Taking Care of Your Collection: Stamp Soaking

It’s very important to soak stamps before putting them into your collection. Soaking stamps will get rid of all of the adhesive that could, over time, cause damage to the stamp.

First, just like you’re doing laundry, sort your stamps by color. By the same principle as sorting laundry, you wouldn’t want to wash the darks and the lights together, and you won’t want to soak your dark stamps and light stamps together. Separate those that are printed on colored paper from those that are printed on white. Also, check each stamp to make sure that there is no excess ink (be it writing or postal lettering). This ink could run through the water and ruin all of your stamps. You will also want to make sure that you separate those stamps with self-adhesive backings from those with regular backings, as the self-adhesive stamps take longer to soak.

Start by putting about ten to twenty stamps (it’s usually wise to begin with the whites) in a small bowl of lukewarm water. Occasionally, GENTLY run your fingers along the stamps to help the separation. At the end of about ten minutes, the stamps should have completely detached from their adhesive backings. Touch each one against the side of the bowl, to drain them, and then set them out to dry on a paper towel. As the stamps dry, if the edges curl, don’t worry. After they’ve dried, completely, press them in a heavy book, such as a phone book, and they should flatten out, nicely. The darker-papered stamps will take longer to soak because you’ll need to soak them in cool water (which slows down the process of dissolving gums and dyes), and you’ll also be soaking less stamps, at a time, in more water.

Don’t peel off the adhesive backings of the stamps, unless it is absolutely necessary. Just take your time. Remember, patience is a virtue; your stamps are precious, and they need to be treated gingerly!