How to Save Used Stamps

Cut the envelope around the stamp to about 1/4 inch on each side. Don't cut into the stamp itself. If you have a lot of envelopes, cut out all the stamps at once.

Sort the trimmed stamps by envelope color. Dye in colored envelopes can run and ruin the stamps. Put stamps on white envelope paper in one pile, and make a separate pile for each additional envelope color. Manila (brown or tan) envelopes should be treated as colored and kept in their own pile.

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water for stamps on white envelope paper. Use cooler water for stamps on colored paper. Place about 10 to 20 stamps on white paper in the water. Use fewer of the stamps on colored paper so you don't ruin too many at once if the colors run. Leave the stamps in the water for about 10 minutes. Many should detach from the envelope paper and float free.

Remove the floating stamps one at a time with your fingers and dunk in another bowl of clean, cool water. This further washes the stamps of glue and other contaminants. Tap each stamp against the side of the bowl to allow it to drain. Lay the stamps face down on a dry towel. Allow the stamps to dry completely.

Place dried stamps between the pages of a stockbook to flatten them. A stockbook is a collection of stockpages gathered in a three-ring binder and can be used for temporary storage. If you're collecting, keep your stamps in a stockbook until you're ready to identify them and mount them in an album. If you're collecting stamps for charity, keep gathering stamps until you have a large quantity. Place them in a clear plastic bag and then into a padded envelope or sturdy box.