Cutting Imperforate Stamps To Get Even And Better Margins.

Don't separate strips. Period.

Now, for individual stamps, without images no judgement can be made.

I've tidied up the margins on imperf stamps, but you need very steady hands, patience, and nerves of steel.

You also need to have a good idea beforehand if what you're about to undertake is of overall benefit.

Like I said, post some images and let's have a look.

Total agreement with the responses. My view on this and other related questions is that you should never do anything that is not 100% reversible. Possible exception is to float off a decent stamp when the cover is totally destroyed.

An ugly uneven margin is ALWAYS better than the same margin trimmed. It is all about 'total paper area', and that's about it. Reducing that, no matter how much more aesthetically pleasing, will reduce value on 19th century imperforate stamps.

Sometimes in life (and in particular right here on this subject), doing nothing is the best thing you can do.

If I was the owner of this stamp I would be sorting out the bottom corners.



It would make the stamp more attractive and therefore more desirable.

I personally would NEVER snip. What if you or some future owner wanted to "plate" the stamp....or otherwise coincidentally stumbled upon the adjoining stamps, and you found a perfect match, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle? Four former neighboring stamps (two adjacent and one each above & below) possibly exist somewhere.

I know I know, you may say. Probably in a landfill and turned to dust by now, but one can NEVER un-cut the margins, no matter what the reasoning was.

Recall the craze, around a hundred (or less) years ago.....many, if not most, collectors furiously performed (wing) margin-ectomies, primarily on British Commonwealth surface printed Victorian era) stamps....we've all probably seen these horribly mutilated stamps glaringly obvious, in an otherwise respectable, old time British or Commonwealth collections.

And who these days would want or prefer a re-perfed straight-edge US classic-era stamp? I still will choose a straight-edge US classic stamp over its "normal" four-perfed-sides stamp any day.

I might wait forever for the conventional wisdom to change and favor straight-edge US stamps..... but I still like them.

However the British Commonwealth (London-printed early colonies) Victorian-era "wing margin" stamps are seeing an ever-increasing popularity lately!

So, I say, swim upstream against the conventional wisdom. You might one day be glad you didn't "snip" your stamps!

No way would I ever snip the above stamp. Shudder. I need a gummy.

I would suspect the original poster, now had points for reflection from the replies.

My position made clear, I now realise I have perhaps erred also?
Taking the examples from all the specialist's examples at auction,
I have followed suit, by trimming my selvedge from blocks, at an angle.

This was done on the premise that removing the torn paper edge, reduces the
opportunity for rust and toning, attacking the fine hairs of the ripped paper.
Never have I removed perforation holes in the process.
I am under the presumption, that activity, is good husbandry.