what is a safe way to take stamps off envelopes and cards?

Question

I need to take old stamps off of envelopes. I need a safe way to remove them.

Answer 1

Removing Stamps From Paper and Drying Stamps Part I of III



For those who are new to collecting stamps, you might wonder how you can remove the stamps from the paper envelope. It is often a tricky endeavor, but with patience and practice, you will be able to accomplish this task.



Firstly, always resist the urge to try to take a stamp off paper by pulling at it, even if it looks like it will come off easily. Stamps should be trimmed first. Be careful not to cut the perforation off of the stamps as this will reduce its value.



Once you have trimmed the stamps, you can begin the process of removing them from their paper backing. You should soak the stamps in clean water that is about the temperature of your body. Many people have made the mistake of soaking the stamps in warm or hot water. Even though it is faster, doing so could easily damage the cancellation ink or the delicate stamp itself. This may also cause the ink in the paper backing to run. Be sure to use a good amount of water. Your goal in soaking the stamps is not only to dislodge them from the paper; but also to remove any residual adhesive from the stamp. You may need to change the water often so that there is not as much glue floating around.



Just as you sort your personal laundry, do the same with stamp sorting. Put like colors together. You should group colored paper backing stamps together as well as stamps that have the rubber stamp ink together.



Removing Stamps From Paper and Drying Stamps...Part II of III



Once you have sorted your stamps, soak them in small batches of about 10 stamps, but take careful notice and watch for ink color running. You will find that the paper backing that is red, such as can be found in greeting cards, will run the fastest. It is rare that the actual stamp ink will run, but sometimes the cancellation ink will run if it is from a rubber stamp.



It is wise to soak these particular types of stamps individually so that you can insure that no color bleeding occurs and that no other stamps are affected. If the colored paper color is running, remove the stamp immediately and change the water so that the color does not transfer onto your stamp. If a stamp has a rubber stamp cancellation mark, it should not be submerged in water. Instead, it should float on the water, face up.



Soaking time for stamps will vary greatly. Some stamps can take as little as one minute to dislodge, while others can take as long as 2 hours before they are ready to separate. It all depends on the type of adhesive that is used. Beginners should not use tongs initially as it is easy to damage the delicate stamps. Instead you should use your fingers to dislodge the stamps from their paper.



Removing Stamps From Paper And Drying Stamps...Part III of III



Now that you have soaked your stamp, try to peel the stamp off from one corner only. If it does not come free easily, place it back in the water for further soaking. If you soak the stamp to long, it could cause the paper to become soggy and weak and you will easily damage the stamp. The key is, don’t leave the stamps alone. Keep a close eye on the stamps to ensure their safety.



Once the stamps are off paper, you can gently rub any remaining adhesive off of the stamp and then give it a final washing in clean water. Experience will teach you how long a particular stamp will need to be soaked so that you will not damage it.



Once the stamps are out of the water, place them on a dry white paper towel in a single layer. You can dry them on newspaper, but do not use any colored newspaper as the ink will transfer onto the stamps and stain them. Use another dry paper towel to blot out the excess water from the tops of the stamps. It is recommended that you buy a stamp drying book so that the stamps will dry flat. These can be purchased very inexpensively. They have plastic like pages that stamps cannot stick to. Load the stamps from the back of the book forward with all stamps facing up. After you are done loading the stamps into the drying book; place heavy books on top so that the stamps will dry flat.



Have patience. With practice this task will become easier and before you know it, you will have a great collection in the works!

Answer 2

Soak the envelopes along with stamps in the water . Ensure that if any written material is there in ink then it should be cut off otherwise it will stain the stamps once dipped in water. After some time the stamps will automatically come off the envelope and float or alternatively gently remove the stamps from the envelope . Remove excess gum completely so that it dose not stick on paper. Now put it face down on the clean white bloating paper or on the news paper .After it is dried keep safely in the album or plastic envelopes.

Answer 3

You can't go by what everyone else used unless you invite is the exact same as theirs. What pound paper did you use? Is there ribbons? Extra layers? What shape is it? Sending square invitations costs more than a regular shaped envelope. How many are there? Our post office gives a small discount for volume mailings over like 150. Take 10 minutes out of your day, go into the post office with an invite and they will weigh it exactly and let you know how much it will cost. On that note, I would skip the custom stamps. Look at your mail honey. Every piece of mail gets that huge ugly black register stamp and it will ruin, if not completely cover up, your custom stamps. Besides, invites are sent out weeks before and by the time the wedding rolls around nobody will even remember you had the custom stamps. Save yourself the money or take that cash and use it to upgrade the invites themselves or the reception/ceremony.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

maybe you could cut around it?