Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I would not throw away any valuable stamp. Even with defects, it still holds some, albeit small, value. Many will still want the stamp as at least a temporary space filler.
I have seen this in the past, but not to that extreme. It will probably be very difficult to remove that plastic. If you have any cheap stamps that suffered this type of damage? If so, you may want to try giving them baths in alcohol to see if that works. After soaking in the alcohol, wash it off with some hydrogen peroxide and then water. If that doesn't work, and after the stamp has completely dried, try giving it a one or two minute bath in ammonia and then washing it off with water. Maybe someone else has a better plan? Note that when you soak the stamp, any gum will at the least become disturbed or dissolved from the stamp.
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Michael has a good approach. You could simplify that by doing some preliminary testing. I assume you have some of the film that you removed available. Get some saucers or something similar in glass. Put isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) in one and Ronsonal lighter fluid in another. Put a small piece of the offending film in each and see what happens. After a minute or so, swirl the film around - a toothpick works for that. You're looking for a change in the texture/rigidity of the film. That's hard to explain, but you'll know it if it does happen. Keep this up for 2 to 3 minutes. If you don't see any change, let stand for 20 minutes or so and then check again. If nothing shows up, those aren't going to help.
Do the same with clear household ammonia with a little different technique - put the film in the dish and pour the ammonia over it and start swirling/observing right away. Ammonia is a gas, and it starts leaving the liquid as soon as its exposed to atmosphere, so the liquid loses strength fairly quickly, and if it's going to work, that will show up early.
Use the Ronsonol and ammonia in well ventilated areas.
If you find one that does seem to do something to the film, try using a cotton swab on a bad area. Whichever you use is going to evaporate quickly, so you'll have to keep applying more. Use the swab to gently 'scrub' the surface. Even if one does not stand out, use that approach with each in turn. The Ronsonol is the best bet to work if nothing seems to soften the film.
Good luck - hate to see beautiful specimens like those lost.
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11:10:59am
Just as important, take notes as you try each experiment and whether you have success or not post your results so others can learn what to do or worse, what not to do.
Every so often I come across a similar use of "GLAD" film to protect stamps although not so seriously damaged as your examples, and profanity is permitted.
Charlie
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Thanks to all for your suggestions. Success!
I first tried doing experiments on the plastic itself as per dollhaus' suggestions. The 50% rubbing alcohol (all I had on hand) made the plastic shrivel a little; the Ronsonol seemed to immediately disintegrate it. However, when I tried the lighter fluid on a cheap stamp, the offending plastic refused to budge. Since the rubbing alcohol test had made the plastic shrivel, I then tried Michael's suggestion of giving it a bath in 50% rubbing alcohol, letting it soak for 2-3 minutes, rinsing with 3% hydrogen peroxide, then plain tap water. That worked. Not only did it effortlessly remove all the plastic shine, but it didn't seem to harm the stamp at all. This particular stamp was used and had no gum, however, so I tried it on a lower-value mint stamp of which I had duplicates. The plastic was gone, but so, of course, was the gum. Most of the stamps damaged in this manner are high-value mint specimens (insert profanity here), but at least they'll retain SOME of their value. Better than worthless, so I'll take it.
Thank you so much! I hope this helps others that find themselves with similarly-damaged specimens.
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Neena, before you go down that road, get in touch with your local archivist/conservator they will possibly have knowledge of products that will do the job and leave the gum intact.
You might want to contact this lot
http://aao-archivists.ca/
edited to add link
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Before immersing them all, maybe try using a q-tip to moisten the face without wetting the gum and peeling the plastic off. It won't be as fast, but might preserve the gum.
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OK - so the Ronsonol attacked the film, but did not clean up the residue on the stamps. I think you have a coated film of some type and the coating is what's staying behind on the stamps. There are a lot of things that coating could be, depending on the originally intended use of the film. If the rubbing alcohol worked, get some 70% isopropanol. That should be readily available. That's the max % you can get in stores. Then try the cotton swab technique with that. Be sure to keep the area wetted. If a bath did the job, this should work also and keep the gum intact.
The next thought is to try denatured alcohol. That's ethanol (the same stuff as in vodka and bourbon) with an additive (generally methanol) to make it unappealing for consumption. As a general rule, anything soluble in isopropanol will be even more easily dissolved by ethanol. Also, you can get 100% alcohol, not 70% max like isopropyl. Home Depot, Lowe's, or any paint store should have it.
Don't worry about rinsing the stamps using this family of solvents. All are volatile at ambient conditions and they leave no residues.
Do you have any idea when these stamps were wrapped? That might help me narrow down the possible film coatings to those that were common at the time and get some solvent ideas from those.
