Collecting
Stamp Hinges vs Mounts: Which Should You Use?
Use mounts for mint and valuable stamps, and hinges only for used or inexpensive ones. A hinge is a small folded piece of gummed paper that sticks the stamp to the album; it is cheap but it disturbs the gum and can leave a mark. A mount is a clear protective sleeve that holds the stamp without touching its gum, which preserves a mint stamp's condition, and value, in full.
At a glance
How each one works
The two do the same job, holding a stamp on an album page, in very different ways. A hinge sticks to the stamp; a mount holds it without touching it.
That difference, small as it sounds, decides which you should reach for, and it matters most for mint stamps.
- A hinge is a small rectangle of thin, gummed paper, folded so that one part sticks to the back of the stamp and the other to the page. Modern "peelable" hinges are made to lift off again cleanly. Hinges are inexpensive and simple, and have been used for generations.
- A mount is a clear, archival sleeve, closed on some sides, into which the stamp slides. It is fixed to the page by its own backing, so nothing ever touches the front or the gum of the stamp. Mounts come in sizes to fit individual stamps or whole rows.
| Hinges | Mounts | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Folded gummed paper | Clear protective sleeve |
| Cost | Very cheap | Dearer |
| Effect on gum | Disturbs it, may mark | Does not touch it |
| Best for | Used or inexpensive stamps | Mint and valuable stamps |
| Reusable | No | Yes, generally |
The crucial difference: gum
Why mint stamps need mounts
For mint stamps, the difference is decisive, and it comes down to the gum. A mint stamp's value depends heavily on its original gum being undisturbed, which is what "unmounted mint" means, as our guide to MNH explains. A hinge sticks to that gum and, even when peeled away, usually leaves a mark or a disturbed patch, turning an unmounted mint stamp into a hinged one, and reducing its value. A mount never touches the gum, so the stamp stays exactly as it was. This is why mint and valuable stamps should always go in mounts, never on hinges.
When a hinge is fine
Hinges are not wrong, simply suited to different stamps. For used stamps, which have no gum to protect, and for common, inexpensive stamps where condition of gum is not the point, a hinge is perfectly acceptable and very economical. Many collectors hinge their used collection and mount only their mint and better stamps. Our guide to using stamp hinges shows the correct method.
Which should you use?
The simple rule
Use mounts for anything mint or valuable, where protecting the gum matters, and hinges for used or inexpensive stamps, where it does not. If you are ever unsure whether a mint stamp is valuable enough to warrant a mount, treat it as if it is, since a mount can never do harm while a hinge can. Our guide to what affects a stamp's value explains why gum and condition weigh so heavily.
Frequently asked questions
Use mounts for mint and valuable stamps, to protect the gum, and hinges only for used or inexpensive stamps, where there is no gum to protect.
Because a mount holds a stamp without touching its gum, while a hinge sticks to the gum and usually leaves a mark, turning unmounted mint into hinged and reducing the value.
Not at all, for the right stamps. Hinges are fine for used and inexpensive stamps. They should simply never be used on mint or valuable stamps.
Mounts can generally be reused. Hinges are not designed to be reused; even peelable ones are best replaced.
Mounts for mint, hinges for used
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026