Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Speak up please.
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1899,
This is a great topic.
I use a drop or 2 of dishwashing soap per cup of water. Dawn is my soap of choice. It all depends on how many stamps that need cleaning or soaking. This is of course my method for used stamps. I haven't come up with one for unused stamps.
I have experimented using other things in the past with mixed results damaging more stamps than I actually saved. Two experiments that failed miserably for me was using vinegar and peroxide to remove foxing stains. I'm just grateful I used inexpensive stamps for those experiments. I had changelings as a result.
Jeremy
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Sarge
A few years ago on Youtube in England a stamp dealer had a block of 6 penny blacks of 1841, and soaked them in Peroxide for 20 minutes I think. they came out looking like new (but of course they were used).
1899
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Dawn is my soap of choice for used stamps. I don't remember what I used But I put a thin cloth over the jar with a solution in it. It would clean up mint stamps and restore stamps that faded from
orange to brown. It could have been Peroxide ? I will google it
For mint stamps with gum, fill a small jar or plastic cup about 1/2 full. Place the stamp face down on a plastic screen and set on top of the cup of peroxide. As the peroxide evaporates it will remove the sulphur without harming the gum. It can take 1-3 days to see any changes. Do not cover the jar and stamp with any type of cover as the evaporating peroxide can condensate on the stamp. I have had some success with this method. I cannot take credit for this method, credit goes to Caj Brejtfus of PSE
Keep on Stamping
Richard
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I use a few drops of dishwashing liquid as well, but I take whatever is under the sink. Is there something special about Dawn?
Also, I often clean 10 or so stamps at a time. However, if it is more expensive stamp, I may do it alone....just in case.
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Swisspers cotton rounds. I started buying as they can be used to clean gunk / dirt off of old comic book covers. The same effect works for stamps, except since stamps are small you have to be really, really careful. They can be used to remove dirt / particles stuck in the gum.
Josh
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@vinman No solutions. I do soak stamps to clean them too, but I would be concerned of damaging the stamp if not completely dry. The effect is almost like a safer version of sandpaper - not sure if that describes it. It is more for dry residue - I use more on comic books. Got the tip for cleaning 50 year old bits of potato chips or other things the kids might have been eating while reading - stamp collectors seem to usually be a little cleaner 
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I'm looking for opinions. I recently bought a U.S. box lot which contained a very nice no. 274 (15 cent, dark blue). Unfortunately, instead of blue, it is now olive green. It has picked up yellow from the envelope no doubt changing the color. I'm going to try soaking it in peroxide, but I'm sure that the color is not likely to be recovered. My question is, even as nice as it is, would you throw it in the trash?
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Just me guess try comparing you 274 with 284!
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@1899
This thread and the last question had to do with cleaning a stamp.
Catalog number does not matter.
Please stop sniping every chance you get.
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It wasn't a snipe. It was a subtle hint to check for the proper identification of the stamp in question. The 274 is either dark blue or indigo and the 284 is olive green. They both have the same 15 cent denomination design type just different colors. By the way it is very sound advice because if the wrong method for cleaning the stamp is used. It will be destroyed and made into a changeling. More-over it was 1899 who started this thread to begin with.
19th and early 20th century U.S. stamps are notoriously famous to have been dyed with fugitive inks which is why cleaning them is such a delicate undertaking and should be done either individualy or in small batches to prevent changelings form occurring.
@joesm Don't throw it away check it for the proper ID first.
Jeremy
My Hiatus is over.
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Thanks Sarge and 1899! It is a 284. I didn't even think to look at my own copy in the album and assumed that both were blue. Dumb of me not to check. I was about to soak a perfectly good stamp overnight in peroxide. LOL
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I'm happy to help.
Jeremy
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The question came up a few posts back. What is special about dawn? I haven't got clue. My logic tells me if it works well enough to clean feathers from waterfowl and other animals effected by oil spills then it must be good stuff.
Jeremy
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My background is organic chemistry so I can answer that. Of the dish detergent liquids on the market, Dawn is particularly good for emulsifying fats and oils. It's the combination of surfactants and emulsifiers that they use. I have to say, it's my favorite.
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How do members clean old stamps, lets say stamps 125 years old?
Speak up please.
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11:33:56am
re: Cleaning old stamps
1899,
This is a great topic.
I use a drop or 2 of dishwashing soap per cup of water. Dawn is my soap of choice. It all depends on how many stamps that need cleaning or soaking. This is of course my method for used stamps. I haven't come up with one for unused stamps.
