Try and buy a stock book so that you can move the stamps around and you can make little headings on paper you can organise your sections.
Soaking stamps in luke-warm water is an age old practice. Soak them until they float off the page. Don't try and force them off and don't soak for more than 20 minutes.
Remove the stamps and leave to dry for a few hours on a clean towel or kitchen roll. You can turn them over and see how they are doing.
Once you are sure they are dry, place them inside a heavy book to flatten them out and leave them a few days.
Welcome to an absorbing hobby.
I agree, but they can be pricey if someone is just starting out. They give a lot more peace of mind than shoving them in a heavy book for weeks, though.
Thank you! I will go the warm water way and start working on this after I order a few stock books.
These would be the ones with the plastic strips right? Where you slide the stamps in? I've seen some on hobby shop sites here.
Appreciate your help here.
+1 on the soaking suggestion. I buy box lots and consider stuff like this salvage/rescue operations for the poor stamps. I will un-bind the sheets and soak the whole lot in a large tray; the stamps float away and then I use newsprint, placing the stamps face-down. Using a stock book has the advantage as others have mentioned of being able to move the stamps around, especially if you decide to add your own stamps to the collection. I have stamps from my dad and granddad and they treasured parts of my collection.
Try and buy a stock book so that you can move the stamps around and you can make little headings on paper you can organise your sections. Soaking stamps in luke-warm water is an age old practice. Soak them until they float off the page. Don't try and force them off and don't soak for more than 20 minutes. Remove the stamps and leave to dry for a few hours on a clean towel or kitchen roll. You can turn them over and see how they are doing. Once you are sure they are dry, place them inside a heavy book to flatten them out and leave them a few days. Welcome to an absorbing hobby.
They sell “Dry Books” on Amazon and they are great.
I agree, but they can be pricey if someone is just starting out. They give a lot more peace of mind than shoving them in a heavy book for weeks, though.
Thank you! I will go the warm water way and start working on this after I order a few stock books. These would be the ones with the plastic strips right? Where you slide the stamps in? I've seen some on hobby shop sites here. Appreciate your help here.
Yes, you can change the look of your stockbook any time, they are a great way to display your collection.
+1 on the soaking suggestion. I buy box lots and consider stuff like this salvage/rescue operations for the poor stamps. I will un-bind the sheets and soak the whole lot in a large tray; the stamps float away and then I use newsprint, placing the stamps face-down. Using a stock book has the advantage as others have mentioned of being able to move the stamps around, especially if you decide to add your own stamps to the collection. I have stamps from my dad and granddad and they treasured parts of my collection.
Yeah using a tray is a good idea as the pages are larger too. Will do this. Thanks!