Stamp Drying Books

I've been using the Imperial drying books for years but purchased two "Uni-Safe" drying books last month made by "Unitrade". I used them for the first time last weekend - bottom line, they were a waste of money. A large number of the SA stamps were ruined as they dried and attached themselves to the "non-sick" pages. In addition, 1 week later, the stamps are still damp. I had to carefully move them over to a Imperial book today so they could finish drying out.

As a comparison, stamps I soaked last night were removed today from one of my Imperial books flat and dry!

I just ordered a few of the Showgard Desert Magic books after reading about them in this forum so I can compare them to the Imperial drying books.

Paul

I have only used Desert Magic so I have no others to compare to, but I am satisfied with the results.

Desert Magic books work fantastic. I've dried thousands of stamps in mine and never had a single one stick, even self-adhesives that managed to retain most of their adhesive. They're about $10-12 with shipping on ebay for the larger size, and it's some of the best money I've ever spent on stamp collecting. I used to use an older kind, can't remember the manufacturer, but probably 10% or so of them got ruined, and if a modern SA stamp got on there, forget about it.

Whenever I need one, I use an Apak Stamp Drying Book made in Vancouver, B.C. It works perfectly all the time, has a specially coated paper that allows stamps to dry and not stick to its unique surface - even the PSA stamps and is resuable over and over again and still looks like new.

I've always used a heavy hardcover book and waxed paper. After drying half way on a paper towel, I put the stamps between sheets of waxed paper in the middle of the book, put some more heavy books on top, and let them sit overnight. The stamps come out flat as can be, and never warped.

I use an old Oxford dictionary. If you use a bit of hand soap in your first soak then rinse once with clean water - no soap - layout on clean white printer paper until damp and then press (with weights) in a good soaker type book - like my dictionary - you'll have zero problems.

I just use a watercolor/sketch pad of better quality; (eg: thick blotter paper) and place a book on-top of it.

The Apak book pictured is the same as the Imperial brand I have been buying from Subway. It must be a generic brand with multiple logos.

BTW - I received the Showgard Drying books on Friday and put them right to use. They work just as well as the Imperial/Apak books mentioned above.

I have 2 desert magic drying books and they work great. I just bought an Apac book this weekend. Stamps are drying in it now.

Dianne

I drop few stamps in luke warm water until the stamp is removing by itself and I transfer it in another bowl of cold water to remove the remaining glue. I put the stamp on a towel to absorb the excess of water and I put it in a $1 sketch book and put a huge oxford dictionary over it.

Reviving an old topic, especially around the APAK drying book. I have been using this book for a number of years and the stamps are either loose or peel off quite easily and I have not had any stick to the special glossy pages. However, I have noted that in a lot of cases that the stamps that are firmly attached, needing to be peeled, end up having a very shiny back, almost a re-gummed appearance. Is this shine part of whatever coating these pages are coated with and does it affect the value or condition of the stamps?

Well, basically it has been "re-gummed"
Gum Arabic can be in flux, at differing temperatures and humidity.

Obviously when you have soaked, and left some gum on the back,
it has become viscous, then re-set under pressure (in the drying book)

I have seen this occurence, from mint stamps in mounts.

Value , condition is an opinion from each individual.

The corollory ergo, is to keep one's collection at a best constant temperature and humidity.

Interesting assumption that it really becomes "re-gummed", but I am not convinced. I can take an 80 year old used stamp that has several hinge remnants on it with no sign of any gum and soak it to get rid of the HR, then place it in a fresh bowl of water to get rid of any gum, place it on the APAK page and it comes off looking like it is a mint stamp. A very quick rinse and placing the stamp on blotting paper removes the shine. Repeating the process and using the APAK and the shine is back.

I am not here to convince you, just offer my opinion.
My comment "re-gummed" is referring to gum that has been "re-set"
ie become viscous then rehardened / refixed under some pressure.

If you have soaked all the gum off, then I have no idea.

Acronyms HR