Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
1898
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Why are you removing the gum?
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Long term protection.
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"Long term protection."
Very sensible for the stamp's condition if not for resale value (of which I have no idea.) It seems to me on classical period stamps the gum is often very detrimental to the stamp's condition. It's a shame we have allowed investors to make the rules of our hobby.
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I wouldn’t remove the gum. Expensive classic issues, perhaps. But that stamp without gum would be worth a great deal less than withgum, even if it’s damaged gum.
Bob
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@Bobstamp
I beleive we as stamp colectors have the responsibilty to ensure the stamps we have in our collections will be in good collectable condition for future stamp collectors. Soaking off the gum is one way I can safe guard my stamps so future collectors will have stamps to collect in the best possible condition.
I don't care what the stamp is worth now as I've never sold a single stamp, a stamp with gum will deteriorate and be destroyed over time. A stamp without gum will last much longer and be in better condition!
By the way, the deed has been done!
1898
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Gee... I did not know that!
You said, "Soaking off the gum is one way I can safe guard my stamps so future collectors will have stamps to collect in the best possible condition."
I suppose the best possible condition would be unused with full gum just like it was originally purchased from the Post Office. I have many stamps that are well over 100 years old with gum that are still bright and fresh (one of them is a MNH US Scott #E6). IMHO keeping stamps in good collectible condition is more a matter of how you store and handle them (whether they have gum or not is not material).
Just my 2 cents...
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11:42:53am
The only stamps I really have a bit of trouble with are the cheap Russian CTO material from the 1960 - 1985 (my cut off) material. Whenever I see a set mint I replace them but I'm sure they will start to curl up a bit eventually as well. They are not even worth the time of removing the glue and not worth the expense of replacing the hinges with more rigid mounting. I find the older mint material for most countries seems to last well with the glue left alone. But maybe 1898 has the right idea for what might happen to them later. I really can't face the amount of work involved in getting rid of the glue!! I collect over 30 different areas and the amount of work involved in removing glue from all the mint stamps would take several years. I'd rather spend that time finding new treasures!
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Terry, what you say is true for most stamps. However, there are many stamps issued with gum that is highly acidic, and over time, stamps printed with such gum are totally destroyed. In the 19th Century, it was common for collectors to wash the gum off of stamps. Thus the reason for unused no gum values.
Stamps from Iran under the Shah are a great example. Even Scott says that toned gum on such stamps is not considered damage resulting in no discount from value. Early post WW-II stamps from France and French colonies now have gum that is mostly toned due to the acid in the gum. Even after the various wars, highly acidic paper was used in some instances. Money was scarce, and countries used whatever they could find to print stamps.
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@Terry
Good points thanks.
I'm thinking of the stamp collectors in the far future, 200 and more years in the future!
You are correct, I see stamps with full gum over 100 years old and they look like they just came from the post office.
What is in the gum, is there acid in the gum, is there anything that can damage a stamp, I don't know?
Granted my idea is far fetched. Maybe I'm crazy.
Personally I have never sold a stamp, I collect for the fun of it. I don't buy rare stamps I discover them.
Thank You
1898
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You are so right Harvey... I have had curling difficulties with several MNH French colonial issues c.1940s However, I found that once I had placed them in a Scott/Prinz split mount on the album page, they were much happier!
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Thanks for the information, Michael... Yes, I found several of the c.1940s French Morocco issues in my World Airpost collection have some of the very slight toning issues. Several early airpost souvenir sheets in Lebanon, Syria and Cuba that are on the market also show some toning.
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Thanks to my friend Mr. Neiss he told me he U.S. used aniline inks for printing stamps until the 1920s. Aniline is an acid! I have no idea if the printing ink has any affect on the gum of a stamp.
Does anyone have factural right and proper information on this?
1898
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Acid in the gum, in the paper, in some ink. All or some of it will have an affect on the stamp at some point in time. Then of course you have the environment in which the stamp is kept that can cause damage too.
Life is tough for a stamp.
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02:32:41pm
"Life is tough for a stamp."
Nothing lasts forever I'm afraid! Many of the older works of art are falling to pieces and will eventually get to the point where even restoration is useless. The Last Supper is falling to pieces and the immense humidity in places like Venice is destroying major pieces of art. Even the Mona Lisa will disintegrate at some point. So I suggest we enjoy our stamps while we are here to do so. I envy the fact that 1898 takes the time to rid his mint stamps of gum but most of us are not willing to take the time to do that. Just take solace in the fact that when the meteorite hits and we go the way of the dinosaurs none of this will matter anyway!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous ...
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Life is tough for stamps
That is why I collect used stamps.
I have never understood why people collect mint stamps.
Doug
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I agree, used stamps actually served a purpose and are not just pretty labels or stickers.
My grandson gets a sticker for just showing up for school.
But to each his/her own how to collect your stamps.
Here's a secret don't tell anyone used stamps are way cheaper than mint!
1898
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08:55:30pm
I've collected Plate Number Singles for a long time, but some times I have to settle for mint instead of used for which are way more desirable, especially if it has a CDS dated 1909. This example has the gum on, but soon the gum will be removed.
1898
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12:12:16am
re: E6 Issued in 1909
Why are you removing the gum?
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re: E6 Issued in 1909
"Long term protection."
