guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 6, 2021 8:43:11 GMT
Hi everyone,
I just recently acquired some amount of stamps and a lot of them are damaged/tear/ or just have the back damaged by glue. I’m wondering what’s the best way to deal with these stamps?
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,979
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Feb 6, 2021 9:12:10 GMT
Although damaged stamps have limited use for the collector per se, there is plenty of opportunity to 'recycle' damaged or otherwise unwanted stamps into something interesting, if not beautiful.
Here are a couple of examples,
Other pieces are captured here in a video by YouTude's 'Exploring Stamps' aka Graham Beck,
and for the 'Mona Lisa' of this type of work, have a look at this posting shared earlier on TSF by Kostia( kostia84 ) on this thread,
So what can you do with "damaged/tear" stamps, one idea is, get out your glue stick...
Happy collecting!
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guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 6, 2021 9:15:29 GMT
Oh, I see, that’s quite creative, I have to say! Speaking of Exploring Stamps, I wish there’re more channel like this. His channel is very educational and well made!
I guess I have an option to deal with them now. But honestly, I just don’t have the heart to tear them further. But I will definitely look into it if I don’t have any other choices!
Nghia
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,911
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Feb 6, 2021 10:12:09 GMT
Thanks for your post Nghia ( guilloutran ). What to do with damaged stamps is a question that most collectors end up having to deal with in one way or another. What Vince ( stanley64 ) has suggested and what Konstantin ( kostia84 ) has posted are certainly viable ideas, making works of art from stamps, whether damaged or otherwise. But those look pretty ambitious to me, and would require a lot of stamps. But there are other possibilities as well. One of our members, janetc , makes art objects using damaged stamps. She takes an item like a dish or bowl or something, and then covers it with stamps. She made one for me once, which was given as a gift to another member ( firstfrog2013 ). Personally, I have taken damaged stamps and glued them to a cardboard box that I use for storing stamps and other stamp-related materials--it's purely a decorative use, but it looks nice, especially if the box is a re-purposed one that has other labelling on it. Also, as a collector of classic-era stamps, I sometimes keep damaged stamps as reference items, if they are correct color varieties or something like that. Damaged stamps can also be used for experimentation. If you want to try out different soaking methods or chemical treatments or something, trying them out on damaged stamps to see how well they work is a good practice before risking the stamps that you want to keep for your collection. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 6, 2021 10:49:04 GMT
Damaged stamps can also be used for experimentation. If you want to try out different soaking methods or chemical treatments or something, trying them out on damaged stamps to see how well they work is a good practice before risking the stamps that you want to keep for your collection. Hehe. This is what I’m doing. I have a bunch of stamps with glued back and I’m experimenting with them to see if there’s a possible way to remove the glue! I might have a look into decoration, as the stack of damaged is piling high
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Jerry B
Departed
Rest in Peace
Marietta, Georgia USA
Posts: 1,485
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Post by Jerry B on Feb 6, 2021 11:10:40 GMT
Hi guilloutranIn my friend's store there was a special box for damaged stamps. Every once in a while a lady came in and bought the damaged stamps. She used them for jewelry. I have seen quite a bit of art using damaged stamps. So, get the creative juices flowing Jerry B
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wakeybluenose
Member
Mostly harmless!
Posts: 311
What I collect: GB to 2000 (but definitives to date) / Ireland to 2000 / General WW classics & definitives / ASFEC / SciFi & Fantasy Literature / Local History
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Post by wakeybluenose on Feb 6, 2021 12:19:09 GMT
Depending on just how damaged it is... If it is a stamp with a high catalogue value that I don't have then it goes into the collection... I collect predominantly used stamps and I don't collect for value or profit... A damaged stamp is still a stamp, if it got damaged in the course of doing it's job then it's not the stamps fault! For common or low value stamps then art is the way.
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,979
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Feb 6, 2021 12:19:54 GMT
Alternatively and following the experimentation route, especially for higher-value stamps, can you repair those tears? Dab of glue, spot of paint, presto - like new ;-) Just a thought and all repairs, modifications, etc. must be disclosed at time of sale...
Happy collecting!
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tobben63
Member
Stamp eat sleep repeat
Posts: 1,874
What I collect: I collect to much, world wide!
