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Vidiform
quality products (Showgard, Supersafe, Hawid and Hagner) are high
quality stamp and coin supplies made from the best materials with
thought and care. We have included more detailed information about
their products in this section.
Most
business success stories begin with a tale of invention and innovation
and Vidiforms Company of Congers, New York is no exception. Now located
in the rolling hills of Rockland County on the west bank of the Hudson
River 25 miles north of New York City. Vidiforms
was founded in 1958 in Brooklyn, New York by Dr. Robert Weisberg, an
optometrist by profession who enjoyed stamp collecting. He had
purchased a Schaubek album for a collection of German stamps he had
started with his daughter and had discovered a sample of a mount.
Having tried many of the different mounts on the market and being
unsatisfied with the results, he tried the sample of the twin seam,
split back clear mount and was immediately won over. He set out to buy
some, but was unable to find them anywhere. He finally wrote directly
to Schaubek who referred him to Hans Widmaier of Hawid mounts, their
supplier. Hawid was producing this mount only for Schaubek for use in
their hingless album.
Mr. Widmaier supplied the requested mounts
and Dr. Weisberg was so pleased with the results that he decided to
promote and sell them to collectors.
The initial reaction from
collectors was favorable. The mounts were a higher quality and safer
product than others on the market in the U.S. One collector wrote and
suggested it be supplied with a black background. Dr. Weisberg liked
the idea, but Hans Widmaier needed a sizable order commitment to
proceed. In exchange for the large order, Dr. Weisberg requested and
received an exclusive agency for sales to the US and English speaking
countries.
The first shipment of Showgard mounts with a black
background arrived in America in January 1960. Collector reception was
favorable, so favorable that production was barely able to keep up with
demand. Since then, Showgard mounts have been the most popular, most
widely used, and most respected stamp mounts in the U.S. market. The
Showgard product line has expanded to include First Day Cover Albums,
stamp tongs, stock books and other philatelic accessories.
The close association with Hawid continues to this day. Vidiforms also distributes Hawid mounts in the U.S.
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