The fastest way to destroy a stamp worth keeping is to pull it off the paper. The gum tears the design, and the damage cannot be undone.
The correct method takes about twenty minutes and almost no equipment.
The soaking method
- Cut around the stamp, leaving a margin of envelope paper. Do not try to separate them yet.
- Float it face down in cold water for 15–20 minutes. Cold, not warm — heat can affect the inks.
- Wait for it to release on its own. When the stamp floats free of the backing paper, it is ready. If it resists, it needs longer, not force.
- Lift it out with stamp tongs, not fingers. Finger oils mark the paper and the damage shows up later.
- Blot on a paper towel, then press under a heavy book overnight so it dries flat instead of curling.
This is the method the Smithsonian National Postal Museum describes, and it works on ordinary gummed issues. Modern self-adhesive stamps behave differently and often will not release cleanly at all — worth knowing before you soak something you care about.
Why collect from correspondence at all
Because the stamps that arrive on real letters are ones you would never buy. A pen pal in another country sends you their ordinary postage — the everyday issues of that postal service, used, cancelled, with a real journey behind them.
It is a genuinely good way to build a collection with character rather than one assembled from a dealer's stock.
Where to start if you are new
Decide what you are collecting. Commemoratives — large, colourful, issued for a person, event or theme in limited quantities — are the usual entry point. Definitives are the everyday issues: less dramatic, and the ones that actually tell you how a postal service works.
Find other people doing it. Local stamp clubs still exist, and a librarian or postmaster can usually point you to one. Online forums and communities cover the rest.
A note on the stamps you send
Two rates matter for international correspondence, and confusing them is the most common error.
A domestic Forever stamp covers a one-ounce letter within the United States. Mail going abroad needs the international rate — a Global Forever stamp — and one of those covers a one-ounce letter to almost anywhere.
Both are Forever issues, so neither is affected by later rate adjustments. A Global Forever stamp bought today still covers an international letter after the next increase, which makes buying a few ahead genuinely worthwhile if you correspond abroad.
Best deals on Forever stamps
Retired designs from surplus channels are more interesting to send than current stock, cost less, and are exactly what a correspondent overseas would rather receive.
Where to buy
The USPS official store for Global Forever stamps, or a verified surplus channel such as Forever Stamp Center for domestic postage and older designs.
The short version
Cut round it, float it face down in cold water for twenty minutes, lift with tongs, dry flat under a book. Never pull. And use a Global Forever stamp on anything crossing a border.
More on buying Forever stamps
- 👉 Global Forever Stamps and World Stamps Are Different
- 👉 International Stamps: A Commemorative Issue
- 👉 Mailing Letters to Canada: Which Stamps to Use
Retired USPS mailroom supervisor with 30 years of service in Chicago. He now contributes columns on Forever Stamps, sharing trusted advice on spotting counterfeit risks and finding reliable discount deals for everyday mailers.