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Post by tobben63 on Feb 6, 2021 15:01:02 GMT
I throw them in the bin. Also stamps that I have loads of (not old stamps). The world is full of damaged, useless stamps that we have to sort through time after time. I do my part to stop this 🙂 The last 2-3 years, I think I have thrown away more than 5kg stamps, just stamps. I only keep stamps that are ok, and prefer stamps with readable postmarks.
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,551
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Feb 6, 2021 17:16:06 GMT
I'm with Tobben on this. 90% of damaged stamps I destroy as waste paper. The other 10% are stamps which in good condition would be worth in the region of £50, Euro 50 or $50 or more. These may be acceptable to someone as spacefillers depending on the extent of the damage eg small tear or small thin or a couple of pulled perfs. These will go into ebay, or a club packet properly described and priced at a dollar or even less, or give away.
There is a market for expensive classics even if damaged if the price is low enough. For example a fine GB N01, the Penny Black will set you back £100, but even with a crease, or a tear, or margins clipped away can fetch £15-£20. I sold a Cape of Good Hope cat £400 , with a thin and 2margins last month for £9. Modern stamps which are common and easily available get binned.
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stainlessb
Member
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,906
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Feb 6, 2021 19:04:43 GMT
My first year back into the world of stamps, I wanted to keep almost everything--now, stamps with even minor flaws are destined to the arts-and-crafts pile (and I'm getting close to thinking my wife now has more than she'll ever use....)
Even Penny Reds, unless it's a scarce plate, get culled. I recently had an offer on Plate 225 with 2-3 perfs of one corner in both directions missing... a filler, but I decided rather than waste money on a filler, I'd just save up until something decent but still affordable came along.
There's plenty of flawed stamps being offered--some folks I suspect may not really know.... but I think most do.
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napo
**Member**
Could I write my introduction here?
Posts: 40
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Post by napo on Feb 7, 2021 2:31:24 GMT
I have a number of damaged stamps, too. I still keep them because I have not got a new one of those stamps.
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guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 7, 2021 13:58:37 GMT
For the moment, I’m offering these stamps on Postcrossing for cards or whatever duplicate they have. I did this just for the postage I used to send them though. Apparently, there’s a demand for this. I was surprise actually.
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philatelia
Member
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,655
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Feb 7, 2021 15:13:46 GMT
!!! I would add this plea - anything modern - yes definitely bin or artwork. BUT anything from the KGVI era or before - say 1950s and earlier, I'd strongly beg that you offer them to a specialist to look over before destroying them. I'm a flyspecker, and there are so many varieties out there waiting to be discovered.
Please remember, we are caretakers of our philatelic material, let's not start telling everyone to throw away anything with a fault. YOU might be knowledgeable enough to recognize something worth saving, but most collectors are not really what I would call a "classicist".
So - please don't destroy classic philatelic material! !!!
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rex
Member
Posts: 1,216
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Post by rex on Feb 7, 2021 17:39:38 GMT
I totally disagree with throwing away both old and new stamps. Why not donate them to charitable associations for young people. I also know very mature retired people who cannot buy ( can't afford) them and would be happy to have. Even if a stamp is just damaged, it can still be admired.
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,979
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Feb 8, 2021 11:01:46 GMT
Indeed Ludovico ( rex ), what is the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"?
In this posting - When to give in and start tossing things?, I shared a partial listing of the results from an Internet search "philatelic youth organisation" as potential recipients for unwanted stamps or materials. If anyone needs assistance with getting rid of unwanted material, and no I am not suggesting I will take out your trash, but I will help you the 'pruning' ;-)
Just let me know how I can assist...
Happy collecting!
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,623
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Feb 8, 2021 11:49:47 GMT
Good points, everybody. However, if you want to weed out your collections, then you can repurpose the faulty stamps, instead of trashing them. You, or somebody else can take those subprime stamps out of the philatelic circulation and redirect them into the world of mailart, scrapbooking, etc. "Gimme some", and I'd love to create, eventually, some "dorincards", or I could name them "non-traditional maxicards". I'd glue them on a blank postcard, to tell a story, to convey a message. Google Nick Bantock, for example, but my creations would be more coherent and less random.
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bobstew617
Member
Posts: 376
What I collect: Switzerland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Channel Islands, Hong Kong (British Admin), PNG, others...
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Post by bobstew617 on Feb 8, 2021 14:08:31 GMT
I put my "wounded warriors" into a separate envelope and will exchange when I receive a damaged stamp in trade. One for another.
Periodically, I will weed out the envelope, and take some out to add to my donation box.
