Can Licking Old Hinges Get You Sick?

Ugh.... So I hinged about 15 or so stamps the other day using at least 36 year old hinges and felt a little queasy afterwards. Left over ones from my dad who hadn't collected since 1983 and who knows before that.

Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Georges fiancé passed away after licking the wedding invites..... Almost used them all up thank goodness.

I am trying to remember when that arsenic laced hinge scandal was..........

You aren't supposed to swallow the hinge.

well I didnt munch on them thank goodness !!

I have some old Dennison hinges that I saved from about 50 years ago which I reserve for better stamps. Other than knowing how old they are, they still work great, and haven't killed me yet.

Sounds like some thing to it ,from the age of 7 I have been licking other peoples hinges and with the purchase of over 200 different collections . I can say it does have a effect . My joints are starting to freeze up . Because for 40 years I could just about kick any person in the head but now as I turn 70 I think the glue and bacteria from those hinges are starting to build up in my hip joints and finding it harder to kick above the waist. My other joints are fine never have any other pain after rolling around in the gym with 20 or 30 year olds three or four times a week .

So my advice is stop licking those dirt hinges .

You lick used hinges?

See you can always get good sound philatelic advice from me .

Yea ,I grew up with 8 brothers and sisters in public housing in Chicago and didn't have money for hinges .I think it is worst than hinges being relicked when to got some big guy down on the mat and your on top of him face to face and you squzee your elbows together as you choke him out and he is choking and sweezing all over the side of your face before he taps or goes to sleep . Much worst than a ten year old hinge .

I triple dog-dare you to lick a really cold stamp hinge...


Don

I worked in archaeology for 20 years digging up things like privies and potter field burials and I'm still here. I doubt any form of stamp hinge will put one's foot into the grave.

I wouldn't advise licking hinges of any vintage... just my two cents.

Cannot resist - Were they by any chance from the 60's? Maybe made in Woodstock?

Wheelman If they were they would be selling for 3 dollars each at that time . They wouldn't be called hinges you would have to ask for them as "purple micro-dot " then everybody would know what you wanted .

Mother nature has a way to detoxify almost anything after being buried, especially when it was mixed with lime. But on to the subject at hand.

If the hinges were stored in dampness and may now contain mold, I would be hesitant to use as it could potentialy make you sick. It would then be best to discard.

Otherwise, 36 year old hinges should not affect you unless your allergic or sensitive to something in the glue makeup. Use a sponge or cotton swab instead of your tongue, and then you can even reuse an old hinge without fear of contaminating youself with someone elses bodily fluid. Ugh! Licking other peoples hinges. That definately is downright disgusting.

A leprosy colony cover...I am not sure I would be willing to get my mouth near this cover or its stamps.
Don