Another Newbie - Questions On Used/Unused

Hi,

When I started my new job last year, part of it was handling all the mail. With that, I started cutting the stamps off the envelopes. Now I have a whole lot of, I think, kiloware? I want to start collecting more seriously now. I'm doing this for fun, but I'd like my collection to have some value by the time I'm old and senile that a friend's kid would actually want it/think it's neat.

- I'm guessing yes, but I should remove the stamps from the envelopes, right? I can do this with just water? (Room temperature?) How do I remove the permanent/sticker stamps? What about plastic bubble pack envelopes?

- I have half booklets of new stamps, should I have these cancelled? How do I get them unsticky so I can put them in a book? Or should I just keep them in the book?

- Advice for trading online? (I'm not looking at high value items, just neat looking stamps.) What sort of questions should I ask? What etiquette is there?

- Is it okay to buy new stamps and just put them in my soon to be purchased stamp book? What goodies/tools are absolutely necessary?

- What should I avoid doing to my stamps?

Thanks in advance to any answers.

I am new to stamp collecting as well .... I mostly collect to learn about them and resell them, although I tend to hold onto things from Louisiana :)

I'm not seasoned enough to address a lot of your questions ... but if you want to start finding some awesome *old* items, go to estate sales ;-) At estate sales, it is common to come across not just stamp collections, but old mail with old stamps on them. Garage sales don't always have these things unless older generations are involved typically ... but many an estate sale will have at least photo albums with old letters, boxes with old letters, or the actual stamp collections themselves of course. It's exciting to find things canceled during WWII Europe, for example ... or civil war types of things, etc :)

Just 2 cents for another newbie like myself :) Cheers :)

And also old photographs, like old CDV's (the really old photos that look almost like they are printed on baseball card type of stock), will often have stamps on the back of them. You wouldn't know this unless you turned them over.

I don't know if this is kosher (because I'm currently selling these on ebay), but here is an example. These old CDV's from pre Civil War I came across the other day ....



They are some great images of the period, showing fashion/style/physical features of individuals at that time, etc. But flip a few of them over, and bingo !!



More stamp awesomeness from the 1850's to learn about and explore :)

But again at estate sales ... if you see a pile of old CDV's, flip them over, and voila !! There may be an awesome old stamp from the 19th century there. That doesn't mean they have a lot of value just because they are old, but that is one thing that the Scott Catalogues are great for as well ... to find out quickly what you have on your hands, and to begin to learn about the variety of stamps out there.

I should remove the stamps from the envelopes, right? I can do this with just water?
Water is fine for floating off used stamps. Just watch out for colored envelopes which will stain any stamps if you submerge them (so do them separately)

How do I remove the permanent/sticker stamps?
You need a chemical agent... such as a citrus Air freshener... and spray a little on the back of the paper, wait a few seconds, and then peel carefully off. A scraper, such as credit card, can be used to remove anything left. Some collectors put a little powder on afterwards... seach this site for a thread on the removal of self adhesives.

What about plastic bubble pack envelopes?
Cut a large piece including the stamp...peel the bubbles off the back and then soak in water. You will need to soak longer probably.

I have half booklets of new stamps, should I have these cancelled?
I would save a block of, say four, and display them as an "unused block of booklet stamps" (many booklet stamps have subtle differences to the normal sheet issues)

How do I get them unsticky so I can put them in a book?
You could post a block of four to yourself and display them as a "used block of booklet stamps" Many collectors have used and unused examples in their collections...hence the use of the words "mint" and "used". I'd advise you to think about not using a "book" that requires stamp hinges. Many albums have clear strips that can hold any stamps, mint and used.

Or should I just keep them in the book?
Half a book of booklet stamps is not what most people would want... a block is acceptable, mint or used.

What goodies/tools are absolutely necessary?
Stamp tweezers (tongs) are essential and if you want to collect older stamps you will need some way of looking at the watermarks. A stamp calalogue might be worthwhile as you need to know things such as how many in a set for instance, date is issue etc etc. I regularly pick up older Stanley Gibbons sets of calalogues (2007 onwards) for a few pounds on sites such as WorlOfBooks and give to local stamp clubs.

What should I avoid doing to my stamps?
Neglecting them by not looking at them regularly , thinking of the monetary value instead of the philatelic value...

Thanks peterbishop! Funnily enough, the day after I had posted this, I met a gentleman that does collect stamps and goes to estate sales and the such. There's no estate sales in the town I live in, but apparently in the city a few hours from here, there are plenty. Who knew!? Those are some fantastic photos and thanks for sharing the stamp scans.

scotzm:
Thanks for answering all my questions.

With the book of stamps, you're saying to get a block (four), put them on an envelope and mail it to myself? If I want them mint, just put them on paper and let the sit and then remove them? I have an untouched booklet of John Ware ( https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/pe..._desmond.jsf ) - I've looked at it and it doesn't seem like the stamps will stay together like the traditional ones. How do I make a block from these? I aways thought that stamps need to be cancelled(?) for them to be "worth" anything, but this isn't true? If I wanted to keep them new/mint, that's perfectly acceptable?

I grabbed four each of of a set of traditional (lick) stamps. Do I need to do anything with the back, or can I safely put these away?

(Side note, what are "first day covers"? ( http://www.canadapost.ca/shop/black...ecution=e1s1 )

I never heard of hinges before - I was wanting to get a book with sleeves where I can place the stamp inside. It sounds like you think this is the better choice. I can't wait to get my first album (something like this okay? http://www.canadapost.ca/shop/stamp...ecution=e1s2 ) - right now my stamps are organized in envelopes. I will definitely be looking at them regularly! The set I got last week from the post office was the Beneficial Insect set. I love critters and love the artwork of the set - it's like a mini art gallery! ( http://www.canadapost.ca/shop/stamp...ecution=e1s1 )

Actually, the stamps on the back of those CDVs are from the mid-1860s. The tax on CDVs began on June 30, 1864 and ended on August 1, 1866, so most all CDVs with a tax stamp can be dated within those 25 months when the tax was in force.

If I want them mint, just put them on paper and let the sit and then remove them?....Oh, no...
I understood that you had part-used booklets of stamps. My strategy would be to save/display a block of unused (mint) and also a similar sized block of used. MINT means unused and with the gum/adhesive intact. Albums are available with various sized pages for displaying all the formats you wish...