Stamps That Just Won't Soak
What's a stamp collector to do with a bunch of stamps that just won't soak off their paper? This sorry situation is becoming more and more common, and especially with recent issues of self-adhesive US stamps. These stamps just won't soak, no matter what a stamp collector tries...cool water, warm water, extra time in the soaking bin, a bit of dish soap liquid added to the water ... they won't come off no matter what. And the occasional one that does soak ends up a cracked, crinkled mess despite careful treatment.
An editorial in a recent issue of Scotts Stamp Monthly suggests that stamp collectors shouldn't even attempt to soak them, and instead collect these unsoakable stamps on cover. I don't know about you, but I don't want to collect stamps on cover, or even on piece. I want my stamps properly soaked off paper and placed neatly in their proper spaces on my stamp album pages. Obviously that's not possible to do with covers, but it's not possible with stamps on piece, either.
Stamp albums are designed to house mint stamps and soaked used stamps, not pieces that are much thicker and larger than their soaked equivalents. Collecting stamps on piece in stock books won't work either - because of their additional thickness any stock book (and stamp albums too) would quickly start bulging. No matter what you try, collecting these unsoakable stamps will create a strong risk of having a very messing, unaesthetic-looking stamp collection.
I just want to collect stamps. Not covers, not pieces. So I just may decide to not collect the unsoakable ones at all, which means I might as well cut off my US stamp collection at 2005 or so, and just focus on finding earlier stamps.
Does anyone out there have a better solution?
Showing posts with label self-adhesive stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-adhesive stamps. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
Self-Stick Stamps (Self-Adhesive Stamps)
Until very recently, almost all stamps printed from every country throughout the world came with adhesive gum on the back. These traditional adhesive stamps are easy to lick or otherwise moisten, but the gum that's been used on stamps hasn't always been of the highest quality. Throughout the years gum has been made from various plant products such as cornstarch, gum Arabic, sweet potatoes and sugar, and sometimes stamps fell off letters.
The United States Post Office tried various experiments to improve the "stickiness" of the stamp gum used on United States stamps, inluding trying a special "summer gum" that was intended to resist high humidity and a special "winter gum" that was intended to resist cracking in cold, dry winter air.
The small South Pacific kingdom of Tonga came to the rescue. Although the source was unlikely, being such a small and undeveloped country, the solution was brilliant. Tonga printed the world's first self-adhesive stamps in the 1960s, including stamps that were appropriately shaped like bananas. These stamps were so unusual, both for their novel self-sticking ability and their die-cut shapes, that they became a big hit with stamp collectors around the globe. Since then, many countries have joined Tonga in printing self-adhesive stamps. Peel-and-stick stamps are now the most common type of US stamps.
Until very recently, almost all stamps printed from every country throughout the world came with adhesive gum on the back. These traditional adhesive stamps are easy to lick or otherwise moisten, but the gum that's been used on stamps hasn't always been of the highest quality. Throughout the years gum has been made from various plant products such as cornstarch, gum Arabic, sweet potatoes and sugar, and sometimes stamps fell off letters.
The United States Post Office tried various experiments to improve the "stickiness" of the stamp gum used on United States stamps, inluding trying a special "summer gum" that was intended to resist high humidity and a special "winter gum" that was intended to resist cracking in cold, dry winter air.
The small South Pacific kingdom of Tonga came to the rescue. Although the source was unlikely, being such a small and undeveloped country, the solution was brilliant. Tonga printed the world's first self-adhesive stamps in the 1960s, including stamps that were appropriately shaped like bananas. These stamps were so unusual, both for their novel self-sticking ability and their die-cut shapes, that they became a big hit with stamp collectors around the globe. Since then, many countries have joined Tonga in printing self-adhesive stamps. Peel-and-stick stamps are now the most common type of US stamps.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Gum & Stamps: Part II
Our last post got us thinking about some of the problems stamp collectors encounter with self-adhesive stamps. These little nightmares (for stamp collectors, stamp users love them) can wreak havoc in a stamp collection.
