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How do you feel about breaking up stamp sets, keeping only those you use and discarding the others?
Most of my stamp sets have two or three stamps that I adore and another two or three that I will never use. These never-used stamps are taking up precious space in my tiny craft area.
And yet, I just can't bring myself to rip apart these sets and discard or donate those stamps I won't use, especially those lovely wood-mounted sets that date back to the 1990s.
Maybe you would want to do what I'm doing. I have the ones I love and use in my regular stamp storage and the ones I'm not sure about in a bin set aside "to decide later". (It's under a bed in the guestroom, lol). If I don't go pull anything out of that bin in the next three months, it gets to move on. I rarely sell anything - just pass it on to where I think it will be appreciated and used - so I don't care about "complete sets", for the most part. There are a few that I feel need to be complete to move along, but they are VERY few! I currently have nearly as much in my "undecided" bin as I do in my regular stamp organization...
__________________ ~ Sue Happy for no reason...
The following 2 users liked this post by gregzgurl:
Over the past few months, I’ve donated quite a few stamps sets because I wasn’t using the whole set. I wish I had thought about pulling out the individual stamps that I did like. It just never occurred to me to separate them. So, with that hindsight, I say go a head and keep any stamps that you really like! I’m pretty sure that any place that gets a donation will appreciate what they get not be bothered by what’s not there. Or at least, I think that would be the case for anyone (or organization) that is using the stamps themselves vs someone selling the donations to raise money. I can see how a incomplete set might be worth less $$ on eBay.
I have never sold any craft items. I've given some away, donated a few things to the local senior center and even dropped stuff into the trash. But haven't bothered to sell anything. To be honest, I think it's because I never purge anything I feel others will pay enough for to cover postage costs, much less enough to make it worth the hassle of selling.
I like Sue's idea of putting unwanted stamps away. I can probably store mine in a box way up in the top of the closet. And perhaps, one day, I'll "Spark Joy" and give them the heave-ho out the door!
I didn’t mean that you would sell them, I was mostly thinking that an organization that collects stuff might use eBay to get funds for other things they need.
After unmounting rubber stamps from wood blocks I arranged them on laminated panels to store in the large storage pockets for filing as well as on laminated sheets in 3-ring binders. Those that I use most often are filed away in a bins on top of my storage cart for easy access. The others are in a binders on a shelf. They're all grouped together "like with like" even if it meant breaking up stamp sets.
All my sentiment word stamps (and dies) are filed together, all botanical images (and dies) are filed together and so on. If I'm looking for a bird stamp I'll pull the pocket that has all the various birds (collected from other sets) and make my selection. Same goes for a greetings, however I file all birthday and thank you sentiments together, thinking of you and get well together, and so on. This system works for me and saves me a lot of time.
Maybe you would want to do what I'm doing. I have the ones I love and use in my regular stamp storage and the ones I'm not sure about in a bin set aside "to decide later". (It's under a bed in the guestroom, lol). If I don't go pull anything out of that bin in the next three months, it gets to move on. I rarely sell anything - just pass it on to where I think it will be appreciated and used - so I don't care about "complete sets", for the most part. There are a few that I feel need to be complete to move along, but they are VERY few! I currently have nearly as much in my "undecided" bin as I do in my regular stamp organization...
In addition to my other post, I'll remove images/sentiments that I know I'll use from a set and set aside the rest for donation as well. I'm not a fan of the teenie tiny script words or phrases. I'd rather type it out on my computer in the size/font I prefer.
i unmounted all my stamps and keep in cd/dvd cases and stufinators, not by sets but by what they are. Flowers, animals, sentiments. Sentiments are broken up by particular types as well. Stamps that I find that I don't use I give to a friend that just started stamping.
I have always separated my stamp sets and grouped the individual stamps by theme or kind. If there are ever any I don't like or use, I get rid of them. I have never sold any, but I give them away to others. If I would put stamps away somewhere to see if I would use it, I never would. Out of sight; out of mind!
In addition to my other post, I'll remove images/sentiments that I know I'll use from a set and set aside the rest for donation as well. I'm not a fan of the teenie tiny script words or phrases. I'd rather type it out on my computer in the size/font I prefer.
Ditto. I have purchased sets specifically for the sentiments and given the images away, and vice versa. I separate all of the sentiments out of all of the sets for those I keep, as well. I'm a very impatient stamper and I want to just find that sentiment NOW instead of searching through a bunch of unrelated stamps to get to it.
Sentiments are in half-size binders (page protectors sewn to make four pockets, laminated cardstock cut to size for stamps to stick to), images are in pockets in bins. Both are alphabetical by company. I have an index by category of each image or sentiment stamped out so I can see size/font/etc., and company/set name noted so I know where to find the stamp itself. I've tried many/most methods of stamp storage/organization and this seems to work best for me. I also have an AirTable index, but I seem to reference the hard copy more...
I’ve only done this with a very few sets. I don’t use any Xmas sets so I gave away the merry Xmas and Santa stamps and I won a set that included American 4th of July sentiments, gave those away too. Other than that I keep them intact. I might want to sell them someday!
I have zero unmounted stamps! I know I am in the extreme minority, but I like my stamps ready to go I am very particular about how I apply them to a block so that they line up exactly with the index on the top. Therefore, I keep all of my stamps in cases and separated by type/theme. I can see by looking through the top of the box what is there and all the boxes are in drawers by kind of stamp. I have been stamping since the early 90s and haven't made the "modern" changes to poly-stamps or unmounted.
