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After so many years of resisting I have finally started to unmount all my stamps. I am going to the bare rubber though. It is fun reorganizing but a little terrifying at the same time. I have had a lot of my stamps broken into drawers in my crafting unit and I might leave some of the drawers alone. IE tiny stamps capes, House Mouse and Penny Black. I do have a lot of stamps but nothing like some have. I am a purger and sell my cards at a farmers markets so I am always changing it up. If you have read this much, thank you, my biggest move today was taking off my "lovely as a tree" stamps and keeping what I use and purging the few I have never stamped up. This caused a little rush feeling (not sure if it was anxiety or good ha ha ha). I would love anyone telling their story on this change. Oh and I do already have my system set up for storage (thank you to Jennifer Maguire)
Hey Lorri! I COMPLETELY understand the rush and the confusion as to which emotion, exactly, it might be, lol! I unmounted/never mounted stamps for a couple of years before a big move last fall, but had a more difficult time purging - especially as far as splitting up sets and keeping stamps that I used but letting others go. We only brought with us what would fit in the car (and a few boxes that we shipped), so I had to be super-selective. Selling things was too time-consuming for me to want to go that route (taking photos, creating listings, whatever), so I just donated tons of stuff to schools and friends and after-school programs and senior homes and the like. Every once in a great while I'll remember a stamp that I no longer have and think, "should I have kept that one?", and then I look at all of the stamps that I still have, and how much happier I am with my current selection, and how little guilt I feel over adding to it - since I'm super-selective on what I buy now and because I have "holes" in the collection - so then I get over it in a New York minute! Sorry about the run-on sentences/paragraph, but KUDOS to you! My only suggestion would be to make an index as you go of the stamps that you kept, so you don't go a-lookin' for one that's gone... ;)
Have to second gregzgurl on the index system- its way too easy to forget all about certain stamps. I stamp mine out to keep the sheets with the stamps, now I also record them on Evernote, to stop me buying duplicates, or stamps that are too similar to ones I already have.
I've been an un-mounted stamp user for some time and recently finished another purge. I've been purging for the past few years and this last one I was the bravest I've ever been. I've was brutally honest about what I will truly use. Really, just how many heart, daisy, and thank you stamp does a person need. I kept some to sell and a lot I just tossed. What doesn't sell get donated. Like Sue, I'm very selected about what stamps I buy and it feels really good to know that even though I still have a lot of stamps, they are what I'll truly use.
I recommend an annual purge because you will probably find more stamps that can find a better home.
Stamphappy, that is so true. Plus, over time our style/tastes change. I did a purge a couple of years ago, when I moved all my stuff into the room I use now. I laughed when you said 'how many Thank You stamps does a person need?'. Its like stamp company's see a space on the sheet in a set, so chuck in a Thank You stamp to fill the gap! I had 23- and I only ever actually bought one on its own!
Stamphappy, that is so true. Plus, over time our style/tastes change. I did a purge a couple of years ago, when I moved all my stuff into the room I use now. I laughed when you said 'how many Thank You stamps does a person need?'. Its like stamp company's see a space on the sheet in a set, so chuck in a Thank You stamp to fill the gap! I had 23- and I only ever actually bought one on its own!
Little hearts are another filler - I had around 50 and now I'm down to about 15. I like stamp sets but I tend to shy away from sets that have "filler" stamps.
I just had a thought, when I buy a set that has filler stamps I need to immediately put the duplicates in the garage sale bin or give them away so I won't have to purge them later. I think I'll consider it as a pre-purge. ;)
Thank you ladies. Even though I had done more than half I am still questioning my sanity. I ordered all the supplies to store the bare rubber sets in and just waiting for it all to arrive. Gregzgurl - Sue I actually have followed you for a bit and check out your links for what you did previously. I do keep my inventory at a lower level as most of the cards I make I sell at a market and if I won't sell I usually don't buy unless I truly want it for myself. My largest collection is Art Impression people and then Stampscapes. I have not taken the very small images off the wood yet and will wait until my supplies arrive to see if I can do it. LOL. I do have a great storage for them that is easy to get at and right behind my desk. This past week I sold over 150.00 worth of unused stamps on a crafters Facebook site we have local.
A good friend is offering to help me set up Evernote and I might do that just for all the word stamps.
A light bulb went off when I saw the comment about how many thank you stamps or hearts do you need. Thanks, I think I can give up some of the repetitive stamps I have now.
This board really helps me in getting rid of stuff, and I need all the help I can get1
Thank you ladies. Even though I had done more than half I am still questioning my sanity. I ordered all the supplies to store the bare rubber sets in and just waiting for it all to arrive. Gregzgurl - Sue I actually have followed you for a bit and check out your links for what you did previously. I do keep my inventory at a lower level as most of the cards I make I sell at a market and if I won't sell I usually don't buy unless I truly want it for myself. My largest collection is Art Impression people and then Stampscapes. I have not taken the very small images off the wood yet and will wait until my supplies arrive to see if I can do it. LOL. I do have a great storage for them that is easy to get at and right behind my desk. This past week I sold over 150.00 worth of unused stamps on a crafters Facebook site we have local.
A good friend is offering to help me set up Evernote and I might do that just for all the word stamps.
Thanks again,
Lorri
I haven't unmounted all my Stampscapes/landscape type stamps, especially the little ones like plants, small rocks, etc. Luckily the storage method I use will accommodate wood mounted stamps. I find that when making a scene with a lot of different stamps that I would need a bunch of small stamping blocks that I would rarely use so keeping them on wood makes more sense for me.
I started stamping in 2006 & realized within the first year that I had to find more storage for my wood mounted stamped or unmount everything. I opted to unmount. Thankfully, there were not many sets back then!
At the same time, I started a catalog book of stamp set images and an excel spreadsheet showing prices, sentiments, & how they were stored (by set or e.g. misc. Christmas stamps).
I look at my stamp collection now and know I am so happy I don't have to start at this point what I created back then! Now, it's just a matter of adding a set of stamps to my inventory lists.
I also have inventory lists of things like embossing folders, framelits & dies.
I just have to look at my sentiments list and since it is alphabetical, I just look up "Happy Birthday" and all the sets that contain that sentiment are right in front of me.
A lot of people put them in the microwave for a few seconds and peel them off the block. I wanted to go all the way down to the rubber (no foam), so I just get my fingernail under the rubber on an edge and peel it off, then rub off whatever's left behind with my thumb. There are YouTube videos, I'm told...
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Good luck to you on all this! For me? I'll never unmount! I like wood mount-fewer steps! too big a job & too spendy coming up with new storage. I do buy all foam mount or photopolymer now to save $$$$$$. For the first time ever I chose a foam mount over a wood mount as a free saleabration item from SU! Yesterday. I must be finally adjusted to the steps involved with clear foam mount!
Again, good luck and happy stamping. We all need to do what works for us!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
Into the Deep End with unmounting--My Turn