We've already posted about the difficulty many stamp collectors have when they try to soak used self-adhesive stamps, so we won't go into that again right now. But do you remember the first self-adhesive stamps issued by the United States? If they were kept on their backing paper (instead of being used in the mail) their gum bled right through the stamps, onto their face.
That's not good. And who knows what will happen with all the much more recent self-adhesive stamps that are being issued by countries all over the world. For them, it's much too soon to tell whether their gum will move through the stamp paper and to the face of the stamps or to the edges of the backing paper. But the only way to prevent it is, once again, keeping your stamps in a cool, dry place. And even that might not work with self-adhesive stamps. So once again, is it time to consider collecting only used stamps?
Our last post got us thinking about some of the problems stamp collectors encounter with self-adhesive stamps. These little nightmares (for stamp collectors, stamp users love them) can wreak havoc in a stamp collection.
We've already posted about the difficulty many stamp collectors have when they try to soak used self-adhesive stamps, so we won't go into that again right now. But do you remember the first self-adhesive stamps issued by the United States? If they were kept on their backing paper (instead of being used in the mail) their gum bled right through the stamps, onto their face.
That's not good. And who knows what will happen with all the much more recent self-adhesive stamps that are being issued by countries all over the world. For them, it's much too soon to tell whether their gum will move through the stamp paper and to the face of the stamps or to the edges of the backing paper. But the only way to prevent it is, once again, keeping your stamps in a cool, dry place. And even that might not work with self-adhesive stamps. So once again, is it time to consider collecting only used stamps?
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Snap, Crackle and Pop - Soaking Self-Adhesive Stamps
Self-adhesive stamps (also called peel-and-stick stamps or pressure-sensitive stamps) are a modern type of stamp that has become amazingly popular. They're so popular, and so pervasive in the mailstream, that it's hard to imagine self-adhesive stamps ever going away. They're quick and convenient to use on mail because they don't need to be licked or otherwise moistened - just peel and stick!
Unfortunately, self-adhesive stamps have made life difficult if you're a member of the stamp collecting world. No matter what we do to get them to soak off, some self-adhesive stamps seem like they're stuck on their envelope or box forever. But because they're so popular, we're "stuck" with them, even though they make stamp collecting much more difficult.
There are several additional collecting challenges that are presented by self-adhesive stamps, including how to properly mount the stamps, how to properly store the stamps and how to effectively soak them off their paper.
If you store unused self-adhesive stamps on their backing paper (as they are bought from the post office) mounting them in a stamp album becomes a bit awkward because the stamp blocks provided on the album pages won't be the right size: backing paper left around the edges of the stamps, even if closely trimmed, makes the stamps bigger than the albums provide for. And even worse, if you leave unused self-adhesive stamps on their backing paper, you run the risk of the stamp adhesive migrating onto the edges of the front of the stamp.
But figuring out the answers to those problems is easy compared to figuring out how to effectively soak used self-adhesive stamps free from the paper they were mailed on.
Some used self-adhesive stamps aren't too much of a problem. They may require soaking for a much longer period, but eventually they'll detach and float free of their paper. Just be careful soaking those relatively easy stamps when they're on brightly colored paper - the long soaking times that are usually needed will increase the chances that the vividly colored inks from the paper will bleed onto the stamps.
You should soak used self-adhesive stamps as soon as you get them. The longer they're left on paper, the harder it will be to get them to detach and float off their paper. The adhesive seems to get stronger, not weaker, over time.
But the real problem children are what I call the "snap, crackle and pop" self-adhesive stamps, and it seems like the United States is producing more and more of them each year. You know the kind - no matter how you soak them (varying the water temperature, adding a bit of soap, longer soaking times, etc.) these things just will not come free. Or if they do, they're a wrinkly, crinkly, crackly mess that won't ever be flat when they're dry no matter how they're pressed. The recent 42 cent Bette Davis stamp from the US Legends of Hollywood stamp series is just one of many examples of this type of stamp. It's a shame, because some of these stamps are beautiful and many have a widespread appeal.