If you are NEVER going to re-sell them, then by all means break them up. Selling is the only reason I can think of to keep them whole. And if you do break them up you can always make a note in the index what set they came from.
If we are taking them off the wood we just devalued them a lot for a selling POV anyway.
Keep in mind, esp with wood and cling-you can sell single stamps out of sets-I have bought them myself (Ie SU) on ebay which makes me happy. I avoid the ones I don't want. SU wood sets do seem to have some value but it depends on the set. Age is not always the biggest factor.
As for value and shipping...shipping is separate usually from the price. If people say "free shipping" that just means they built it into the price. People buy 1 dollar stamps all the time and you mail it first class for maybe 70 cents for a cling...or whatever depending on how you package it.
Having said all that. I have not broken up sets yet myself. Which does mean I underutilize sentiments in say floral sets that I got for the flowers. But for me it is not more room and I may sell down the road.
I have been breaking my sets apart for years. I love the ability to go to specific box for what I want and If the stamps build something specific, I keep them together. I have a lot of categories for 6,800+ plus stamps based on how i use them.
I have been breaking my sets apart for years. I love the ability to go to specific box for what I want and If the stamps build something specific, I keep them together. I have a lot of categories for 6,800+ plus stamps based on how i use them.
Since I can't "like" your response, I will just tell you that you and I think alike.
I have been breaking my sets apart for years. I love the ability to go to specific box for what I want and If the stamps build something specific, I keep them together. I have a lot of categories for 6,800+ plus stamps based on how i use them.
Same for me...just the numbers are a bit different...:rolleyes:
Okay - I'm thinking of separating all of my sentiments to put in categories (Thank you, Get well, etc.)
I have laminated sheets to stick them on but what do you use to keep them from sticking to the stamp pocket you store them in. I thought that if they're not in some kind of pocket they might fall off the laminated sheet. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
Okay - I'm thinking of separating all of my sentiments to put in categories (Thank you, Get well, etc.)
I have laminated sheets to stick them on but what do you use to keep them from sticking to the stamp pocket you store them in. I thought that if they're not in some kind of pocket they might fall off the laminated sheet. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
the sheets I have I cut to 7 1/2" x 5" round the corners then laminate so they fit in these plastic pockets. https://www.amazon.com/LINKYO-Stamp-...d_bap_d_rp_1_t
(link goes to Amazon) they are slightly cheaper than say Avery Elle ones.
hth, I also have stamped off single clear stamps and put them on this same size of sheet and then for the back side of clear stamps I just run a piece of the laminate through the laminator without cardstock in the center to keep the stamps from sticking to the pockets.
Like Stacy...and many other folks...I put my stamps by theme in the plastic pockets.
But photopolymer stamps stick to the pockets. A royal pain that is! I put a thin sheet of plastic on the sheet of clear stamps before putting it in the pocket. (I made my covers by cutting up the page protectors that I had used in the past to store my cling stamps in and wasn't using anymore.)
This is what I have done for my unmounted stamps - I store them like Jennifer McGuire. I stamped the images onto inexpensive thin white cardstock. Then I slip that piece into the pocket to stop the stamps from sticking to the pocket. The stamps themselves are stored on a laminated piece of the same cardstock so that they still in place.
Good topic and discussion! I decided to separate all those little sentiments that are added to the larger polymer stamp sets. So now all those extra little "thank you", happy birthday, get well, etc. are combined in their own pockets. So hesitant at first, but best move ever (that and unmounting my stamps)! Now, if I want a small birthday greeting, they are all together! Makes my life so much easier...whew!
Good topic and discussion! I decided to separate all those little sentiments that are added to the larger polymer stamp sets. So now all those extra little "thank you", happy birthday, get well, etc. are combined in their own pockets. So hesitant at first, but best move ever (that and unmounting my stamps)! Now, if I want a small birthday greeting, they are all together! Makes my life so much easier...whew!
I think I really need to do this as well. I've been hesitant to break up any of my clear stamp sets, but all of those small sentiments never need to stay with the images. It's more likely I would be looking for a birthday sentiment, than needing the exact birthday sentiment that goes to a certain set. I can always indicate the set it went to when I store them with other sentiments in the same theme. I even have a laminator and laminator sheets, that have been gathering dust, that would be perfect storage sheets.
Karen
I passed it on to my niece for her to develop her interest in collecting stamps too. I'll feel sad about throwing it since some are valuable or with sentimental value.
Couldn't do it! Would absolutely hurt my mind!!!
I have an alphabetized list of my sets, then another small marble notebook with categories. IE Thinking of You or get well soon or happy birthday listing all the sets that have that sentiment...same with images like flowers. I add new sets to the lists as soon as I buy them
Many great ideas here. I also use Evernote to keep track of stamps and sentiments. You can include a picture of the stamps, so if I'm looking for a particular font or layout, I can see which set it is in.
__________________ Jo AnnMy SCS gallery / my blogThe cure for everything is salt water - sweat, tears or the sea~Isak Dinesen FS 776
I used to separate the sentiments out of sets until I got a database program. I still separate a few specific dies from sets. I keep hearts, banners and tags in their own separate sections but they are in the database together with their original sets to I can put them back together if I want to.
I have started to split up stamp sets especially if they are holiday sets. Because I don’t celebrate Xmas, I keep the wintery ones I can use and give away the rest. I do a lot of snail mail swaps so I toss them in those envelopes.
Breaking up stamp sets
