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How to Reuse Uncancelled 2010 Stamps

Reusing an uncancelled 2010 stamp is fine as you only use them to mail a letter or package once. Using the same stamp to mail two different letters is illegal and punishable by fine and imprisonment according to the United States Postal Service. Since most 2010 stamps are self-adhesive, they can be a little tricky to remove, especially if they are on colored paper. If you try to rush the process, you could damage or discolor the stamp and make it unusable.

Things You'll Need

Scissors
Shallow bowl
Paper towels
Cookie sheet or plate
Heavy book
Watermark detection fluid

Instructions

- 1
  Trim the paper from around the stamp.
- 2
  Fill a shallow bowl with lukewarm water. If the stamp is on colored paper, use cool water to keep the inks in the paper from staining the stamp.
- 3
  Place the stamp face up (envelope side down) in the water.
- 4
  Change the water if it becomes colored or dirty.
- 5
  Let the stamp soak until it falls off the paper, usually about 15 to 20 minutes (less for stamps on colored paper). Never try to pull a stamp from the paper as it is too fragile. Instead, try sliding stamps off by pushing at it with the pad of your finger.
- 6
  Repeat Step 5 with hot water or watermark detector fluid if the stamp does not come off after 30 minutes or if trying to remove the stamp off red paper. These methods do not always work, but can be tried in stubborn cases.
- 7
  Rinse with clean water to remove any extra adhesive.
- 8
  Remove excess water from the stamp by blotting it gently with a paper towel.
- 9
  Place the stamp on a hard surface like a plate or cookie sheet to dry overnight.
- 10
  Wait for the stamp to dry completely. Place the stamp under a heavy book if it has curled and leave it for a couple of days.
- 11
  Attach the stamp to a new envelope with glue if the stamp has not gone through the mail before. Do not use tape, as tape invalidates the stamp. Stamps that have been mailed may be used in decoupage or added to your stamp collection.

Stamp Collecting