Introducing Myself And Question About US Stamps

Hi, I'm VRG, one of the newest members. I am 83 years old. My husband and I spent 25 years in Africa and 5 in Papua New Guinea as missionaries. Part of the time we were on Africa, I was registrar at a university in Zimbabwe. It was a Christian university and we took students from several African countries. I collected every stamp I could get my hands on, of course. Consequently, I collect stamps worldwide.

I noted the day I joined that some of you want a stamp from each country. It has been a while since I worked with my stamps (I have too many hobbies) and I can't say for sure, but I might have duplicates from the homeland countries of South Africa that the US never did recognize. I was registrar during that time and some students came from there. I am talking about Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Venda, and there is a 4th that I don't remember at the moment.

I have a question for you. For the last several years, the US post office has been selling us stamps that we can't soak off the envelopes without damaging the stamps. How do you mount them in your books, or have you found a way to soak them?

*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Several products can be used to remove self-adhesive stamps from paper. There are threads on the subject that you can search for. I use Citrus Magic spray myself (formerly called Pure Citrus). Just spray a bit on the back of the paper and in a few seconds the stamp peals off. There is still some glue on the stamp back which I scrape off with a razor blade, then use a dab of baby powder to neutralize any glue residue left.

Caution: Those chemicals could damage the stamps. I think many collectors find it is just better to create a nice trim around the stamp, leave the paper on and mount it as is. You will not reduce the value by leaving the paper on; you could destroy the stamp with a chemical treatment.

Is the 4th one Transkei?

centerstage98 - The only damage I have ever had using Pure Citrus/Citrus Magic is that sometimes there is minor discoloration on white areas of the stamp because of bleed through, or the cancel smearing and running on the stamp.

I have had damage using a product I purchased from Amazon called "Stamp Lift Fluid". Along with eating away the paper backing it also ate away part of the stamp. Often large clumps of glue with paper residue from the envelope would be left on the stamp, but if I attempted to scrape it off the stamp would be damaged. The edges of the stamp would sometimes flake off, or curl up when the fluid dried. I do not recommend Stamp Lift Fluid to other collectors.

This assumes that the glue, itself, is not damaging the stamp.

From my experience, the stamp glues are changing. Stamps that I could once remove with lighter-fluid, are now bonded to the paper. Or try to find a copy of US Scott #1552 that has not discolored from the glue.

Welcome !!

Welcome VRG:

I sure hope you kept some of the stamps used by postal administrations not recognized by the USPS or other postal authorities on their original envelope. They would make great postal history items.

Yes, Shermae, the fourth South African homeland is Transkei. Your advice is many years too late. I doubt I still have any of those stamps on envelopes.

Thanks to those who welcomed me.

Special thanks to those who suggested what they do with newer US stamps--BKing, Centerstage98, alub.

I've had good luck with "Pure Citrus", these stamps are used and unlikely to gain any significant value, my preference is to remove them from the paper, enjoy them as you see fit.

Another pure citrus user

And welcome aboard!