Advice Please On Best Approach For Mh/Mnh Stamps Partially Stuck In Stockbook

I have several stockbooks that at some point in time have suffered a degree of moisture. Not fatally, many stamp lift out fine. No visible damage, no mould.

Some, particularly older ones, are more troublesome. I have tried a mild heat gun with diffused flow and this has been successful on a number. The heat and then cooling seems to tighten it a bit and flat tweezers inserted underneath and wiggled will lift it with a pop.

In some cases, I am ending up with some problems - glue left behind (see green circle) or a particularly stubborn bit, usually where there may have been a hinge previously (red circle example) and I risk a tear. This could also possibly be an issue with the sleeve it is sitting on, or a combination of both.

They are all either MH or MNH duplicates from an extensive collection. Some worth nothing, others however, have some value. I was hoping to lift out those of any worth and sell them as I have no need of the dupes.

Am I best to:

a) continue trying to tackle them with heat/cooling?
b) cut up the stockbook and soak them off (thereby losing the gum)?
c) use a different method of lifting them out?
d) leave them where they are on the cardboard backing (and cut neatly around for sale)?

Any and all suggestions appreciated. I have so many low value ones among the gems, I have plenty to experiment on!

Try freezing the stamp and backing then try a little flex to see if it pops off. If not hit it again with the heat gun hoping the sudden heat expansion will help fracture the adhesion points. Of course, start with the cheap ones. The freezing will drop the humidity greatly and dry the gum to release. If you need to try the heat gun again, try it on a slightly higher volume as to minimize the momentary condensation on the stamp surface's cold and the blowers warm air.

Of course, although literally never hinged, selling such MNH stamps without noting at least the gum disturbance would be misleading.

Opinion
These come with thick whitish gum, adhesion is not uncommon.

Try others solutions, if still unsatisfied, my route.

Gum Arabic is a bit like the treacle on a cold candy apple, hard as glass.
A little heat and / or moisture, and it begins to liquefy.

I cut out the page of the stockbook, the ones I get are heavily used,
leaving about half an inch from the margin (make sure no stamps overleaf)

Soak in cold water, they will release within minutes.

Reasoning: Better to have 100% stamps, with no gum, than 1 or two with rips, or ghastly thins.

With a vastly expensive stamp, re evaluate :)

Those common stamps are your best friend.

Welcome Kiwimonkey! I had the same problem very recently, ended up having to destroy the stockbook to rescue a group of stuck-down cinderellas. Harsh, but needed doing!
Regards
DavidR

Perfect candidates for the Sweat Box solution. Plenty of threads on this forum on how to construct one.

Thanks so much for the range of feedback. Things to try, and some research in the archives too.

I shall (hopefully) happily report back on success (or otherwise)!

I have been experimenting with solutions for this.

Further thanks to Parcelpostguy - a decent period of time in the freezer, then heat gun, then cooled again and with a wiggle of the cardboard, some crackle and pop and lift off.

rod222 - great back up solution, one absolutely stubborn section from a stockbook I soaked with success. No gum now, but intact stamps.

Plateflaw - great lead! I did some research on older posts and built my own sweat box with a small rubber seal food container and a section of sponge. A bit of warm water at the bottom and these lifted well, enough to lift off and retain most of the now damp, sticky glue. Some took longer than others.

Nice Post
Great scans !

Looking at the background, one could almost surf those curls.

Solution : The rod222 drying sandwich

1 sheet of clean A4 paper
1 A4 sized freezer bag
place damp stamp/s face up on freezer bag
1 sheet of clean A4 paper

Put sandwich inside an old similar sized book

Leave for 2 days
Stamps come out flatter than a Halibut, and slide off the freezer bag, gum and all.

Does not work with self stick stamps.

I would not sweat it too much, no pun intended. The Persian stamps shown so far are not genuine.

Thanks rod222 - curling has been my next thing to research and you've proactively provided the solution before I go searching! Cheers!

rogdcam - appreciated. Some I've tested only need an hour, others up to 3-4. Left some in over night by accident and they were a slimy mess on the card.
I have heaps of old Persia to go through; I'm expecting most of the earlier ones to be forgeries... hence experimenting on these