Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Normally I would soak them off in warm water, perhaps with a touch of detergent. But is that the best method? I thought I had better check ...
I have now looked up prices on these and they are of low value, but I would still like to know the best way to lift and clean.
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Soaking them will be the best way, or putting them in a sweat box. However, the mold is a serious problem. Soak them off, and see what the stamps look like when dry. If they are stained from the mold, then they won't have much value. The mold will root itself in the paper fibers, and may come back, spreading to other stamps as well. Even soaking them off the paper will lessen the values, but if they come off clean, at least they will still be collectible until better examples are found to replace them.
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We call brown spots and brown edges, especially in the perforation of stamps, rust.
Rust is a fungus in the paper of the stamp and is caused by moisture, varying temperatures and a lack of oxygen. Rust can be prevented by keeping the stamps dry and at a constant temperature. Regular aeration by leafing through a stamp album allows fresh and oxygen-rich air to reach the stamps.
That is why it is also wise to keep stamp albums in upright position and not to crush them in a pile for a long time.
But if rust has entered our stamps, we can remove it.
I do not want to make special advertising, but the company Lindner (ERNI Stockfleckenentferner = ERNI Mold remover) has put together two liquids with which this can be done.
See below.
The instructions for use are on the bottles.
If you immerse the stamp in liquid A, it will turn blue or red.
Don't be alarmed, because if you submerge it in liquid B a few minutes later, the color will return to normal white and the rust has disappeared.
When you experience that for the first time, you have the feeling that you can do magic.
You have to determine by yourself those "few minutes".
If you do it too short, not all rust will be removed, but if you do it too long, the seal will become unnaturally white.
Two more comments can be made.
You cannot treat unused stamps with gum like this because the gum will also disappear. (If you don't mind, go ahead)
You cannot remove rust "from the outside" through staples, rings and paper clips, that is iron oxide.
TRY THIS FIRST WITH SOME CHEAP STAMPS.............
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Thanks for this information. I found some online and bought it. Can't wait to give it a try.
In the past I have had some mild, not overly happy about, success giving stamps with mildew a bath in ammonia solution. It took much longer than a few minutes to get a reduction, but never total removal, of the mildew.
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Here are the online instructions to use the product. Evidently translated from German.
How to use: To remove mold stains, 3 dishes should be prepared: ERNI A (purple) in dish 1, ERNI B in dish 2, and water in dish 3. Please check before use whether the problem stain is actually mold. Postmarked stamps which have been washed (creases and gum residue removed) should be fully submerged in ERNI A (purple). After 3 minutes, remove the stamp, drip dry and place in ERNI B. After a further 3 minutes, put into dish 3 (normal water) and rinse, then dry as usual. It is not advisable to treat stamps which are water sensitive and not colorfast.
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Thanks for all your comments!
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Michael - have you tried this yet? Any comments on how things turned out?
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07:12:26am
A friend recently showed me his stamp collection that he had as a teenager. Some of the mint stamps, originally hinged, are now stuck to the page with their own gum as well. Some of these, notably German WW2 occupation overprints on Hitler stamps (OSTLAND & UKRAINE), have also developed a black mold at the edges. He asked about the best way to get them off the page.
Normally I would soak them off in warm water, perhaps with a touch of detergent. But is that the best method? I thought I had better check ...
I have now looked up prices on these and they are of low value, but I would still like to know the best way to lift and clean.
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08:48:40am
re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
Soaking them will be the best way, or putting them in a sweat box. However, the mold is a serious problem. Soak them off, and see what the stamps look like when dry. If they are stained from the mold, then they won't have much value. The mold will root itself in the paper fibers, and may come back, spreading to other stamps as well. Even soaking them off the paper will lessen the values, but if they come off clean, at least they will still be collectible until better examples are found to replace them.
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re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
We call brown spots and brown edges, especially in the perforation of stamps, rust.
Rust is a fungus in the paper of the stamp and is caused by moisture, varying temperatures and a lack of oxygen. Rust can be prevented by keeping the stamps dry and at a constant temperature. Regular aeration by leafing through a stamp album allows fresh and oxygen-rich air to reach the stamps.
That is why it is also wise to keep stamp albums in upright position and not to crush them in a pile for a long time.
But if rust has entered our stamps, we can remove it.
I do not want to make special advertising, but the company Lindner (ERNI Stockfleckenentferner = ERNI Mold remover) has put together two liquids with which this can be done.
See below.
The instructions for use are on the bottles.
If you immerse the stamp in liquid A, it will turn blue or red.
Don't be alarmed, because if you submerge it in liquid B a few minutes later, the color will return to normal white and the rust has disappeared.
When you experience that for the first time, you have the feeling that you can do magic.
You have to determine by yourself those "few minutes".
If you do it too short, not all rust will be removed, but if you do it too long, the seal will become unnaturally white.
Two more comments can be made.
You cannot treat unused stamps with gum like this because the gum will also disappear. (If you don't mind, go ahead)
You cannot remove rust "from the outside" through staples, rings and paper clips, that is iron oxide.
TRY THIS FIRST WITH SOME CHEAP STAMPS.............
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10:21:14am
re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
Thanks for this information. I found some online and bought it. Can't wait to give it a try.
In the past I have had some mild, not overly happy about, success giving stamps with mildew a bath in ammonia solution. It took much longer than a few minutes to get a reduction, but never total removal, of the mildew.
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10:35:39am
re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
Here are the online instructions to use the product. Evidently translated from German.
How to use: To remove mold stains, 3 dishes should be prepared: ERNI A (purple) in dish 1, ERNI B in dish 2, and water in dish 3. Please check before use whether the problem stain is actually mold. Postmarked stamps which have been washed (creases and gum residue removed) should be fully submerged in ERNI A (purple). After 3 minutes, remove the stamp, drip dry and place in ERNI B. After a further 3 minutes, put into dish 3 (normal water) and rinse, then dry as usual. It is not advisable to treat stamps which are water sensitive and not colorfast.
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05:42:09pm
re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
Thanks for all your comments!
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re: What is the best way to lift stuck down stamps?
Michael - have you tried this yet? Any comments on how things turned out?
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