The Truth About Stamps
Stamps are essentially pieces of paper of varying sizes, composition and age. As such they can be easily damaged when picked up. The dirt, oil, sweat and other things that can be found on fingers can do a great deal of damage to the sensitive paper. A pristine specimen can be irretrievably damaged by even the most careful handling, ruining a beautiful item and lowering its value. Additionally, even the most delicate touch risks bending your stamp or damaging the perforations. There are several ways how to handle stamps safely.
Stamps are essentially pieces of paper of varying sizes, composition and age. As such they can be easily damaged when picked up. The dirt, oil, sweat and other things that can be found on fingers can do a great deal of damage to the sensitive paper. A pristine specimen can be irretrievably damaged by even the most careful handling, ruining a beautiful item and lowering its value. Additionally, even the most delicate touch risks bending your stamp or damaging the perforations. There are several ways how to handle stamps safely.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Minutes
Here's How:
- The Tool to Use: To avoid these risks stamp collectors early on developed stamp tongs. Tongs are simply a pair of tweezers that normally have flattened blades at the ends. There is a wide variety of tongs available on the market, from basic models that will cost a few dollars, to fancier imported models which cost a bit more.
- Finding the Tongs for You: Finding the tongs that work best for you is pretty easy. Pull the tongs open a little bit to make sure they are well put together. Most important is to make sure that the blades are flat, often described as "spade" shaped. While some stamp tongs have actual tweezer ends for finer control, they aren't recommended as the risk of pinching and puncturing the stamp is still too great. But if your stamps have a lot of gum or otherwise might be marred by a flat blade, grabbing them might work for you.
- Using Tongs:
- Simply grab the stamp with the tong.
- Put the blades more towards the center of the stamp to avoid damaging the perforations as much as possible.
- Only apply enough pressure to securely take and move the stamp. Too much pressure can leave marks and is usually unnecessary. If you are using tweezer tips, simply grab the stamp with them, again using only as much pressure as needed.
Tips:
- You will want to clean your tongs periodically. A little dishwasher soap will do. Make sure they are completely dry before using them.