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Many used postage stamp needs to be removed from the envelope. A bowl of warm water and scissors are needed, and ordinary paper towels laid flat on a cookie sheet for the drying process. Press dry stamps between the pages of old phone books.
Steps
Using Water
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1Decide to remove or keep the stamp on the paper. Some stamps are more valuable if they are kept on the envelope. An old stamp may be worth a few dollars by itself, but may be worth many times that in the historical context of the envelope that bears it.[1]
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2Cut stamps off the corner of the envelope with some scissors.[2]Advertisement
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3Place the cut corner in bowl of warm water and wait 10+ minutes.[3] Apply cold water if you are worried the ink might run. In the past, some stamps were manufactured so soaking would ruin the stamp; this prevented people from illegally reusing them on new mail.
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4Most of the stamps will float off, so put them on the blotter of paper towels face down. Do this carefully so the stamps do not tear or crease.[4] Some stamps require coaxing to come off the paper, especially the newer "peel and stick" versions.
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5Put the cookie sheet of stamps in a dry place (such as the unheated oven) overnight.
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6Place the now dry (and maybe a bit curled) stamps flat between the pages of a large book and weight them down if necessary.
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7Leave them for 3 weeks to be flat for handling and sorting into your collection, or for later use.
Using A Microwave
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1Empty envelope. Remove the contents of the envelope.
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2Place in microwave. This is only to melt the adhesive from the stamp.[5]
- >1000 watt- Microwave for around 10 seconds
- 700-950 watt- Microwave for around 15-20 seconds
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3Peel. Peel off the stamp from the envelope. If it does not come off easily, repeat step 2.
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4Tape or glue. The adhesive from the stamp is no longer effective. It will require you to use tape or glue to keep stamp on new envelope.
By Peeling
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1Insert your nails. Place your nails under the stamp. Use 2 fingers. Use your nails to pull up the stamp a little.
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2Pull. Use your finger to pull the stamp up.
- Pull slowly and carefully. You can rip the stamp or envelope if you do not pull carefully.
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3Tape or glue. By peeling a small amount of paper from the envelope can stick to the adhesive.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I tell if a stamp is still good?
Community AnswerA postage stamp is good for use as long as it has not been "canceled." A canceled stamp is one whose front surface has been altered in any way compared to when it was first printed. In other words, a stamp is considered canceled if it has any markings on it that weren't there when the stamp was first printed. This would include any pen or pencil marks (or visible erasures). -
QuestionWhat should I do if the ink is runny?Community AnswerU.S. postage stamps are not produced using ink that will run under any circumstances. If you see a stamp with "runny" ink, you are looking at either a phony stamp or one that has been produced under sub-standard conditions in a different country. You can discard it, or save it as a worthless oddity.
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QuestionWhat kind of glue is used to preserve stamps?
Lilian Hayball-clarkeCommunity AnswerStamps from different countries start with different glue on the back for adhesion to the envelope or parcel. Glue is not used to preserve stamps, but to glue them down. Collectors keep stamps on the envelope or place them dry in an album without hinges. These albums have rows of pockets to tuck your stamps into. Tweezers, not fingers, help keep the stamps undamaged. Valuable stamps are undamaged stamps.
Warnings
- Be careful with colored envelopes as they can bleed through the stamp.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't dig through other people's mail. They will get mad. Ask permission first, no matter how rare the stamp is.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Keep food and drinks away from a stamp collection.⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
- ↑ https://www.2-clicks-stamps.com/article/used-postage-stamps-collecting.html
- ↑ https://stamps.org/Learn/Getting-Started/How-to-Soak-Sort-and-Store-Stamps
- ↑ https://stamps.org/Learn/Getting-Started/How-to-Soak-Sort-and-Store-Stamps
- ↑ https://www.2-clicks-stamps.com/article/used-postage-stamps-collecting.html
- ↑ https://lifehacker.com/use-your-microwave-to-remove-stamps-from-letters-1681946482
About This Article
There are a few easy ways to remove a stamp from its envelope. Place your envelope in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds to melt the adhesive. Then, gently peel the stamp away from the envelope. You’ll need to use tape or glue to make the stamp sticky again. Alternatively, use warm water to remove it. Start by cutting the corner with the stamp off the envelope with scissors. Place the stamp in a bowl of warm water to soak for 10 minutes. This should melt the glue and remove it from the envelope. Once the stamp separates from the paper, place it on a paper towel in a dry place, like an unheated oven, overnight. If the stamp is curled or warped, place it between the pages of a heavy book for 3 weeks to flatten it. For more tips, including how to peel a stamp off without melting the glue, read on!
