vi
**Member** 
Posts: 24
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Post by vi on May 10, 2024 15:08:31 GMT
I have a stamp that is coated in what appears to be wax, and am planning on doing the iron and paper bag trick- unless anyone knows of a better way to remove it/save the stamp? Was this ever actually a thing?
Here's the history of how I came across it if it helps to have context:
I obtained a large order of water damaged stamps thinking (rather optimistically and naively) that I would be dealing with stamps that were stuck together. They were several wads, each time around a single stamp that was cocooned in plastic tape, which bred mold/mildew to spread into its neighboring stamps. That nightmare was masked only by the headache inducing aroma of old Avon candles. Perhaps this was another attempt at waterproofing the stamps rather than the tape cocoons? I am at a loss for words as to the thought process of this collector.
I did end up giving the salvageable stamps a peroxide bath, and they are drying in layers of wax sheets over baking soda to remove the remainder of smell and moisture. (Thanks to the other boards for those recommendations!)
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vi
**Member**
Posts: 24
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Post by vi on May 10, 2024 15:10:12 GMT
I can't figure out how to add pictures yet, but I'll figure it out and add them soon.
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Post by michael on May 10, 2024 17:52:39 GMT
Unless these stamps are rare the best thing to do would be to throw them in the dustbin and call it experience.  |
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vi
**Member**
Posts: 24
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Post by vi on May 11, 2024 3:41:39 GMT
Yay! I realized I just needed to switch to a desktop site on my phone to be able to use the buttons in the graphic from the "how to" thread. So now I can post pictures. The waxed stamp is now long gone, as are the stamps with visible mold damage. I can't undo that. I have a feeling, however, that our thoughts regarding "rare" might be different after reading about the willingness to experiment on penny lilacs and cape of good hope triangles. I think it might help to add some pictures of the ones I was able to separate out from the wads without any added moisture that were also old enough they might warrant a second thought before pitching?         throwing away stamps hurts my heart. The ones that would ruin more stamps hurt a little less, but seeing all these stories in the trash can... man... all those tickets to send messages across the world to loved ones through wars, to family immigrating far away that they may never see again, etc. all the things those stamps paid the way to transport as reminents of lives and stories lost to time being thrown away because those stamps now carry fungus instead. such a shame. Anyway, I digress. I am obviously a little romantic, and need help deciding which then would be worth the work of ensuring they don't ruin the rest of my collection. Also, I did end up ruining some older Chilean stamps using peroxide (the yellow ink, especially didn't do well). Is there a way to know ahead of time if the ink will be safe? (should I start another board for this one?) |
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Post by carabop on May 11, 2024 4:04:44 GMT
Pictures can always help.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator 
Posts: 5,823 
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 30, 2024 18:04:03 GMT
I have a feeling, however, that our thoughts regarding "rare" might be different after reading about the willingness to experiment on penny lilacs and cape of good hope triangles. Also, I did end up ruining some older Chilean stamps using peroxide (the yellow ink, especially didn't do well). Is there a way to know ahead of time if the ink will be safe? (should I start another board for this one?) Thanks for your posts, Vi, and sorry for the slowness of my response. I have edited the quote from your earlier post down to two points for comment. Willingness to Experiment on Cape TrianglesAs I was the one who contributed these stamps to the soaking study, I guess it's to me to comment about this. I completely agree, as I think you are saying, that Cape Triangles are not common stamps, and even damaged ones would normally be considered to have some value. As Stan ( stainlessb ) and I wrote in the article on the Soaking Study, we were careful to use damaged stamps exclusively, so that no sound material would end up being damaged as a result of the experimentation. But I felt it was important to demonstrate that claims by others well known in the field of Cape Triangles that soaking, even in water, would damage these stamps is completely unfounded. Consequently, I was willing to risk three damaged Cape Triangles in the study, and we have now shared the results in published form so that others can potentially benefit from our experience. That was the idea, anyway. Does that address your comment? Stamps with Fugitive InksThis is another area of interest to both Stan and me. I did start a thread on stamps with fugitive inks, i.e., stamps whose images will be degraded if soaked in water or other chemicals, here: thestampforum.boards.net/thread/9051/online-resource-stamps-fugitive-inksThat thread has never really taken off, but it's a start, and if you now know of any specific stamps that are susceptible, like the one(s) from Chile you mentioned, let's try to figure out a catalogue number for that and get it entered in the list. I hope this helps, Vi, and please feel free to comment further.  |
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madbaker
Member 
Posts: 737
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on May 30, 2024 20:02:08 GMT
Hi vi, It looks like you're finding an middle ground with your stuck together wad of stamps. Soak and save the middle and discard the ends. Nice compromise. 💖 I hear you about the romance of old stamps and how every stamp tells a story. I feel the same way. But I am slowly learning that while every stamp tells a story, not every stamp needs to be in my collection. And then I have some difficult decisions. - I don't want to give a new collector a problem stamp (damaged, obliterated, waxed or stained, etc.) There are enough very nice stamps around that I'd want to start a new collector off with something nice. Even children. - I wouldn't want to receive problems stamps, so I don't want to trade problem stamps. So that leaves me with sending them to a Statue of Liberty type of person (give me your tired, your poor, your damaged, obliterated, waxed or stained, etc.) who know what they're receiving, or the dust bin, or a crafter who can use them for stamp art. But essentially removing them from the philatelic world and putting them into the non-collector world. |
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vi
**Member**
Posts: 24
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Post by vi on Jun 7, 2024 1:06:07 GMT
Thanks for your comment Berylium Guy. I do realize, as I read the comment again, that I may have come off aggressively. I am absolutely sorry for that. It was not at all intended. My comment about not being sure what rare means to you (I saw you had liked that comment to throw it away) or others was intended to be just that- I still become giddy when seeing some of the more common older stamps come in when I order a lot of stamps. I don't know where the commonly accepted line is, and was confused when I saw that article. especially because I missed the part where you mentioned that they were all damaged stamps, and I think I might be more on the side of what madbaker would call a "statue of liberty" collector- moving my line further from the commonly accepted one.
My next stop will be to the Fugitive Inks thread you posted once I find the catalogue number of the stamps that didn't go well. I already threw them away, but I don't get many early Chilean stamps, so they shouldn't be hard to remember when I scroll through the catalogue. (hopefully they weren't ones that changed slightly several times)
Madbaker- Thank you for your post as well! the language you provided for the statue of liberty collector has been super helpful to wrap my brain around the different goals in collecting. Much appreciated! Also, I absolutely agree that it's not ok to send people problem stamps unless they welcome them and know exactly what they are getting. No one here will be getting problem stamps from me! (Im not even sure I will be trading at all- I need to get better at expertizing first, so I know I'm not sending anyone crap.)
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