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I'm not sure when they were wrapped. They were not part of my father's original collection, so I'm assuming he bought them as a lot from somewhere, but no idea when. The latest stamp that's affected is from 1955, so it could be before then, or it could've just been done by someone who didn't know any better who used whatever plastic was handy. It hadn't occurred to me it was coated film and it's the coating that's transferring. Makes sense, though, why it came off so easily with just 50% isopropanol.
I'll get some 70% isopropanol and try swabbing it and see what happens. I already have denatured alcohol in the house, so I'll try that if the 70% isopropanol doesn't work. If THAT doesn't work, I'll snag some 100% alcohol and try that, too. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
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06:29:48pm
Back in the late fifties Polaroid came out with an instant camera. To use it the film cartridge was inserted, the camera aimed and click, out came what would eventually develop into a photo. But then the fun began. In the package with the film cartridge was a small sponge applicator that would be run across the photo once it had finished developing to seal the picture. I remember using the applicator to also seal the shine on brass belt buckles and to enhance the gloss on spit shined shoes to seal that shine as well.
Perhaps some clever devil accidently coated the stamp, or intentionally thought it would protect the stamps.
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I have a bunch of Wine Tax stamps that have this same or similar coating on them. Since they are used, I never messed with them.
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"The next thought is to try denatured alcohol. That's ethanol (the same stuff as in vodka and bourbon)"
I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored. Interesting to try vodka. Can soak the stamp, and then recycle the liquid by drinking it.
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If my wife finds out you are advocating the combination of vodka with stamp collecting, I think Lars may have a lot of 'splaining to do!
Lars
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Actually, plain vodka would probably work as well or better than 50% isopropyl alcohol. Just be sure you use the 100 proof stuff.
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Tequila would probably dissolve the stamp, but tequila tastes so much better than vodka!
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"I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored."
Not to mention the sacrilege committed by such an act.
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"... I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored ..."
"... Not to mention the sacrilege committed by such an act ..."
Only if it is at least twelve years old.
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08:41:53am
Some of you may remember that I had inherited my father's collection after a fire. After years and a lot of work, I've managed to safely remove most of them from their dreaded Crystal Mounts. However, some numbnut (I KNOW it wasn't my father!) had wrapped some stamps in what appears to be cellophane or some other non-archival plastic. I don't know if it was the heat/damp from the fire or simply the passage of time, but it looks like some of the plastic transferred to the stamps and has clung to them, resulting in shiny patches on the face with little bits clinging to the perfs (see images). Some of the stamps are (were?) quite valuable and I'm nothing short of horrified. My question is: are these good only for the trash or novelty value (which would break my heart), or is there anything I can do to safely remove the shiny bits and restore them? Any advice is welcome!
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
I would not throw away any valuable stamp. Even with defects, it still holds some, albeit small, value. Many will still want the stamp as at least a temporary space filler.
I have seen this in the past, but not to that extreme. It will probably be very difficult to remove that plastic. If you have any cheap stamps that suffered this type of damage? If so, you may want to try giving them baths in alcohol to see if that works. After soaking in the alcohol, wash it off with some hydrogen peroxide and then water. If that doesn't work, and after the stamp has completely dried, try giving it a one or two minute bath in ammonia and then washing it off with water. Maybe someone else has a better plan? Note that when you soak the stamp, any gum will at the least become disturbed or dissolved from the stamp.
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10:18:49am
re: Non-archival plastic damage
Michael has a good approach. You could simplify that by doing some preliminary testing. I assume you have some of the film that you removed available. Get some saucers or something similar in glass. Put isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) in one and Ronsonal lighter fluid in another. Put a small piece of the offending film in each and see what happens. After a minute or so, swirl the film around - a toothpick works for that. You're looking for a change in the texture/rigidity of the film. That's hard to explain, but you'll know it if it does happen. Keep this up for 2 to 3 minutes. If you don't see any change, let stand for 20 minutes or so and then check again. If nothing shows up, those aren't going to help.
Do the same with clear household ammonia with a little different technique - put the film in the dish and pour the ammonia over it and start swirling/observing right away. Ammonia is a gas, and it starts leaving the liquid as soon as its exposed to atmosphere, so the liquid loses strength fairly quickly, and if it's going to work, that will show up early.
Use the Ronsonol and ammonia in well ventilated areas.
If you find one that does seem to do something to the film, try using a cotton swab on a bad area. Whichever you use is going to evaporate quickly, so you'll have to keep applying more. Use the swab to gently 'scrub' the surface. Even if one does not stand out, use that approach with each in turn. The Ronsonol is the best bet to work if nothing seems to soften the film.
Good luck - hate to see beautiful specimens like those lost.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
05 Feb 2016
11:10:59am
re: Non-archival plastic damage
Just as important, take notes as you try each experiment and whether you have success or not post your results so others can learn what to do or worse, what not to do.
Every so often I come across a similar use of "GLAD" film to protect stamps although not so seriously damaged as your examples, and profanity is permitted.
