More Butchery........lots 496,497,498

Because there have always been collectors who like them. These were almost certainly done decades ago.

Maybe Rhett has the answer.

Stampmaster, all of my 19th century gummed stamps show no sign of any ill effects or degradation, so I am going to keep my original gum. You should collect however you want, but the turn of the century (19th to 20th) practice of removing the gum has been discredited by many as not necessary. Interesting question about the material that was used to regum stamps harming the stamps; not relevant in my case because I don't collect regummed stamps.

That is true for US stamps that are properly handled. That is not true for all countries however, there are certainly philatelic items with dangerous gum out there.

If you think about it, we all really don't "own" the stamps but are simply their caretakers for a period of time, because eventually they all get sold to someone else.

Hi all

Do any of you keep or mount your stamps in the mounts? I think used stamps or unused stamps without gum is fine. I don't know what the long term effect on Mint Never Hinged or Original Gum stamps will be in mounts?

I am suggesting to using mounts that air can get into, or take you stamp(s) out of the mounts every few months to adjust to conditions.

Rhett, of course perhaps all of your 19th century gummed stamps show no sign of ill effects or degradation, great for now, but how about the long term, 100 years or more from now? Do not as stamp collectors have responsibility not to harm our stamps for future stamp collectors? (just my thinking, do not expect anyone to agree with me)

One other point, regummed stamps, if any of you own any, what was used to regum your stamps, what might be the long term affects of the regumming? Should we not ask what was used, and then research if any long term damage could result?

Good luck everyone in future stamp collecting adventures.

Stampmaster

I obviously missed Rhett's comment my first time through the thread. Now I know something I didn't know before. I figured that cutouts like these were totally spawned by the grading phenomenon.