Removing Stamps From Paper and Drying Stamps...Part II of III

Once you have sorted your stamps, soak them in small batches of about 10 stamps, but take careful notice and watch for ink color running. You will find that the paper backing that is red, such as can be found in greeting cards, will run the fastest. It is rare that the actual stamp ink will run, but sometimes the cancellation ink will run if it is from a rubber stamp.

It is wise to soak these particular types of stamps individually so that you can insure that no color bleeding occurs and that no other stamps are affected. If the colored paper color is running, remove the stamp immediately and change the water so that the color does not transfer onto your stamp. If a stamp has a rubber stamp cancellation mark, it should not be submerged in water. Instead, it should float on the water, face up.

Soaking time for stamps will vary greatly. Some stamps can take as little as one minute to dislodge, while others can take as long as 2 hours before they are ready to separate. It all depends on the type of adhesive that is used. Beginners should not use tongs initially as it is easy to damage the delicate stamps. Instead you should use your fingers to dislodge the stamps from their paper.

Check back on Monday for the conclusion to this series.

Removing Stamps From Paper and Drying Stamps Part I of III

Removing Stamps From Paper and Drying Stamps… Part I of III

For those who are new to collecting stamps, you might wonder how you can remove the stamps from the paper envelope. It is often a tricky endeavor, but with patience and practice, you will be able to accomplish this task.

Firstly, always resist the urge to try to take a stamp off paper by pulling at it, even if it looks like it will come off easily. Stamps should be trimmed first. Be careful not to cut the perforation off of the stamps as this will reduce its value.

Once you have trimmed the stamps, you can begin the process of removing them from their paper backing. You should soak the stamps in clean water that is about the temperature of your body. Many people have made the mistake of soaking the stamps in warm or hot water. Even though it is faster, doing so could easily damage the cancellation ink or the delicate stamp itself. This may also cause the ink in the paper backing to run. Be sure to use a good amount of water. Your goal in soaking the stamps is not only to dislodge them from the paper; but also to remove any residual adhesive from the stamp. You may need to change the water often so that there is not as much glue floating around.

Just as you sort your personal laundry, do the same with stamp sorting. Put like colors together. You should group colored paper backing stamps together as well as stamps that have the rubber stamp ink together.

Check back on Friday for Part II of this series.

Stamp Collecting For Beginners

Stamp collecting is currently one of the most popular hobbies. It is estimated that in the United States there are over 20 million people collecting stamps. Originally stamp collecting began as a child’s hobby dating back as far as 1860. It is now common for adults and children to collect stamps. The expense of this hobby will vary, depending on what your personal preferences are. There are several ways for you to begin your collection. Ask friends and family members to save stamps for you. Many beginners decide on one particular type of stamp that they want to collect. It is wise to not limit yourself in the beginning. You might find unknown types that will spark your interest once you begin collecting. Beginners should start off being a general collector.

For those of you who are just starting your collection, you can find stamps in bulk sold at stamp shows. At shows, you will also be able to find stamps, sold on paper, that are usually sold by the pound. On paper stamps are stamps that have been cut off from envelopes in the mail. These are called Kiloware. At times, stamp collectors can also find economical worldwide stamps located on Ebay. These are often sold on paper. Beginners should check out their local hobby shops where you will find stamps that are sold in bulk quantities for consumers.

No equipment is needed in order to be a stamp collector. Many collectors decide to have a few essential items for their use. A magnifying glass would be helpful for viewing the details of the stamp, a stock book for storing the stamps; and stamp tongs with rounded tips to help prevent damage to the stamps.

Check out our supplies first before you shop anywhere else. Visit (http://www.stampcenter.com/).

How to Dry Stamps Correctly

Stamps received in mixtures or collected from mail will be attached to envelopes. Before displaying, stamps must be soaked off the backing paper and dried. Last time we talked about safely removing stamps from envelopes by soaking (see our August 22, 2007 post). We left you with a soggy bowl of rinsed stamps. Time to dry them out!

Basically, stamps are dried by layering the wet stamps between sheets of paper and adding weight on top to press them flat. Here's how to do it:

• To cut drying time, first lay the wet stamps on a layer of paper towels. The towels will absorb excess moisture before the stamps are laid on the drying medium. You can, of course, lay your stamps directly onto the drying medium; drying will simply take a bit longer.
• Always lay your stamps face down. Wet stamps tend to curl toward their face. Laying them face down will help prevent curling while you're arranging your stamps on the drying medium.
• Collectors use everything from old newspapers to last year's phone book to dry stamps. However, white blotters (the kind photographers use) work best because they don't cause smudging or offset from printing inks. You can also purchase stamp-drying books which are simply bound blotter sheets.
  Caution: Do not use patterned desk blotters as the pattern will be pressed into the stamp during drying, damaging the stamp's value.
• Carefully arrange the stamps on the drying medium (remember, face down) so that they do not touch and are 1/2 inch or so apart.
• If drying on loose blotter sheets, leave each layer separated and open to the air to promote additional drying before stacking and pressing. If using a book, start at the back of the book and work forward to keep stamps from sliding on the page as you add additional layers. (If using phone books or newspapers, you will need several pages between layers to absorb moisture.)
• Carefully and neatly stack layers on top of each other. Don't worry about stamps that are fairly dry. Even stamps that look a bit wrinkled will dry flat. Do make sure stamps are not curled, creased or bent. If they are, a second or two back in the water bowl will allow you to lay them flat.
• Don't stack too many layers together or they may warp or buckle even when weighted. Better to have several piles than risk damaging your stamps.
• Place a heavy weight on top of the layers to press the stamps flat. Large, heavy books work well. A smooth, flat object will ensure that stamps dry evenly and flat. Some collectors use bricks, glass blocks or cinder blocks.