The snap, crackle and pop stamps - the ones that just will not properly detach from the paper they were mailed on - are making it quite difficult for used stamp collectors. The only solution I've found (for now, anyway) is to trim the excess paper away and not even try to soak the stamps, because soaking will essentially destroy them. I just collect them on-paper.
But I think some people may find a pot of gold at the end of the used stamp collecting rainbow. Lucky (or talented) stamp collectors who do manage to successfully soak these stamps without mangling them will probably be few in number. And that means that successfully soaked stamps will be few in number as well. Guess what that means for their future value? They'll be worth far
more than comparable-subject stamps that are much more easily soaked. So I guess these things aren't all bad for the stamp collecting hobby. It just seems that way right now.
Self-adhesive stamps (also called peel-and-stick stamps or pressure-sensitive stamps) are a modern type of stamp that has become amazingly popular. They're so popular, and so pervasive in the mailstream, that it's hard to imagine self-adhesive stamps ever going away. They're quick and convenient to use on mail because they don't need to be licked or otherwise moistened - just peel and stick!
Unfortunately, self-adhesive stamps have made life difficult if you're a member of the stamp collecting world. No matter what we do to get them to soak off, some self-adhesive stamps seem like they're stuck on their envelope or box forever. But because they're so popular, we're "stuck" with them, even though they make stamp collecting much more difficult.
There are several additional collecting challenges that are presented by self-adhesive stamps, including how to properly mount the stamps, how to properly store the stamps and how to effectively soak them off their paper.
If you store unused self-adhesive stamps on their backing paper (as they are bought from the post office) mounting them in a stamp album becomes a bit awkward because the stamp blocks provided on the album pages won't be the right size: backing paper left around the edges of the stamps, even if closely trimmed, makes the stamps bigger than the albums provide for. And even worse, if you leave unused self-adhesive stamps on their backing paper, you run the risk of the stamp adhesive migrating onto the edges of the front of the stamp.
But figuring out the answers to those problems is easy compared to figuring out how to effectively soak used self-adhesive stamps free from the paper they were mailed on.
Some used self-adhesive stamps aren't too much of a problem. They may require soaking for a much longer period, but eventually they'll detach and float free of their paper. Just be careful soaking those relatively easy stamps when they're on brightly colored paper - the long soaking times that are usually needed will increase the chances that the vividly colored inks from the paper will bleed onto the stamps.
You should soak used self-adhesive stamps as soon as you get them. The longer they're left on paper, the harder it will be to get them to detach and float off their paper. The adhesive seems to get stronger, not weaker, over time.
But the real problem children are what I call the "snap, crackle and pop" self-adhesive stamps, and it seems like the United States is producing more and more of them each year. You know the kind - no matter how you soak them (varying the water temperature, adding a bit of soap, longer soaking times, etc.) these things just will not come free. Or if they do, they're a wrinkly, crinkly, crackly mess that won't ever be flat when they're dry no matter how they're pressed. The recent 42 cent Bette Davis stamp from the US Legends of Hollywood stamp series is just one of many examples of this type of stamp. It's a shame, because some of these stamps are beautiful and many have a widespread appeal.
The snap, crackle and pop stamps - the ones that just will not properly detach from the paper they were mailed on - are making it quite difficult for used stamp collectors. The only solution I've found (for now, anyway) is to trim the excess paper away and not even try to soak the stamps, because soaking will essentially destroy them. I just collect them on-paper.
But I think some people may find a pot of gold at the end of the used stamp collecting rainbow. Lucky (or talented) stamp collectors who do manage to successfully soak these stamps without mangling them will probably be few in number. And that means that successfully soaked stamps will be few in number as well. Guess what that means for their future value? They'll be worth far
more than comparable-subject stamps that are much more easily soaked. So I guess these things aren't all bad for the stamp collecting hobby. It just seems that way right now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Soaking Self-Adhesive Stamps - Get Used To It
Self-adhesive stamps (sometimes called peel-and-stick stamps or pressure-sensitive stamps) have become so popular with the non-
stamp collecting public that it's hard to imagine them ever going away. They don't need to be licked or otherwise moistened
before being applied to an envelope, and once there, some of them can seem like they're stuck there forever.
