Why Should The Glue On The Back Of The Stamp Matter?

As long as the picture is good and the stamp is good the glue is not that big a deal to me. Why can't we buy a little pot of pre made stamp glue to brush on as it may serve to protect the stamp a bit. That is the only purpose I see for keeping it.

Louise, please!
(Edit- In regard to mint stamps) The stamp complete with original untouched gum on it is what a lot of people prefer, and it usually commands a higher price when sold and is being sought by collectors. The closer it is to original is what is most wanted by collectors.

You can collect whatever you like. It is your choice. But regum them? Why?

As far as regumming stamps, they did that many years ago and eventually it was frowned on as being regummed, not original and was also done to defraud/seperate collectors from more of their money, as usually there is a higher price for mint. It is pretty well rejected by serious collectors today.

Actually in some warmer climates the gum is removed to protect the stamp from curling, gum crinkling, gum eating insects and fungus which grows in warmer humid areas of the globe.

If you want to do that with glue, probably destroying any value in them, good luck.

Regumming, or rather redistributing original gum, is still done all the time among less-ethical stampers. It can be done well enough to fool even expert committees, sometimes. And the higher the premium for MNH material, the higher the incentive for crooks to do high-quality gum jobs.

Codehappy, yes the less ethical people probably still do it. Too bad that still happens.

With the more modern equipment, techniques and availability of information, I would imagine it is getting more difficult for them to get past the expertization committees.

Well why not pot a yellow or blue toned gum so you could protect your stamps and no one would think you were trying to make it look original? But, I do think the glue thing has gone to far as well. Glue, gum, whatever, it is the picture and sometimes the postmark that is interesting. And the history, where it has been and what it means.
Not the darn glue.

I agree with you in the sense of a fine-looking stamp is really based on the "front" of the stamp. I understand the desire/demand for completely original gum stamps as well, and understand the premiums placed thereon. Just my personal opinion that I'd rather have a nice well-centered example in hinged or no gum than an original gum. But am never going to add anything to any part of a stamp that alters its current state!

Stamps are what they are; many are old, and as such, not perfect. Like all of us.

Re-gumming and selling as OG is a totally different issue; which I don't think you are advocating (and not to put words in anyone's proverbial mouth, just to be clear.) But would not advocate altering a stamp in the efforts of preservation, ever.


Just my US #113.

Rainbow glue!

It only matters because people are willing to pay a premium for the glue which by weight has been determined to be one of the most expensive items on earth.

Louise, now that you mention postmarks in your last post on this thread it appears that you are talking about used stamps. I took your first post as referring to mint, uncancelled stamps.

As far as used and cancelled stamps, I would not want any gum on them at all. There is no point. And gum would not protect them.

As Andyrich74 mentioned about a well centered looking mint stamp, I also prefer that to a poorly centered full original gummed stamp.

Rogdcam, you forgot the glitter.

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If the campaign against the OG fetish progresses, I will begin a parallel conversation about counting those little bumps around the edges.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Collectors of almost everything prize unused original over used. In antique furniture original finish is prized over refinished. With chemical washes that can remove cancellation marks and regumming the only way to truly tell a mint unused original stamp is the presence of undisturbed original gum.

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Yes, but if a piece of furniture has a scratch, you enhance the value of the piece by repairing the scratch.

The better (less visible) the repair, the better.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

One of the big reasons I started collecting used stamps is the glue on the back did not excite me at all.