Drying time will depend on temperature and humidity. Stamps may dry in a couple of hours on a sunny Santa Fe patio but take as long as a week in rainy Seattle.

How to Soak Off Stamps Safely

To remove stamps from envelopes, you have to soak them off. Improper removal can damage and even destroy a stamp. Soaking dissolves the adhesive on the back of the stamp so it can be safely removed from the envelope. Soaking is a skill best practiced on the ordinary stamps that arrive with your household mail. Practice your soaking skills on a few stamps at a time until you perfect your technique. Soon you'll be able to soak off a whole sinkful of stamps without worry.

• Start with a medium-size bowl and fill it about 3/4 full with cool or lukewarm water. Cold water will dissolve stamp adhesive, but progress will be painfully slow. Hot water will turn the stamps pulpy, making them overly fragile and easy to damage. Hot water may also cause cancellations, particularly reds and magentas, to bleed.
• Caution: Don't soak stamps on colored paper such as red or green Christmas envelopes. The paper can bleed, discoloring all the stamps in the soak batch.
• Be patient. In 10 to 15 minutes, the stamps will start to float free. Avoid trying to hurry things along by tugging at stamps that have partially separated from the paper. Wet stamps are fragile and easily damaged. Tugging at them can cause the image to crack or tear.
• As the stamps start to float free, pick the bits of backing out of the bowl. Feel the backs of the stamps. If they feel slick, some adhesive remains. While it is still in the water, you can gently rub the stamp between your fingers to hasten dissolution of the adhesive. Be careful not to rub too hard or you may damage the stamp. Some adhesives take longer to dissolve than others.
• Drain the water from the bowl and refill with lukewarm water to rinse the stamps.

Tomorrow: How to dry stamps.

Where to Find Stamps

If you're just getting started in stamp collecting, the first place to look for stamps is on your mail. Your mail carrier will deliver new stamps daily. Ask family, friends and neighbors to save their envelopes for you. (It's best to ask for the entire envelope so the stamp can be removed without damaging it.) You'll find a wealth of U.S. stamps in your local mail.

If you'd like to collect foreign stamps, ask a local travel agent to save their envelopes for you. If you're more interested in old stamps, check your attic and basement for old correspondence. Ask your grandparents to give you stamps from correspondence they've saved over the years. Flea markets and estate sales are also fertile hunting grounds.

The post office is a great place to buy new stamps in mint condition. Check the USPS website for new issues and interesting facts about new stamps. Local dealers sell inexpensive mixed packets of stamps for beginners and usually have a box of miscellaneous stamps at the counter you can look through. These used to be called penny stamps because they cost a penny; now you'll pay 2 to 5 cents which is still a bargain.

Stamp clubs are a great place to learn more about stamps and stamp collecting. Experienced members are eager to share their knowledge with new hobbyists. Most clubs allow members to bring in stamps to trade and sell. Local stamp dealers or your public library will usually have information about when and where clubs meet. More experienced collectors may choose to join a national philatelic society which often offer stamps to members.

Stamp shows attract hobbyists of all kinds and are a marvelous place for beginners to learn more about stamps and experience the hobby's incredible range. You can view exhibits of extraordinary and rare stamps. You can talk to fellow collectors and dealers. You can comparison shop. Going to a stamp show is like being a kid in a candy store -- everywhere you turn there's something new and delectable to catch your eye.

Dealers also abound on the internet. Some specialize in certain stamp types or time periods but most offer a broad range of general categories. For instance, County Stamp Center offers stamps of all kinds, on all subject matters, from all over the world and at considerable savings. But we are also one of a limited number of international dealers who handle new issue foreign postage stamps. Click the post title to visit our website. Sign up for our free newsletter to receive email notifications of special offers and monthly new issues like the Tintin cartoon stamps shown below.

The cartoon adventures of Tintin are captured in this delightful cartoon sheet just issued by Belgium. Drawn by the Belgium artist Herge, the pen name of Georges Remi (1907-1983), the comic book Adventures of Tintin chronicled the exploits of a young reporter and his faithful dog Snowy in which they always managed to extricate themselves from peril and save the day. The vintage cover art and a photograph of the artist with his work are featured on the 25 stamps. Priced at only $26.82 at County Stamp Center with free shipping, click here to order.