Charlie
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09:17:06am
re: Non-archival plastic damage
Thanks to all for your suggestions. Success!
I first tried doing experiments on the plastic itself as per dollhaus' suggestions. The 50% rubbing alcohol (all I had on hand) made the plastic shrivel a little; the Ronsonol seemed to immediately disintegrate it. However, when I tried the lighter fluid on a cheap stamp, the offending plastic refused to budge. Since the rubbing alcohol test had made the plastic shrivel, I then tried Michael's suggestion of giving it a bath in 50% rubbing alcohol, letting it soak for 2-3 minutes, rinsing with 3% hydrogen peroxide, then plain tap water. That worked. Not only did it effortlessly remove all the plastic shine, but it didn't seem to harm the stamp at all. This particular stamp was used and had no gum, however, so I tried it on a lower-value mint stamp of which I had duplicates. The plastic was gone, but so, of course, was the gum. Most of the stamps damaged in this manner are high-value mint specimens (insert profanity here), but at least they'll retain SOME of their value. Better than worthless, so I'll take it.
Thank you so much! I hope this helps others that find themselves with similarly-damaged specimens.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
Neena, before you go down that road, get in touch with your local archivist/conservator they will possibly have knowledge of products that will do the job and leave the gum intact.
You might want to contact this lot
http://aao-archivists.ca/
edited to add link
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
Before immersing them all, maybe try using a q-tip to moisten the face without wetting the gum and peeling the plastic off. It won't be as fast, but might preserve the gum.
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04:24:17pm
re: Non-archival plastic damage
OK - so the Ronsonol attacked the film, but did not clean up the residue on the stamps. I think you have a coated film of some type and the coating is what's staying behind on the stamps. There are a lot of things that coating could be, depending on the originally intended use of the film. If the rubbing alcohol worked, get some 70% isopropanol. That should be readily available. That's the max % you can get in stores. Then try the cotton swab technique with that. Be sure to keep the area wetted. If a bath did the job, this should work also and keep the gum intact.
The next thought is to try denatured alcohol. That's ethanol (the same stuff as in vodka and bourbon) with an additive (generally methanol) to make it unappealing for consumption. As a general rule, anything soluble in isopropanol will be even more easily dissolved by ethanol. Also, you can get 100% alcohol, not 70% max like isopropyl. Home Depot, Lowe's, or any paint store should have it.
Don't worry about rinsing the stamps using this family of solvents. All are volatile at ambient conditions and they leave no residues.
Do you have any idea when these stamps were wrapped? That might help me narrow down the possible film coatings to those that were common at the time and get some solvent ideas from those.
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05:28:34pm
re: Non-archival plastic damage
I'm not sure when they were wrapped. They were not part of my father's original collection, so I'm assuming he bought them as a lot from somewhere, but no idea when. The latest stamp that's affected is from 1955, so it could be before then, or it could've just been done by someone who didn't know any better who used whatever plastic was handy. It hadn't occurred to me it was coated film and it's the coating that's transferring. Makes sense, though, why it came off so easily with just 50% isopropanol.
I'll get some 70% isopropanol and try swabbing it and see what happens. I already have denatured alcohol in the house, so I'll try that if the 70% isopropanol doesn't work. If THAT doesn't work, I'll snag some 100% alcohol and try that, too. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
06 Feb 2016
06:29:48pm
re: Non-archival plastic damage
Back in the late fifties Polaroid came out with an instant camera. To use it the film cartridge was inserted, the camera aimed and click, out came what would eventually develop into a photo. But then the fun began. In the package with the film cartridge was a small sponge applicator that would be run across the photo once it had finished developing to seal the picture. I remember using the applicator to also seal the shine on brass belt buckles and to enhance the gloss on spit shined shoes to seal that shine as well.
Perhaps some clever devil accidently coated the stamp, or intentionally thought it would protect the stamps.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
I have a bunch of Wine Tax stamps that have this same or similar coating on them. Since they are used, I never messed with them.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
"The next thought is to try denatured alcohol. That's ethanol (the same stuff as in vodka and bourbon)"
I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored. Interesting to try vodka. Can soak the stamp, and then recycle the liquid by drinking it.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
If my wife finds out you are advocating the combination of vodka with stamp collecting, I think Lars may have a lot of 'splaining to do!
Lars
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08:59:53am
re: Non-archival plastic damage
Actually, plain vodka would probably work as well or better than 50% isopropyl alcohol. Just be sure you use the 100 proof stuff.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
Tequila would probably dissolve the stamp, but tequila tastes so much better than vodka!
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
"I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored."
Not to mention the sacrilege committed by such an act.
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re: Non-archival plastic damage
"... I wouldn't use bourbon, since the liquid is colored ..."
"... Not to mention the sacrilege committed by such an act ..."
Only if it is at least twelve years old.
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