# MM3915 - Ships of the World Mounts TH 17-21 (29)

Mounts Protect Your Stamps Mystic Mounts are a safe haven for your stamps – sturdy “envelopes” that gently surround your stamps. Mounts preserve your stamps and prevent damage from common threats like fingerprints, dust, creases and tears. Mounts Display Your Stamps to Their Best Advantage Mystic Mounts beautify your stamps and give your collection a neat, professional look. Your stamps are held securely in place against a black background – making the colors “pop” and adding definition to the stamp perforations. How to Select the Right Mount for Your Stamp The correct mount size depends on the height of your stamp. For example, a stamp measuring 36 millimeters in height requires a 41-millimeter mount. We’ve added a small extra margin of space to protect your stamps. If your stamp falls between two sizes, select the larger sized mount. For your convenience, you can also measure in inches, round your measurement to the nearest 1/16th of an inch, and match it to the nearest mount size. Take a look at Mystic's Discovery Center for our guide on How-to-Measure-Stamps-for-Mounts. Strips or Single Mounts – Which is Best for You? Single precut mounts are the easiest to use because there is no cutting. However, if no precut mount exists for the width of your particular stamps, you may need to buy strip mounts. Strips can be cheaper than single mounts and are useful for stamps of different widths with the same height. Cutting is easy using a device known as a “guillotine.” (See here to learn more about the Schneider G – Large Mount Cutter.) Photo cutters, which are available at Staples, can also be used to cut mounts. (Helpful hint – cutting mounts with scissors doesn’t work well because mounts are too slippery!) Mounts are Easy to Use To insert your stamp in a split-back mount, locate the split on the black background side. Lift a flap and gently slide the stamp in face-down. Then lift the other flap and lay the stamp flat inside. Close both flaps over the back of the stamp. Make sure the stamp fits smoothly inside. Lightly moisten the adhesive on the top of the back of the mount and press it firmly onto your album page. Clear “drop end” mounts are welded on one side only. Drop mounts don’t hold stamps as securely as split back mounts, but they are nearly invisible on an album page. To use a drop end mount, first locate its dull side. This is the back. Insert your stamp into the mount to make sure it’s the proper size. The seam should be at the bottom. Remove your stamp and lightly moisten the entire back side of the mount. Place it in its proper position on your album page, and re-insert your stamp. To fully protect your stamps, we recommend applying stamps and mounts to only one side of your album page. Mounts placed on facing pages may tangle, while mounted stamps placed front and back can weaken the page. What Does Archival-Quality Mean? Mystic Mounts are archival-quality, which means they’re made of the same material museums use to protect their philatelic items. Because they’re archival-quality, our mounts are acid free and contain no additives or softening agents. Plus Mystic Mounts don’t shrink or discolor over time – giving you years of service for pennies apiece!