Getting Started in Stamp Collecting

More than 22 million Americans collect stamps. It's a fascinating hobby populated by people with inquiring minds. Stamp collectors enjoy finding out everything they can about the stamps they possess: where it came from, when it was made, what distinguishes it from other stamps, what is its place in history, what makes its subject significant enough to put on a stamp?

You don't need much in the way of supplies or specialized equipment to become a stamp collector. It's an easily accessible hobby no matter what your age, interest level or income. These are the basic supplies you need to get started:

• Stamp tongs. A pair of stamp tongs is the collector's most basic tool. They allow you to handle your stamps with more dexterity than fingers can provide. Tongs also prevent damage to stamps from handling, preventing moisture, oils or dirt on your fingers from adhering to the stamps. You can purchase stamp tongs online or at your local stamp dealer for a few dollars. They look like long, blunt-end tweezers, but they have a specially designed smooth, rounded tip that won't harm stamps. Don't use your bathroom tweezers; the tips have sharp edges and gripping grooves that can easily damage stamps. In stamp collecting, condition is a key element in maintaining a stamp's value.


• Magnifying glass. Stamps are tiny and some of their more interesting features can only be seen when magnified. Choose a magnifying glass with a power of at least 10.


• Album. You need something to keep your stamps in. Albums protect your stamps, help you organize them, and allow you to view them easily. Many albums show printed illustrations of the stamps as an aid to organization and focus on a particular type, country or time period. Loose-leaf albums allow the easy insertion of supplement pages. Generally stamps are attached to pages with special mounts, called hinges (see below). Advanced collectors may use hingeless albums that have pre-installed plastic mounts you just slip the stamp into. Albums printed on acid-free or archival paper will better preserve your collection. Albums printed on one side of the page are more desirable than two-sided pages. If you decide on two-sided pages, purchase inexpensive glassine sheets to put between the pages to keep stamps from catching on each other.
  Warning: Don't ever house your collection in self-adhesive (even low-tack) or wax-back albums. The adhesives will eventually permeate your stamps and ruin them.


• Mounts. Stamp hinges are used to attach (mount) stamps to the pages of your album. Hinges are pieces of glassine with a light gum on one side. One side of the hinge is attached to the stamp, the other to the book. Minimum moisture is used to allow easy removal of the stamp. Hinges are perfect for low cost and used stamps, but mint condition stamps should only be mounted with plastic mounts which do not damage the adhesive. Plastic mounts are small sleeves into which stamps are placed. They come in a wide variety of sizes to accommodate any stamp.
  Warning: Never lick or paste the stamps directly on the page or use double-sized or scotch tape to attach stamps. You will permanently damage your stamps and will not be able to remove them from the page. Remember, condition = value in stamp collecting.
• Glassine envelopes. Glassine is a special type of non-stick paper used to store stamps. (If you've bought loose stamps at the post office, they may have given them to you in a glassine envelope.) Glassine envelopes are inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes and prevent damage to your stamps until you have time to add them to your stamp album.
  Warning: Wax paper from your kitchen should not be used as a substitute for glassine. The wax will eventually permeate the stamps and ruin them.
  

As you become more involved in stamp collecting, you may want to acquire additional tools such as a perforation gauge and a watermark detector, but they are not essential for the beginner. Stamp supplies can be found at your local stamp shop, online and in some book and hobby stores which often carry beginner supplies. County Stamp Center offers a variety of supplies for beginning and experienced collectors.

How It All Began: A Very Brief History of Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting started as a childish pursuit that quickly caught the eye of adults. Britain issued the first postage stamp, the Penny Black, in 1840. It wasn't long before children and teens were collecting the novel colorful bits of paper.

Those children carried their fascination for stamps into their adult years, giving rise to a host of businesses dedicated to helping them pursue their hobby. Founded in 1856, Stanley Gibbons, Ltd. in London, England is the oldest continuously-operated business devoted to selling postage stamps and supplies. The first stamp albums were printed and sold in 1880 as the hobby spread around the world. Collectors began to study postage stamps and publish research papers on their production, design, plate flaws, etc. The study and collection of postage stamps is called philately.

In the 1920s, stamp collecting gained increasing appeal as an investment as the value of early stamps in good condition began to rise. Sales of these stamps for astronomical prices caught the imagination of the public. Recognizing the potential value of collecting stamps and hoping to strike philatelic gold, American collectors in the 1930s started stockpiling mint copies of US stamps. Their dreams of quick profit never materialized and today mint condition stamps from that era are still plentiful and available at near face value.

Though less popular today than in its heyday, stamp collecting draws an estimated 25 million hobbyists in the US alone and more than 200 million collectors worldwide. Millions of dollars worth of stamps and supplies are sold annually. There are 4,000 stamp shows and exhibitions in the US alone every year. Large international exhibits can attract in excess of 100,000 visitors a day.