How To Transfer Blocks Of Rouletted Stamps To Outbound Mail

How To Transfer Blocks of Rouletted Stamps to Outbound Mail

I tried to transfer of block of rouletted stamps (a half-sheet 2x5 block of the US 37c Audrey Hepburn, if you must know) to an outbound parcel (which required U$D 3.57 at the 'media mail' printed matter rate, ditto).

In the end, it was peel-and-stick, one-by-one and, given my Zero Patience with this sort of thing, an unhappy result.

Later, in a quieter moment, it occurred to me that I could have:

1) applied a few adjacent strips of Painter's Tape to the half-sheet;

2) carefully peeled the backing material off of the now lightly-secured stamps;

3) applied the half-sheet of stamps to the outbound parcel;

4) removed the Painter's Tape without damaging, or leaving a residue, on the stamps;

5) secured the PSA stamps to the outbound parcel with a bit of judicious stroking.

Q/ So how do you transfer blocks of rouletted stamps to your outbound mail?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

ikey, you`re such a good straight man. I think we should hit the Borscht Belt.

At a loss, here, Kevin.

I wanted all the selvage strips, including the 'plate number', to line-up nicely with the stamps.

Q/ What do you want? ;)

Look, Jerry's offering you the Dean Martin role. Just sign up.

Hahahha! I was thinking more Rowan & Martin!

IkeyPikey, I have had the same trouble. I send lots of mail to Europe, and last week I wanted to put a Global Moon on the parcel, with plate number. That has been rendered impossible, unless one glues the whole or part of the sheet down. But then the stamp can be easily removed. I have done it that way, taken it to the post office to be canceled and then put plastic all over that package. Lot of trouble, and the clerk has to be cooperative.

Peter

Peter,

I had that problem with preparing FDC's for the recent Coast Guard stamp where I wanted to use stamps with the plate number selvage intact. I was usually able to remove the stamp and selvage without completely separating all the perfs, and then rejoin the separated perfs when putting the two on a cover. I had the opposite problem with imperf pairs where I could not remove the backing, and ended up gluing the stamp and backing to the stamp. In that case, there is little risk that the stamp can be removed (or else I wouldn't have resorted to glue).

Basil

Basil, I see what you mean. But if you glue the backing to the cover, can you not still remove the stamp from the backing easily?

Peter

I would have thought that it would be too easy, especially with today's high-speed equipment, for the stamps to get pulled-off en route.

To ask to be allowed to shrink-wrap the package after the cancel has been applied requires a positive attitude ;)

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

IkeyPikey, I live close to a very small post office, where the post mistress is extremely helpful. Almost 180 degrees opposite of my regular post office.

Peter

Peter,

Well, if I could not get it off the backing without tearing it, I doubt anyone else could once it was glued to the cover. If it was that easy to remove, I wouldn't have needed to glue it.

Basil