How To Soak These?

Hi all,

I have one kilo of Dutch stamps.
Mainly dated from 1930 till 1950.
Most of the stamps come off the paper easily.

Although there are a load of stamps, that don't come off after soaking an hour in room-temperature water and a drip of dish-washing soap...

What are the options to do with these stamps??

I hope to find a way that get's them all off the paper.
Many thanks from a sunny, warm Holland.

Rik

Hi Rik, first of all, sunny, warm? Holland? I lived there between 1944 and 1968 and I do not remember ever using those words?
Just kidding. But I do remember having problems soaking some stamps, and I used to use some tepid water without soap. Maybe that will work.
Heb een goeie dag!

Peter

Hi Peter,

First of all, thanks for your reply.
Tepid water, is that water at room temperature?
Because I tried this already...


Greetings, Rik

Rik, maybe I stated that in error. I meant slightly warm water. I do not believe you'd have to worry with Dutch stamps being printed with water soluble inks so there is no danger there! I have actually used quite warm water on some hard-headed stamps!

Peter

You're right that Dutch stamps of that era normally come off paper easily - usually in no more than 5 minutes. If they won't come off in an hour, I'm guessing they were affixed to the paper using some kind of glue. If that's the case, they may never come off, but you might want to try some solvents like lighter fluid in the hopes that it will dissolve the glue. I run into this sometimes when trying to soak older stamps from tropical areas. Stamps came ungummed from the post office, and they'd apply their own glue right before mailing. These stamps simply don't come off. I don't know why someone would need to use glue in the Netherlands - perhaps the stamps had been reused and lost their original gum. Just a theory.

ricdegraaff,

There is an article in the October 2010 American Philatelist describing a product called "Pure Citrus". I have tried this product and keep it on hand al all times to remove paper backing from self adhesive stamps. Try it!

Jack Kelley

I have something called Super Safe Stamp Lift Fluid. Not sure if this will work for your stamps but it does lift stamps off paper easily without water. And you can buy it most stamp stores or ebay.

Even new glue pen glues will Not come off with soaking, with stamps glued on with that thing. Uck.

Perhaps a soak in warm water and soap as you have said.
Then let dry completely.
Then a resoak again.

Sometimes this works.


Any methal hydrate or methal spirits like Naptha should be used from the back of the appaer only, and in well ventilated conditions. Stnky and dangerous if used indiscriminately.

Thanks guys for the help.
I am going to throw them in some hotter water to get them, hopefully, off the paper.

If it doesn't work out, or there is going something wrong, you'll hear from me

Greetings, Rik

Sorry for the double-post, but I am very interested in the "Pure Citrus" air freshener.
But where can I get that stuff, here in Holland?
Or can I buy any air freshener in a supermarket???
Because some still don't come off.

Many thanks!

In North America the business is called Home Depot, a lumber and building supply chain store.

So, there, perhaps a building supplies location would be best, that also carries cleaners for hands and such supplies.

Something with orange citrus in it is best from what I understand.

Is this a good product?


We have this in Holland as citrus/lemon juice.

I think it was the lanolin in the hand-cleaner product that made the difference.

But . . .

Perhaps you have thought of something outside the box that just may work.

I am mostly on the side-lines in this discussion but am really interested of course. If you try this lemon juice please let us know the results. The clean-up should be much cleaner I would think.

rikdegraaff,

I purchased my PURE CITRUS at Home Depot. Later on, I found it in a supermarket along with other air fresheners. It works really well.

Jack Kelley

Hi all,

I don't know what you guys mean with Pure Citrus.
I can't go to a Dutch supermarket and ask for Pure Citrus, because they don't understand me in English...

So what to do now?
Does someone have a solution???

Greetings, Rik
EDIT: Do you mean an air freshener that you use on a toilet?
But then with citrus scent??

The product you would need to use to try all these ideas has a citrus scent and advertising, either orange or lemon perhaps, oramge works. it does leave a scent too thoughh, so it is a multi-step process at times.

Methal spirits works and I have not heard or read that it leaves a scent, so far anyway.

Jand cleaner, air freshener, either propellant or spritz I think. Try a little bit.

Auto parts shops that supply garages and petrol stations or repair shops will have this hand cleaner also. So, hardware stores or wood-working stores that extra things beyond just the wood.