Very sensible for the stamp's condition if not for resale value (of which I have no idea.) It seems to me on classical period stamps the gum is often very detrimental to the stamp's condition. It's a shame we have allowed investors to make the rules of our hobby.
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re: E6 Issued in 1909
I wouldn’t remove the gum. Expensive classic issues, perhaps. But that stamp without gum would be worth a great deal less than withgum, even if it’s damaged gum.
Bob
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07:48:02pm
re: E6 Issued in 1909
@Bobstamp
I beleive we as stamp colectors have the responsibilty to ensure the stamps we have in our collections will be in good collectable condition for future stamp collectors. Soaking off the gum is one way I can safe guard my stamps so future collectors will have stamps to collect in the best possible condition.
I don't care what the stamp is worth now as I've never sold a single stamp, a stamp with gum will deteriorate and be destroyed over time. A stamp without gum will last much longer and be in better condition!
By the way, the deed has been done!
1898
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like this post.
Login to Like.
re: E6 Issued in 1909
Gee... I did not know that!
You said, "Soaking off the gum is one way I can safe guard my stamps so future collectors will have stamps to collect in the best possible condition."
I suppose the best possible condition would be unused with full gum just like it was originally purchased from the Post Office. I have many stamps that are well over 100 years old with gum that are still bright and fresh (one of them is a MNH US Scott #E6). IMHO keeping stamps in good collectible condition is more a matter of how you store and handle them (whether they have gum or not is not material).
Just my 2 cents...
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jul 2023
11:42:53am
re: E6 Issued in 1909
The only stamps I really have a bit of trouble with are the cheap Russian CTO material from the 1960 - 1985 (my cut off) material. Whenever I see a set mint I replace them but I'm sure they will start to curl up a bit eventually as well. They are not even worth the time of removing the glue and not worth the expense of replacing the hinges with more rigid mounting. I find the older mint material for most countries seems to last well with the glue left alone. But maybe 1898 has the right idea for what might happen to them later. I really can't face the amount of work involved in getting rid of the glue!! I collect over 30 different areas and the amount of work involved in removing glue from all the mint stamps would take several years. I'd rather spend that time finding new treasures!
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11:47:05am
re: E6 Issued in 1909
Terry, what you say is true for most stamps. However, there are many stamps issued with gum that is highly acidic, and over time, stamps printed with such gum are totally destroyed. In the 19th Century, it was common for collectors to wash the gum off of stamps. Thus the reason for unused no gum values.
Stamps from Iran under the Shah are a great example. Even Scott says that toned gum on such stamps is not considered damage resulting in no discount from value. Early post WW-II stamps from France and French colonies now have gum that is mostly toned due to the acid in the gum. Even after the various wars, highly acidic paper was used in some instances. Money was scarce, and countries used whatever they could find to print stamps.
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11:47:31am
re: E6 Issued in 1909
@Terry
Good points thanks.
I'm thinking of the stamp collectors in the far future, 200 and more years in the future!
You are correct, I see stamps with full gum over 100 years old and they look like they just came from the post office.
What is in the gum, is there acid in the gum, is there anything that can damage a stamp, I don't know?
Granted my idea is far fetched. Maybe I'm crazy.
Personally I have never sold a stamp, I collect for the fun of it. I don't buy rare stamps I discover them.
Thank You
1898
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this post
re: E6 Issued in 1909
You are so right Harvey... I have had curling difficulties with several MNH French colonial issues c.1940s However, I found that once I had placed them in a Scott/Prinz split mount on the album page, they were much happier!
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re: E6 Issued in 1909
Thanks for the information, Michael... Yes, I found several of the c.1940s French Morocco issues in my World Airpost collection have some of the very slight toning issues. Several early airpost souvenir sheets in Lebanon, Syria and Cuba that are on the market also show some toning.
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01:43:29pm
re: E6 Issued in 1909
Thanks to my friend Mr. Neiss he told me he U.S. used aniline inks for printing stamps until the 1920s. Aniline is an acid! I have no idea if the printing ink has any affect on the gum of a stamp.
Does anyone have factural right and proper information on this?
1898
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02:10:17pm
re: E6 Issued in 1909
Acid in the gum, in the paper, in some ink. All or some of it will have an affect on the stamp at some point in time. Then of course you have the environment in which the stamp is kept that can cause damage too.
Life is tough for a stamp.
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this post
This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jul 2023
02:32:41pm
re: E6 Issued in 1909
"Life is tough for a stamp."
Nothing lasts forever I'm afraid! Many of the older works of art are falling to pieces and will eventually get to the point where even restoration is useless. The Last Supper is falling to pieces and the immense humidity in places like Venice is destroying major pieces of art. Even the Mona Lisa will disintegrate at some point. So I suggest we enjoy our stamps while we are here to do so. I envy the fact that 1898 takes the time to rid his mint stamps of gum but most of us are not willing to take the time to do that. Just take solace in the fact that when the meteorite hits and we go the way of the dinosaurs none of this will matter anyway!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous ...
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re: E6 Issued in 1909
Life is tough for stamps
That is why I collect used stamps.
I have never understood why people collect mint stamps.
Doug
1 Member
likes this post.
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08:04:27pm
re: E6 Issued in 1909
I agree, used stamps actually served a purpose and are not just pretty labels or stickers.
My grandson gets a sticker for just showing up for school.
But to each his/her own how to collect your stamps.
Here's a secret don't tell anyone used stamps are way cheaper than mint!
1898
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