This box has excess duplicates, damaged stamps, and US stamps from incoming mail (mostly trades).
Periodically, I will mail the box to my favorite stamp charity, Shell Point Stamp Ministry in Ft Myers, FL.
Anyone who is interested in their address and/or more information abut this charity, can PM me.
BOB
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,551
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Feb 8, 2021 17:05:33 GMT
I put my "wounded warriors" into a separate envelope and will exchange when I receive a damaged stamp in trade. One for another. OUCH!! It occurs to me that we may not all have the same definition of a damaged stamp so here is a very common GB stamp from around 1980 which makes it 40 years old , but available in the millions to illustrate my criteria for keep or discard 1. Looks not too bad but has a corner crease by the 12 ( possible keeper) 2. Rubbish ugly postmark ( keep only as last resort) 3. Corner missing (discard for artwork if anyone wants these ) 4. Heavy crease and surface damage (Bin) 5. Small tear looks ok from front (Keep only until better turns up then bin) 6. Major tear half-way down stamp (BIN !) 7. An 80% stamp with 20% missing ( BIN IMMEDIATELY !) Only No. 1 could possibly sneak in to my collection. The others I would not be keeping. However, it is all relative and the choice is yours. That is my decision, but as I have said before, with a scarcer stamp I would be less brutal, e.g. 19th century classic GB, and with a RARE stamp, even torn or thin, I would not rush to the dumpster.
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guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 9, 2021 10:21:17 GMT
!!! I would add this plea - anything modern - yes definitely bin or artwork. BUT anything from the KGVI era or before - say 1950s and earlier, I'd strongly beg that you offer them to a specialist to look over before destroying them. I'm a flyspecker, and there are so many varieties out there waiting to be discovered.
Please remember, we are caretakers of our philatelic material, let's not start telling everyone to throw away anything with a fault. YOU might be knowledgeable enough to recognize something worth saving, but most collectors are not really what I would call a "classicist".
So - please don't destroy classic philatelic material! !!! Oh no, most of them are post 1980s of Chad and Jersey. I don't think there's anything valuable.
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guilloutran
Member
Account Disabled
Colllecting France
Posts: 202
What I collect: Western Europe (pre-Euro), France and colonies (pre-1995), United States and Canada (pre-1980, engraved ->2000), British colonies and United Kingdom (engrave to 2000)
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Post by guilloutran on Feb 9, 2021 10:23:44 GMT
Indeed Ludovico ( rex ), what is the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"?
In this posting - When to give in and start tossing things?, I shared a partial listing of the results from an Internet search "philatelic youth organisation" as potential recipients for unwanted stamps or materials. If anyone needs assistance with getting rid of unwanted material, and no I am not suggesting I will take out your trash, but I will help you the 'pruning' ;-)
Just let me know how I can assist...
Happy collecting!
I see. Sure would love your assisstance. But as a youth collector myself, I can't send too much at a time and most time wanted something in return.
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Mr. H
Member
Member - APS #129381
Posts: 952
What I collect: US, Netherlands, Whatever suits my fancy.
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Post by Mr. H on Feb 9, 2021 14:34:28 GMT
As I sort through my stamps I put the damaged items in a pile to be give to my wife or sister who use them in making cards. I'm sure I'll end up with more than they can ever use and at that point I'll offer them up cheap on eBay for crafters.
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karelm
**Member**
Posts: 19
What I collect: Austria Empire varieties & cancellations
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Post by karelm on Feb 12, 2021 3:55:21 GMT
Thanks for your post Nghia ( guilloutran ). What to do with damaged stamps is a question that most collectors end up having to deal with in one way or another. Personally, I have taken damaged stamps and glued them to a cardboard box that I use for storing stamps and other stamp-related materials--it's purely a decorative use, but it looks nice, especially if the box is a re-purposed one that has other labelling on it. Also, as a collector of classic-era stamps, I sometimes keep damaged stamps as reference items, if they are correct color varieties or something like that. Damaged stamps can also be used for experimentation. If you want to try out different soaking methods or chemical treatments or something, trying them out on damaged stamps to see how well they work is a good practice before risking the stamps that you want to keep for your collection. Also depends on whether your interest. If you are interested in the cancellation and it is a good one, showing identifiable place name and date, I would most certainly not throw it away. My valuation would be nil for the stamp but full for the postmark. Like you can get a $100 postmark on a 3 cent stamp.
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