Baby Powder On Stamps

I recently purchased a lot at auction that had stamps mounted with Showgard mounts on old style Yvert & Tellier album pages. When I received the package, I noticed that the previous owner had sprinkled baby powder in some of the mounts (particularly mini-sheets) apparently to prevent moisture from affecting the gum. While mostly being quite messy, the powder also dulls the vibrancy of the colors on the engraved stamps.

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion as to the most appropriate way to remove the remnants of the powder. I have tried wiping with a soft, dry cloth, but this does not work particularly well on the engraved stamps. Any ideas would be appreciated.

baby powder contains corn starch as above..Dont know if sugar is good on stamps..??

If they are used perhaps it might be best to resoak them. Of course this won't work for mint. Perhaps a very very soft bristle brush?

My problem with those powders is that I'm allergic to the fragrance. I've had to return trades that had been sprinkled with baby powder.

Wait a minute ,it is not Baby Powder most likely it is Talcum powder.

Don't wet the stamps or rub the powder . It is better to hold a corner and flick the stamp as you rotate it while holding it with stamp tongs to remove as much of it as possible .

They started making baby powder with corn starch because it is cheaper and has a similar effect as talcum powder. The difference is that talcum powder is inorganic and will not attract bacteria and other creepy crawlies.

Oddly enough, talcum powder is no longer recommended to be used on infants as it may be contaminated with asbestos and an inhalation hazard.

G'day neeskens. I have come across this once before. First of all, please don't use water! It will be a bit of a long job to clean, but you need plenty of clingfilm (not the microwave type but the thinner film) and an air-brush, like the sort you would use to clean an SLR camera. Shake off the worst of the excess talc carefully, or even blow it off. Press the clingfilm firmly on the stamps to remove any that is still sitting around in the recesses of recess-printed stamps. When you peel it off, it will remove a lot of the talc with it. Then use the air brush to treat any of the stamps which still don't clean up. The worst offenders will need repeat treatment, and patience. Good luck.

To a very fine powder (or, worse, a very fine flake), paper is a very coarse surface, with lots of tendrils to cling to.

Try to imagine a large kite coming to rest in a forest canopy.

In most cases, brushing will only make things worse, rather like pushing the kite into a tree.

I suggest you try static electricity.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Static-Electricity has UN-VETTED suggestions on how to generate static electricity.

I'd rub a rubber ball on a nearby furry animal, child, or life partner, but that's me.

However it is done, rest the charged item on your stamp for a moment, or vice versa.

I think you'll find the talc leaving the stamp.

Ground the stamp when you are done, eg, touch a large metal object with one hand while you cover the stamp with the other hand.

Rinse (the rubber ball), and repeat.

For extra credit, try generating that static electricity on a plastic rolling pin, and see if you can do pages instead of stamps.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

As always, ikeyPikey, nice science!

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. We are certainly an interesting bunch on this forum!

Holding the stamp loosely, try to vacuum it off...


-IBFS

Some have used talcum powder to get rid of grease stains or marks on paper, but I am not sure if it works. Blowing off the powder may help.

Any talcum powder produced in the US after the mid 1970's does not have asbestos in it.

Smauggie: what if it comes from China?

Battlestamps: I wouldn't use Chinese talc. Could containe asbestos.