Stamp Restoration ANS Conservation

Even with the best of intentions, it is natural enough for data describing repairs to be lost along the way.

Q/ Is part of the problem that stamps & coins are so small? Crack fills on a grandfather clock are just plain easier to see.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

The problem with reperfing/re-gumming/ restoring stamps, is because we HAVE ALL BEEN TAKEN in one form or another, by somebody in the hobby. A used stamp, that is nothing more than a space filler can be turned into something that looks like a $1000 item. What do you do then, especially if you buy this at a National level show, where you may never see that dealer again? He is gone with your money, and you have no recourse, because he is miles down the road, and he does not even remember you. Especially if you paid him in CASH, to avoid paying the sales tax.

Best advice is to avoid situation where you get screwed. Don't buy at National level shows unless you know the dealer and have a guarantee and don't cheat the government out of its due by paying CASH.

There have been quite a few threads on this topic, the lengthiest and most heated I know was here:

https://goscf.com/t/43694&SearchTer...estore,clean

Easier solution: buy from dealers who are APS and/or ASDA members. Both organizations bind their members to codes of ethics, which gives you a method of recourse if there is a problem.

Thread Bump, Last Post 2016.
FYI Only. (Absorene)
Bumped into this yesterday, no idea of usefulness.
Use at your own discretion.

'
Well-spotted, lad.

Makes me want to smoke a book just to see how it works.

It seems that the core market is freshening wallpaper.

http://absorene.com/absorenecleaners.html

Available at Home Depot, Wal-Mart ...

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Absorene -- it is used in library/archival settings on paper. It's sold by Gaylord, for example.

A thousand years ago as a graduate student I worked for a year in a small, but very well run archives in the midwest US. We got in a load of paper from a local courthouse which had uncovered a walled-over basement closet in which court records from the 1870's-1930's had been immured. However, air from street-level had infiltrated this space over many years and these court cases were covered with soot. Dust, automotive exhaust, coal soot, etc.

But the director of the archives had us, his troop of grad students and we cleaned 'em. Box after box. The paper was heavy durable bond, in great shape, so the cases held up to a good rubbing with Absorene and came out looking pretty good on the other side. We then created metadata, inventories, and all that good stuff, but lordy - we were all regulars at the local laundromats during that project.

I would not try it on a stamp, though (which I know was not seriously suggested). Too delicate a paper. But on documents on good paper, it is used. Not good for pencil marks you want to keep.

Thanks guys,
jleb, great commentary, thanks for taking the time to take us on your journey.
Enjoyed the read.