Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I'm in need of your experience.
My wonderful boss past away in october and I inherited his collection of stamps.
What is the best way to remove them from the paper? I guess I'll clasified them by country.
I'have always liked stamps but I'm new in collecting, any tips will be very welcomed.
Thank you.
Aline
Mexico
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Hi
Try this
Soak in warm water
when stamps come loose off paper, put upside down on paper towel
when dry, carefully put inside a heavy book for 24 hours, they should then be nice and flat
Then you can sort them 
Sincerely
Lee Payette
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01:36:21pm
One other thing, if the stamps are in coloured paper, soak them separately. Dyes in red and green paper for example might run.
Welcome to the world of stamps and to SOR.
Kelly
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to add to Kelly's good tip, soak stamps with RED cancels separately, as those inks tend to bleed also. And, I use cold water for colored paper and cancels, to minimize the risk of bleeding.
US stamps from about 2008 or so are difficult to soak, and you may want to try one or two at a time. There are discussions here that go into more detail, but that's probably more than you will want to digest right now.
and, welcome
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04:16:05pm
I would not sort by country until after I have soaked and dried the stamps.To soak I use two almost discarded Tupperware rectangular bowls that I rescued from oblivion. The regular stamps are soaked in one and as the paper floats free can be shifted over to the second bowl. I dry stamps on old copies of news print paper, using some pages from the Vance Auction catalog that I accumulated over time because they seem to be good enough to use time and time again. the first bowl will soon be contaminated with glue both from the stamps as well as from the paper in general.
When that happens I drain the water and refill the bowl with fresh water. Residual glue can cause curling so the draining and refilling will solve most of the curling problems.
To keep the stamps flat I have a used US Mail Priority cardboard envelope. As the stamps become dry I slip them into the cardboard envelope being careful that they are flat more or less as they go in. The cardboard envelope can then either lie flat with a heavy book atop it or the envelope can be slipped into a tight space between two albums that are on a nearby shelf.
If one or more stamps begins to roll up, I can pass it over a standard pencil forcing it to roll in reverse and the resulting flat stamp will stay flat long enough to join the rest of the stamps in the cardboard envelope. Eventually they are sorted by country or area and put on stock cards until I am ready to work on that particular album.
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Thank you for your kind welcome and thank you all very much for your replies.
I'll start right away.
Aline.
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One additional thing...before soaking the stamps..make sure they are USED...don't soak mint stamps (unused) or you'll remove the gum and then they will most likely be worth less than otherwise. Did he use hinges to attach the stamps or are they all stuck down on the pages?
I hope this helps!
Dave
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Hi there:
I know I'm a little late to this thread, but I didn't see anyone advise about the age of these stamps. This might not be the case, but... whether or not you SHOULD soak them might be a consideration here. If they're old, then you probably don't want to soak them, as the cancellations may have some value. This is doubly true if they're old and on entire envelopes.
Newer stamps on entire envelopes might have some additional value to a specialist, or if they're FDCs or Registered letters, maybe even airmails.
On the other hand, if they're just piles of stamps from various countries on torn bits of paper from. say, the 1970s onward, then soak away!
This is probably unnecessary advice, but Aline did say she's brand-new to collecting, and we don't know what kin of mess she's inherited.
Best of luck
BG
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11:12:18am
To add to BG's comment. Sometime the ink on older stamps is water soluble and you could lose a lot more than the cancel. Also, some older papers are colored and bleed into the stamp when soaked.
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...and, whatever you do, DO NOT trim your fingernails as they are even more useful than stamp tongs.
John Derry
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02:17:04pm
I have some old stamps that were stored improperly. They are dusty and a bit musty. I was going to soak them to get the yuck off but it sounds like that's a bad idea. Any suggestions?
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02:29:30pm
Sometime Scott or other catalogs identify stamps that were so printed. List some of the stamps on the board (country, approximate age, etc.) maybe some of us could help you out. Water soluble inks were not common. I know the Netherlands used some on their stamps and those of their possessions.
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British aniline inks will run and dissolve too.
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10:32:47pm
I know mine are a group of US stamps. I can dig them out and find out from which ones they are exactly. Do older US inks bleed?
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To my knowledge, not under normal circumstances.
When soaking stamps be sure to use cold to luke warm water. Using hot water can cause the ink to run, bleed, dissolve. Of course, like stated already, stamps printed in water soluble ink that are placed in water will cause the ink to dissolve.
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10:28:11am
Also extended soaking of Machin Stamps in water, even cold water tends to dilute the phosphorescence and fluorescence that specialists use to identify specific printings of these beauties.
This may be true for the tagged stamps of other countries.
The recommended procedure for Machins is cold water and prompt turn around. In the bucket for just long enough to cause the separation from the paper.
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Good point, Charlie.
On stamps from Canada issued during 1972, the phospher taggant can migrate to other stamps. The stamps involved are Scott #544p - 544s, 560p - 561p, 562p - 565p, 594-598.
There is a note about this in Scott following Canada #542.
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on US stamps, one wants to watch the early 19c brown and, especially, orange stuff. and keep those away from light, too
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06:06:37pm
Thank you for the tip, David. I'm still deciding if I should soak my older US to remove the dusty stuff.
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06:32:53pm
Lisa
As opposed to soaking, you can also try using a fine bristle artist's paint brush - works well for me. I have also used Q-tips when I didn't want to soak the stamp.
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01:06:30pm
Hello Stamporama,
I'm in need of your experience.
My wonderful boss past away in october and I inherited his collection of stamps.
What is the best way to remove them from the paper? I guess I'll clasified them by country.
I'have always liked stamps but I'm new in collecting, any tips will be very welcomed.
Thank you.