Self-adhesive stamps were first used in the 1960s but initially they were more of a novelty than anything. Sierra Leone, Tonga,
and Bhutan - all countries that are not known for the huge amount of mail sent by their residents - were the first producers of
peel-and-stick stamps. The United States issued an experimental self-adhesive Christmas stamp (Scott # 1550) a few years later,
but they were not well accepted by the public. This particular stamp has two large detriments for collectors: used copies are
extremely hard to soak off paper, and the adhesive has discolored the light-colored background of the majority of mint stamps.
The next foray into the self-adhesive stamp world by the US met with far more success. Scott # 2431 (the 29 cent Eagle and Shield
stamp) was issued in 1989. That stamp really got the ball rolling for peel-and-stick stamps, and now we are "stuck" with them
even though they definitely do present extra challenges for philatelists. These additional challenges include how to store them (should I keep them on the backing paper, making them a bit more awkward to mount in my stamp album, and also risk migration of the adhesive onto the edges of the stamp?) and how to best soak them.
Self-adhesive stamps should probably be soaked with other self-adhesive stamps, not in a mixture that includes water-activated stamps. Water-activated stamps almost alwats float free of the paper they're on long before self-adhesive stamps.
Be careful when soaking peel-and-stick stamps that are adhered to colored paper: the long soaking times that are usually required increase the chances that vividly colored inks from the paper will bleed onto the stamp.
Soak self-adhesive stamps as soon as you acquire them. The longer these stamps are left on paper, the more "stuck" they will become and it will be even harder to get them to detach and float off the paper.
You may succeed in soaking self-adhesive stamps off their paper within 45 or so minutes, or it may take 15 t0 20 hours. Or, they may never release. Some issues are particularly stubborn.
Self-adhesive stamps (sometimes called peel-and-stick stamps or pressure-sensitive stamps) have become so popular with the non-
stamp collecting public that it's hard to imagine them ever going away. They don't need to be licked or otherwise moistened
before being applied to an envelope, and once there, some of them can seem like they're stuck there forever.
Self-adhesive stamps were first used in the 1960s but initially they were more of a novelty than anything. Sierra Leone, Tonga,
and Bhutan - all countries that are not known for the huge amount of mail sent by their residents - were the first producers of
peel-and-stick stamps. The United States issued an experimental self-adhesive Christmas stamp (Scott # 1550) a few years later,
but they were not well accepted by the public. This particular stamp has two large detriments for collectors: used copies are
extremely hard to soak off paper, and the adhesive has discolored the light-colored background of the majority of mint stamps.
The next foray into the self-adhesive stamp world by the US met with far more success. Scott # 2431 (the 29 cent Eagle and Shield
stamp) was issued in 1989. That stamp really got the ball rolling for peel-and-stick stamps, and now we are "stuck" with them
even though they definitely do present extra challenges for philatelists. These additional challenges include how to store them (should I keep them on the backing paper, making them a bit more awkward to mount in my stamp album, and also risk migration of the adhesive onto the edges of the stamp?) and how to best soak them.
Self-adhesive stamps should probably be soaked with other self-adhesive stamps, not in a mixture that includes water-activated stamps. Water-activated stamps almost alwats float free of the paper they're on long before self-adhesive stamps.
Be careful when soaking peel-and-stick stamps that are adhered to colored paper: the long soaking times that are usually required increase the chances that vividly colored inks from the paper will bleed onto the stamp.
Soak self-adhesive stamps as soon as you acquire them. The longer these stamps are left on paper, the more "stuck" they will become and it will be even harder to get them to detach and float off the paper.
You may succeed in soaking self-adhesive stamps off their paper within 45 or so minutes, or it may take 15 t0 20 hours. Or, they may never release. Some issues are particularly stubborn.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Are Water-Activated ("Lick and Stick") stamps dying a slow death? Part 2 of 2 Parts.
