Stamp Collections by Steph Schirmer

     This month I decided to dive into our collections of rubber stamps. We all have them, building them up every year. I was curious what every ones responses would be about them and how they have changed over the years. I know, for myself, I have become more selective in what I buy. My interest in stamps has changed drastically over the years. My sister has kept everything I have sent her, and when I see it, it is like taking a walk thru my own person stamping adventure. So, I poised some questions to our design team and some of my fellow Tennessee Stamper's.

1. How big is your collection?
2. Are you selective in what you buy or just buy everything?
3. Do you have favorites you only buy or do you buy stuff outside your box to stretch yourself?
4. How do you organize them by theme, size or companies?
5. Do you display them or store them away and if so how?
6. Do you clean your stamps each time and with what?
7. Do you catalog your stamps if so how and if not how do you remember what you buy?
8. If a stamp "stumps" you, what do you do with it? Sell it? Ask for help or give it to a friend?

   The size of stamper's collections ran the gambit. Here are a few of the answers I received. Carol (from HGTV's Carol Duval show) asked a Stamp Diva how big her collection was and her response was "If you can count them you don't have enough." The majority of people said they had over 1000 stamps and stopped counting years ago. Some stampers said they never counted their stamps and honestly don't know had many they had. Plus, they are scared to find out exactly how many stamps are in their collections. Another said "I don't have enough fingers and toes to count that high."
Some stampers buy their stamps in sets from Stampin Up! and they have several hundreds of those sets stacked in their containers. Others stampers have had their collections take over rooms in their homes. One person I talked to has ninety two 12 by 12 pizza boxes filled with stamps. It is obvious we all have stamps; even beginner stampers have at least 50. A lot of us use un-mounted stamps to help us on space.
The response to selective buying was funny. A lot of us say 'yes', we are selective in what we buy. We look at a stamp and try and think of 2 or 3 ways to use it. If we can this justifies buying it. Some of us start out being good but after we start looking we just have to have one of everything. One person joked about taking a stamp right out of another persons hand at a convention - it's a good thing they were friends!
Of course we have to like the stamp. It has to fit into our collection but some times that doesn't matter either. One person said they buy stamps that their friends buy or are enthusiastic about. Another said, "I only buy stamps that are true Angel companies." Money came into play, too. Some people are on a budget, they want to make their money stretch so they are very selective.
Now we come to a favorite and buying outside our box. Demos played a big part in several of us buying stamps. Seeing the way a person can them influences us a lot. A couple of stampers said "I used to buy only cute now I am stretching myself to buy collage and artsy type stamps." Another said over the last couple of years she had been buying fewer stamps but have looked at new and different mediums, techniques and tools to change the look of the stamps I have and that stretching comes from taking a medium and doing more with it then what it was designed for. Another said she learned so many techniques it was neat to take her older stamps and look at them in a new way. As far as buying stamps any brand will do as long as the rubber is well made. These last two responses made me laugh. One person said "Stretching? I don't know what or where my box is to stretch." And the other, "A stamp has to call me and I will buy it and worry about how to use it after I get home."
Organizing and Displaying - Here are some ways we organize and display our collections:
Rolling Craftsman Tool chest
Large rolling tool rack
Half circle greeting card rack
Iris carts
Book cases
Wire baskets
Wooden cabinets (built by dear hubby)
Pizza boxes
Shelves
See thru boxes
Plastic drawers and plastic trays
Everyone normally organizes by themes.

Cleaning stamps: Yes, the majority of stampers do clean their stamps each time they use them. A lot use a StampinUp pad with cleaner applied. Other options were: baby wipes, soap and water, Judikins permanent stamp cleaner, Simple Green (diluted with water), simple pot scrubbers and for those stubborn mediums a use a toothbrush.
When using StazOn ink StazOn ink cleaner is used.

Cataloging your stamps brought out these responses. Some people catalog at all, they buy so few stamps they can remember which they have. Others stamp each image onto paper and keep that in a binder. Some started out keeping a catalog of their stamps but after getting to too they stopped. There are some stampers that are cataloging now and don't think they will ever finish. Everyone said "if I bought a duplicate; I either give it to another stamper, sell it or keep for a gift down the road."

The last question I asked was "if you are stumped by a stamp what do you do?" One person said they really don't feel "stumped" by a stamp because there are so many mediums out there to try. If all else fails - stamp it and add it to a collage. A lot said they sell them thru EBay or a local stamp store. Some stampers said they give to other stampers to see what they can come up with. One said they stick on a shelf or in a drawer and when they see a technique that would work with it they pull it out and try it. Another said they would set it up as a challenge for stampers and do a swap with it. Some stampers are mentors and pass these along to the person they are working with. My personal favorite… divine intervention, I just wait until something inspires them. I have several unused stamps that are still waiting for their calling.

I want to thank everyone who submitted to me. I hope everyone enjoyed these responses.

Thank you to the following people who helped by submitting their information:

Tennessee Stamping friends
Connie McGinnis
Vonda Sisson
Sara Drake
Robin Orewiler
Patty Gracy
Pat Lewellen
Allison Priputin
Hootie Hilton
Barbara Eads
Barbara Davis
Monica Black
Lori West
LeeAnne Viall
Nancy Profitt
Cindy Troubaugh
Nancy Walker

Stampers Mall Design Team
Pam Eck
Leigh Snaith-Brunton (aka The Sharpie Domino Queen)
Betty McCommon
Shona Watson
Sue Lorang (aka Sue4stampin)

If anyone has any hints or helps just send them to me and I will get a discussion going about them. Everyone was great this month!

Thanks again all

Steph
sschirmer@stampersmall.com