Aline
Mexico
Login to Like
this post
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Hi
Try this
Soak in warm water
when stamps come loose off paper, put upside down on paper towel
when dry, carefully put inside a heavy book for 24 hours, they should then be nice and flat
Then you can sort them
Sincerely
Lee Payette
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
29 Nov 2012
01:36:21pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
One other thing, if the stamps are in coloured paper, soak them separately. Dyes in red and green paper for example might run.
Welcome to the world of stamps and to SOR.
Kelly
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
to add to Kelly's good tip, soak stamps with RED cancels separately, as those inks tend to bleed also. And, I use cold water for colored paper and cancels, to minimize the risk of bleeding.
US stamps from about 2008 or so are difficult to soak, and you may want to try one or two at a time. There are discussions here that go into more detail, but that's probably more than you will want to digest right now.
and, welcome
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
29 Nov 2012
04:16:05pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
I would not sort by country until after I have soaked and dried the stamps.To soak I use two almost discarded Tupperware rectangular bowls that I rescued from oblivion. The regular stamps are soaked in one and as the paper floats free can be shifted over to the second bowl. I dry stamps on old copies of news print paper, using some pages from the Vance Auction catalog that I accumulated over time because they seem to be good enough to use time and time again. the first bowl will soon be contaminated with glue both from the stamps as well as from the paper in general.
When that happens I drain the water and refill the bowl with fresh water. Residual glue can cause curling so the draining and refilling will solve most of the curling problems.
To keep the stamps flat I have a used US Mail Priority cardboard envelope. As the stamps become dry I slip them into the cardboard envelope being careful that they are flat more or less as they go in. The cardboard envelope can then either lie flat with a heavy book atop it or the envelope can be slipped into a tight space between two albums that are on a nearby shelf.
If one or more stamps begins to roll up, I can pass it over a standard pencil forcing it to roll in reverse and the resulting flat stamp will stay flat long enough to join the rest of the stamps in the cardboard envelope. Eventually they are sorted by country or area and put on stock cards until I am ready to work on that particular album.
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07:19:48pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Thank you for your kind welcome and thank you all very much for your replies.
I'll start right away.
Aline.
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this post
10:57:51pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
One additional thing...before soaking the stamps..make sure they are USED...don't soak mint stamps (unused) or you'll remove the gum and then they will most likely be worth less than otherwise. Did he use hinges to attach the stamps or are they all stuck down on the pages?
I hope this helps!
Dave
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this post
09:38:03am
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Hi there:
I know I'm a little late to this thread, but I didn't see anyone advise about the age of these stamps. This might not be the case, but... whether or not you SHOULD soak them might be a consideration here. If they're old, then you probably don't want to soak them, as the cancellations may have some value. This is doubly true if they're old and on entire envelopes.
Newer stamps on entire envelopes might have some additional value to a specialist, or if they're FDCs or Registered letters, maybe even airmails.
On the other hand, if they're just piles of stamps from various countries on torn bits of paper from. say, the 1970s onward, then soak away!
This is probably unnecessary advice, but Aline did say she's brand-new to collecting, and we don't know what kin of mess she's inherited.
Best of luck
BG
1 Member
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Login to Like.
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
07 Feb 2013
11:12:18am
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
To add to BG's comment. Sometime the ink on older stamps is water soluble and you could lose a lot more than the cancel. Also, some older papers are colored and bleed into the stamp when soaked.
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
07 Feb 2013
12:31:26pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
...and, whatever you do, DO NOT trim your fingernails as they are even more useful than stamp tongs.
John Derry
2 Members
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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
07 Feb 2013
02:17:04pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
I have some old stamps that were stored improperly. They are dusty and a bit musty. I was going to soak them to get the yuck off but it sounds like that's a bad idea. Any suggestions?
Login to Like
this post
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
07 Feb 2013
02:29:30pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Sometime Scott or other catalogs identify stamps that were so printed. List some of the stamps on the board (country, approximate age, etc.) maybe some of us could help you out. Water soluble inks were not common. I know the Netherlands used some on their stamps and those of their possessions.
Login to Like
this post
07:13:41pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
British aniline inks will run and dissolve too.
Login to Like
this post
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
07 Feb 2013
10:32:47pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
I know mine are a group of US stamps. I can dig them out and find out from which ones they are exactly. Do older US inks bleed?
Login to Like
this post
12:18:53am
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
To my knowledge, not under normal circumstances.
When soaking stamps be sure to use cold to luke warm water. Using hot water can cause the ink to run, bleed, dissolve. Of course, like stated already, stamps printed in water soluble ink that are placed in water will cause the ink to dissolve.
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
11 Feb 2013
10:28:11am
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Also extended soaking of Machin Stamps in water, even cold water tends to dilute the phosphorescence and fluorescence that specialists use to identify specific printings of these beauties.
This may be true for the tagged stamps of other countries.
The recommended procedure for Machins is cold water and prompt turn around. In the bucket for just long enough to cause the separation from the paper.
Login to Like
this post
12:35:58pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Good point, Charlie.
On stamps from Canada issued during 1972, the phospher taggant can migrate to other stamps. The stamps involved are Scott #544p - 544s, 560p - 561p, 562p - 565p, 594-598.
There is a note about this in Scott following Canada #542.
Login to Like
this post
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
on US stamps, one wants to watch the early 19c brown and, especially, orange stuff. and keep those away from light, too
Login to Like
this post
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
11 Feb 2013
06:06:37pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Thank you for the tip, David. I'm still deciding if I should soak my older US to remove the dusty stuff.
Login to Like
this post
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
11 Feb 2013
06:32:53pm
re: Inherited Stamps How do I remove them from Paper
Lisa
As opposed to soaking, you can also try using a fine bristle artist's paint brush - works well for me. I have also used Q-tips when I didn't want to soak the stamp.
Login to Like
this post