Into the Deep End with unmounting--My Turn
 

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)

Thanks to all who read and comment.

Lorri

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!

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.

Thanks again,
Lorri

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

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. :D

Fonts change and age over time. I do like different sizes of some phrases (thank you, for example). I need to do another purge though, for sure.

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.

What's the best way to 'unmount' a wood-backed stamp? Do you use a really sharp exacto knife?

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...

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!