How Much To Clip If I Can't Save Covers

Hello all - long-time reader, first-time poster. =)

When my 8 year-old daughter and I recently became interested in stamp collecting, I asked the office manager where I work if I could request the opened envelopes from the rest of the staff. My request was granted with one caveat: I have to cut out the stamps there, and the envelopes cannot leave the office.

I've accumulated a couple of weeks' worth of envelopes, and I'm ready to start snipping. Should I simply clip the stamps or extend a bit to save postmarks? Is there any value to a clipped postmark?

Definitely save the postmarks!

On modern day mail with the typical spray-on cancels, I would attempt to snip the corners perhaps 2" high by 5" long, so most are relatively consistent in size. Of course, mail with multiple or oversized stamps, etc., would have to be adjusted accordingly.

Remember, sometimes the postmark is more interesting than the stamp itself!

1/8" TO 1/4" In my opinion, don't worry about the postmark. Ten to twenty years from now... they will be worth the same as they are now.

Yes definitely save the postmarks. With the right postmarks some stamps multiply in value due to their scarcity. I collect postmarks and am sometimes disappointed at what could have been. Just keep in mind though..the postmarks have to be clear, easily read, on much of the stamp as possible and better if it is right side up...but doesn't interfere too much with the overall design.

Thanks for the input. I was already leaning toward keeping the postmarks, but I guess I just wanted to hear it from someone else. ;)

Now I suppose I should shuffle off and introduce myself.

It all depends on whether the postmark is sharp, clear and readable or not. A good postmark should be saved. If the postmark is blur to a point that you can not read the date or can not identify the post office or the city, then, just save the stamp. For example, I had to pay double the normal price for this stamp at a public auction because of the importance of the postmark. It is not clean or sharp, but it is readable. It is the earliest usage of this stamp, just one day earlier than the previously recorded date as reported in the handbook.

Very cool, fotofila! I've decided to save any clear postmarks for the time-being. As it's been mentioned in several different threads, I can always soak the stamp off later if I decide not to keep the postmark, but it won't work the other way around. ;)

I would leave the postmark. It doesn't hurt and you can always trim it down at some time in the future. What you can't do is put the paper or cancel back once you've trimmed it off.

I'd say it depends what you and your daughter are going to do with them. As they are contemporary, there's no monetary value. Are you going to soak them and put them in an album. Don't bother with the cancels. Are your interested in their history? Save the cancel.
In this case, I think it's personal preference.

We haven't really decided yet what we want to do with them, which is why I think we'll save the cancels for now. This is all completely new to me, and I'm glad that I asked about it instead of just clipping away... I'd hate to realize down the road that I threw out something I didn't know I wanted. (I think that makes sense... does in my head, anyway!)