Let's revisit the issue that there are many more self-adhesive stamps now being used than water-activated, lick-and-stick stamps.
One problem that this issue raises is the fact that many more self-adhesive stamps, and many fewer water-canactivated stamps, will be seen in postally used stamp accumulations and mixtures. This imbalance will cause postally used lick and stick stamps to become much harder to find. But is this truly a problem or not?
Will the imbalance result in increased future values for those postally used water-activated stamps that can be found? Will they have a higher catalogue value than "equivalent" self-adhesive stamps that are much more readily available? No one knows as yet, but we predict that a higher catalogue value for water-activated stamps is a distinct possibility.
For example, we can easily envision a stamp that has two varieties - one self-adhesive and one water-activated - where the future catalogue value of the self-adhesive is 20 cents (or whatever the minimum value of popular stamp catalogues is at the time) while the future value of the much less common water-activated variety is 2 or 3 or even more times as much.
Let's revisit the issue that there are many more self-adhesive stamps now being used than water-activated, lick-and-stick stamps.
One problem that this issue raises is the fact that many more self-adhesive stamps, and many fewer water-canactivated stamps, will be seen in postally used stamp accumulations and mixtures. This imbalance will cause postally used lick and stick stamps to become much harder to find. But is this truly a problem or not?
Will the imbalance result in increased future values for those postally used water-activated stamps that can be found? Will they have a higher catalogue value than "equivalent" self-adhesive stamps that are much more readily available? No one knows as yet, but we predict that a higher catalogue value for water-activated stamps is a distinct possibility.
For example, we can easily envision a stamp that has two varieties - one self-adhesive and one water-activated - where the future catalogue value of the self-adhesive is 20 cents (or whatever the minimum value of popular stamp catalogues is at the time) while the future value of the much less common water-activated variety is 2 or 3 or even more times as much.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Are Water-Activated ("Lick and Stick") stamps dying a slow death? Part 1 of 2 Parts.
Since the advent of self-adhesive stamps, usage of water-activated stamps has severely declined. In the old days, self-adhesives didn't exist and people were accustomed to licking stamps in order to use them to post mail. Water-activated stamps were the only game in town, and no one minding using them.
Now, however, self-adhesive stamps are in the picture. It seems like there are far more self-adhesives being produced by countries than water-activated stamps. No doubt, this is because of customer feedback indicating their preferences to the USPS and other countries' postal authorities. Even with stamps that are available in both self-adhesive and water-activated varieties, postally used copies of the lick and stick version are drastically under-represented in stamp accumulations.
Self adhesive stamps truly are much easier and much quicker to put on covers, but some of them can be almost impossible to soak of their paper without causing extreme damage. Collectors of postally used stamps are accordingly having a very difficult time in trying to find some of the newer issue self-adhesive stamps that are off-paper but still in collectible condition.
Those stamps will have to be collected still on paper.
We mourn the apparent slow death of lick and stick stamps.
Since the advent of self-adhesive stamps, usage of water-activated stamps has severely declined. In the old days, self-adhesives didn't exist and people were accustomed to licking stamps in order to use them to post mail. Water-activated stamps were the only game in town, and no one minding using them.
Now, however, self-adhesive stamps are in the picture. It seems like there are far more self-adhesives being produced by countries than water-activated stamps. No doubt, this is because of customer feedback indicating their preferences to the USPS and other countries' postal authorities. Even with stamps that are available in both self-adhesive and water-activated varieties, postally used copies of the lick and stick version are drastically under-represented in stamp accumulations.
Self adhesive stamps truly are much easier and much quicker to put on covers, but some of them can be almost impossible to soak of their paper without causing extreme damage. Collectors of postally used stamps are accordingly having a very difficult time in trying to find some of the newer issue self-adhesive stamps that are off-paper but still in collectible condition.
Those stamps will have to be collected still on paper.
We mourn the apparent slow death of lick and stick stamps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)