How to Soak Self Adhesive Stamps Off Paper

How to soak self-adhesive postage stamps is a question I often hear beginning collectors ask. A self-adhesive postage stamp is a stamp with a pressure sensitive adhesive. They do not require moistening in order to adhere to paper. Self adhesive postage stamps usually have a backing paper that can be soaked and removed.

I have noticed stamp collectors on stamp collecting groups asking for information on how to soak self adhesive postage stamps from paper. I have noticed other collectors suggesting that to soak self adhesive postage stamps is very difficult, if not impossible.

In response, I have written this article with instructions about how to soak and remove self-adhesive postage stamps without damaging them. I have just spent the last 6 weeks removing many thousands of used self adhesive Australian stamps with my 18 year old son, with very satisfactory and flawless results.

1. Sort your stamps ready for soaking. Remember to separate any stamps that are on coloured paper as the dyes can transfer onto your stamps. Any amount up to 100 at a time seems to work well with this method.

2. Place your stamps face-up in a large container of clean room temperature water. (Water any warmer than room temperature appears to make the stamp paper softer and a bit more difficult to work with). Spread 1 layer and gently submerge them under water with your fingers to get them wet. Repeat until you have put all your chosen stamps in the water. Leave soaking for between 1/2 to 1 hour.

3. The trick to getting self adhesive stamps off paper intact is to gently prise the paper slowly back from the corner of the stamp. You take the paper from the stamp and not the stamp from the paper. Be very careful not to bend the stamp's corner.

4. Pick up 1 stamp at a time and place face down on your extended index and middle finger on your other hand. Gently peel back a corner of the paper, keeping the stamp perfectly straight. If the paper starts to separate from the stamp, you can continue peeling the paper away from the stamp until it is all removed. At the slightest resistance, drop the stamp back in the water for a bit longer.

5. You will usually find that stamps that are returned to the water can be processed quite easily after about another 15 minutes. Stamps with a bit of glue left on them can be finished by gently rolling the glue towards the outside edge of the perforations.

6. Place the stamps one at a time face-up onto a towel spread out on a table. Leave until no beads of water are left visible on the stamps.

7. Lay the stamps out between several pages of a large heavy book and leave to press for a couple of days.

8. You should now have some very nice flat self adhesive stamps off paper ready to add to your collection.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,photo stamps,stamps collection

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Tips on How to Start a Stamp Collection

Stamp Collection or philately, as is more commonly known, is one of the most popular hobbies. If you want to join this huge "collectors" club, you need no more implements than a stamp scrapbook and an exploring mind. It does help a bit if you have friends around the world. Stamp collection is just as simple as it sounds, collecting stamps. The whys and wherefores of this hobby are long lost in the vagaries of history but to dissect it is to take away the essence of stamp collecting.

Before and even after you take a plunge into this hobby, take care of a few things:

o Stamp Collection. Your first "collection" should be a collection and not a buy. If your first few stamps are bought from a dealer, it rather kills the "spirit" at the start itself. You should start your collection preferably by peeling stamps off envelopes, the older the envelope the better. This is more of a fun than going to a dealer and buying a pack of stamps.

o Stamp Preservation. You should be aware of all the things that can physically damage a valuable stamp. First, you should know how to take the stamps out of envelopes (soak in lukewarm water and peel off gently with a pair of pincers), guard them against bookworms (use an anti pest powder, maybe boric acid) & moisture (store in a dry place), and of course, put the stamps in a proper stamp album.

o Envelopes Preservation. Stamps are more valuable when they are "canceled" i.e., the "post mark" stamped over them. Sometimes even the whole of the envelopes themselves are worthy of collection. Therefore, try not to throw or tear away the envelopes unnecessarily.

o Wrong Stamp. Deformed and wrongly printed stamps are the most valuable of all and their prices keep appreciating as time goes by. Therefore, in case for example, you find a "wrong" stamp, you have probably hit the jackpot everyone is looking for.

o Stamp Series Collection. Conjoined or a collection of stamps is more valuable than a single one. Do not tear stamps to size them for an album. Keep them as they are sold or have been posted. Commemorative stamps are generally rarer and therefore more valuable than the ordinary ones. The older the stamps are the better.

o Themed Stamps Collection. Once you have decided upon a theme for your stamp collection (say, country, or year), try not to ignore "out of theme" stamps. Sometimes, scrounging around, you might come across a "non-thematic" stamp. Do not dispose it though. Serendipity has been a guardian angel most of times to the stamp collectors.

o Stamps Valuation. Periodically, get your stamp collection valued at the local register or through the internet. This will not only be helpful in giving a mid-course correction but also in selecting the brightest beans in your bag.

o Love Stamps. Finally, learn to enjoy the feel, touch, and the smell of stamps!

Tag : stamps,stamps collection,rubber stamps,old stamps,stamps online

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Decorative Rubber Stamps - Know Which Type to Use

A few decades back, stamp lovers only have one option - the standard wood rubber stamp. The majority of old rubber stamps are available with handles, very much like most office stamps today, while the other kind had simple pegs attached to it. As stamps become more popular in modern times, more manufacturers are creating a wide variety of decorative rubber stamps. You have lots of options to choose from - clear acrylic, unmounted, foam, mounted, by the sheet or individually. Do a brief check online and you will discover lots of companies who sell different types. Now you may be wondering what stamp would work for you best. I hope that I have a direct answer to that, but each kind of stamp has features that make them work better than the other. Let's take the mystery out of what stamp will work best for what purpose.

Originally foam stamps were made to be used by kids. While this fact may have been true a couple of years ago, decorative rubber stamp manufacturers have created high quality foam stamps that can be readily bought today. If you are planning to add a bit of artwork to your walls or on fabric, then foam stamps are a wonderful choice. This type of stamp is relatively cheap and it's a great choice if you prefer to have a deep image on uneven or irregular surfaces. Are you planning to stamp on denim, fabric, walls, tin or plastic? If yes, then foam stamps are your best bet.

Two decades back, if you were to tell someone that you have stocked an entire closet with rubber stamps, you will somehow come off as odd or strange. Today, with rubber stamping becoming more and more popular due to its convenience and ease of use, you will find lots of people with stamps filling up their cabinets and closets. This increasing demand had manufacturers making more stamp storage units. Some crafters prefer to buy unmounted rubber stamps since the mounted kind with a wooden mount tends to be bulky and take up a lot of storage space. These stamps can be bought individually but if you have a great need for them and you would want to save money, you can buy them by the bulk. Unmounted stamps are normally attached to static cling foam or magnets so you can decide on what will work better for you. There are people who choose traditional rubber stamps which can be mounted pretty easily. These stamps are usually placed on static cling foam and they have been closely trimmed to the design.

The most recent rubber stamps are the acrylic kind. If you want to go for acrylic, make sure that you buy the best clear stamps so you won't end up disappointed. This type of stamp is normally placed on a clear acrylic block to achieve accuracy in stamping and good ink coverage.

When buying decorative rubber stamps, the biggest concern usually is the cost. With unmounted stamps you are assured of inexpensive shipping. Be careful not to purchase stamps that come in bargain bags because most of them have poor designs and quality.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,postage stamps,stamps online

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