Unless you have an inside source, you have no idea when the celebrity is going to show up at the event. Are they the type of celebrity who is going to come early to prepare for the event or will they be arriving to the show at the last minute? They may also say that they can’t sign going into the event but will after the show, which means you have to wait the good 3 or 4 hours until the show lets out.

  This brings us to the last step, the encounter. Everything you’ve prepared for has built up to this moment. You see the tour bus pull up to the stage door and the door opens. Out comes your favorite musical artist and that’s when it happens, you become star struck. Suddenly your mind has gone blank, but you must snap out of this because there isn’t time to spare. Now take a deep breath and politely ask them for an autograph. The scary part is that there is no telling what the outcome will be. It can be quite upsetting when the celebrity you’ve admired for so long turns out to be a jerk, but there’s also a chance that they will give you an amazing experience that will last a lifetime. Remember be patient, persistent, and polite and you’ll go far collecting autographs in person    

Steve Hill    

http://meetsteve.net
 

I have published my recommended list of the best Autograph, Celebrity, Sports, Posters, Comic and Memorabilia Resources on the Internet today. Fully authenticated and 100% professional. Content and stock updated daily and all offer excellent newsletters