Taking Off The Stamps From Envelope?

The WD40 pen will work at removing the stamp. You rub on the backside of the paper. Allow time to let it bsorb and then peel off. Use a tiny amount of cornstarch on the adhesive side. Brush off the excess.
Tom

I_Love_Stamps...Here is the dilemma I have...A stamp on an envelope might be worth much more if the stamp has a possibility of having a rare paper type..The only way I can see it, is remove and observe.

Ethically constrained much?

I asked a dealer about a postcard from his bargain box that bore a cancelled stamp, with about 2mm of bars showing on either side of the stamp (that is, on the card) and, then, nothing.

Puzzling over the many possibilities, I asked the dealer if he also thought that someone had over-cleaned the card, removing the entire postmark; if not, how did that stamp get there?

"Don't ever ask." He laughed. I laughed. And, I bought the card, just to remember our little joke.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Always one to roll my eyes (in a self-deprecating way) at the lengths we go to preserve our little jewels - how did they ever survive all those years without our archival-certified mounts & sleeves? - I admit to being a little hinky about both WD40 and cornstarch.

WD40 contains non-volatile compounds - the 'lubricant' part of 'penetrating lubricant' - which will become part of the stamp and, G-d Forbid, some day damage the costs-more-than-the-stamp archival mount.

Cornstarch is edible, and not just by two-legged pre-diabetics. It is also hygroscopic, which makes it even more likely to be ediblated (sic) and, well, counter-archival.

I have not yet experimented with the can of Pure Citrus gathering dust on my desk, but I have a lot of confidence that a box of white chalk from any office supply store, and a hammer from any hardware store, will yield a goodly supply of an unscented talc-like inedible powder to do what the cornstarch would do: defeat the adhesive residue that remains on the stamp after it has been gently removed from the (offending?) cover.

Unless you, like me, find that the baby powder brings back fond memories of the days when little children had little problems.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Not at all. I was simply offering something to think about. :)

FWIW, they just don't come off. And for all the time you'll spend doing it, you'll know when to and when not to

Although most US collectors will acknowledge that modern used US stamps have little secondary market value, since the Scott catalog notes that they are valued the same whether on or off paper, my position is "why bother?". It is my preference to keep them on-paper and not risk damaging the stamps in the process of attempting to separate them off-paper. If the stamps are ever given away or sold in the future, the new owner can elect to use any of the various methods noted earlier to remove the stamps if that's their preference.

I've used Pure Citrus with excellent results except when the stamp is on thick cardboard. These stamps are on postcards and some commercial envelopes that have plastic backing.
When I try to remove the stamp, the backing splits and a layer adheres to the stamp.
What I've done then is to soak the stamp and the layer comes off. It leaves a thick layer of glue then which has to be cleaned off.
A lot of trouble for a common stamp.

On a different thread, an SCF member advised enclosing the plastic, or thick cardboard clipping in a small, zip lock bag with lighter fluid for a period of about 30 minutes. I tried his/her method, and it works very well. I don't know about Pure Citrus; it may take a little longer...perhaps 45 minutes or so. It should work.

With a thick cardboard clipping, the job is generally made "do-able" by splitting the cardboard with a scalpel or craft knife, and peeling away the excess thickness. Then you treat the clipping as you would normal paper. With a plastic mailer, this is not possible.

I'll try the splitting of the cardboard next time. THX

I use Bestine to remove the paper easily and cover the reverse with pulverized paper. I'm lucky to have a daughter who is an art conservationist who talked to a paper conservation specialist who recommended this approach. I have used it sparingly as I only rarely bother to remove modern era stamps from the paper - generally only $5 stamps and up.