Found Sealed Stamps Of The West Indies. Not Sure What To Do.

My sister and I found a set of sealed stamps from the West Indies in one of my parent's old books. They'd been there for years and we didn't even know they were there. They're placed on a piece of cardboard with a layer of foam in between. All of it is sealed in clear plastic.

Since some of the edges of the stamps are overlapping one another, it's difficult to determine the years of each stamp. But from what I can tell, they're between 1973 and 1977.

We're just not sure what to do with them. Should we leave them in the sealed packaging or should we remove them?

Also, are there web pages out there where we could find out about the history of those stamps?

Thanks. (Below is a picture of the stamps in question.)

Hello nuit......

If they've been sealed, in a book since the 70's there's a good chance they're all stuck together. I'd open the package and gently check. If they are stuck together they only remedy is to soak them in cool/room temp tap water, they probably float free in a half hour or less. Then let them dry, face down on colorless paper towels. After they dry they can be pressed to flatten them. Usually a few books for weight over night is sufficient.

If you post larger photos of them we should be able to id them and give more info about them. I have the catalog necessary but I need a better look at them.

Good luck....

Tom

Thanks Tom. I'll do that. Also, I'll try to take pictures of the stamps with my digital camera. It has an okay close-up option so I might get more detail than with the scanner.