I have experimented using other things in the past with mixed results damaging more stamps than I actually saved. Two experiments that failed miserably for me was using vinegar and peroxide to remove foxing stains. I'm just grateful I used inexpensive stamps for those experiments. I had changelings as a result.
Jeremy
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re: Cleaning old stamps
Sarge
A few years ago on Youtube in England a stamp dealer had a block of 6 penny blacks of 1841, and soaked them in Peroxide for 20 minutes I think. they came out looking like new (but of course they were used).
1899
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Auctions
re: Cleaning old stamps
Dawn is my soap of choice for used stamps. I don't remember what I used But I put a thin cloth over the jar with a solution in it. It would clean up mint stamps and restore stamps that faded from
orange to brown. It could have been Peroxide ? I will google it
For mint stamps with gum, fill a small jar or plastic cup about 1/2 full. Place the stamp face down on a plastic screen and set on top of the cup of peroxide. As the peroxide evaporates it will remove the sulphur without harming the gum. It can take 1-3 days to see any changes. Do not cover the jar and stamp with any type of cover as the evaporating peroxide can condensate on the stamp. I have had some success with this method. I cannot take credit for this method, credit goes to Caj Brejtfus of PSE
Keep on Stamping
Richard
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re: Cleaning old stamps
I use a few drops of dishwashing liquid as well, but I take whatever is under the sink. Is there something special about Dawn?
Also, I often clean 10 or so stamps at a time. However, if it is more expensive stamp, I may do it alone....just in case.
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Login to Like.
re: Cleaning old stamps
Swisspers cotton rounds. I started buying as they can be used to clean gunk / dirt off of old comic book covers. The same effect works for stamps, except since stamps are small you have to be really, really careful. They can be used to remove dirt / particles stuck in the gum.
Josh
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re: Cleaning old stamps
@vinman No solutions. I do soak stamps to clean them too, but I would be concerned of damaging the stamp if not completely dry. The effect is almost like a safer version of sandpaper - not sure if that describes it. It is more for dry residue - I use more on comic books. Got the tip for cleaning 50 year old bits of potato chips or other things the kids might have been eating while reading - stamp collectors seem to usually be a little cleaner
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09:25:39am
re: Cleaning old stamps
I'm looking for opinions. I recently bought a U.S. box lot which contained a very nice no. 274 (15 cent, dark blue). Unfortunately, instead of blue, it is now olive green. It has picked up yellow from the envelope no doubt changing the color. I'm going to try soaking it in peroxide, but I'm sure that the color is not likely to be recovered. My question is, even as nice as it is, would you throw it in the trash?
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re: Cleaning old stamps
Just me guess try comparing you 274 with 284!
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re: Cleaning old stamps
@1899
This thread and the last question had to do with cleaning a stamp.
Catalog number does not matter.
Please stop sniping every chance you get.
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02:59:44pm
re: Cleaning old stamps
It wasn't a snipe. It was a subtle hint to check for the proper identification of the stamp in question. The 274 is either dark blue or indigo and the 284 is olive green. They both have the same 15 cent denomination design type just different colors. By the way it is very sound advice because if the wrong method for cleaning the stamp is used. It will be destroyed and made into a changeling. More-over it was 1899 who started this thread to begin with.
19th and early 20th century U.S. stamps are notoriously famous to have been dyed with fugitive inks which is why cleaning them is such a delicate undertaking and should be done either individualy or in small batches to prevent changelings form occurring.
@joesm Don't throw it away check it for the proper ID first.
Jeremy
My Hiatus is over.
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05:23:25pm
re: Cleaning old stamps
Thanks Sarge and 1899! It is a 284. I didn't even think to look at my own copy in the album and assumed that both were blue. Dumb of me not to check. I was about to soak a perfectly good stamp overnight in peroxide. LOL
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06:40:00pm
re: Cleaning old stamps
The question came up a few posts back. What is special about dawn? I haven't got clue. My logic tells me if it works well enough to clean feathers from waterfowl and other animals effected by oil spills then it must be good stuff.
Jeremy
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08:49:35pm
re: Cleaning old stamps
My background is organic chemistry so I can answer that. Of the dish detergent liquids on the market, Dawn is particularly good for emulsifying fats and oils. It's the combination of surfactants and emulsifiers that they use. I have to say, it's my favorite.
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