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How to Donate Canceled Postage Stamps

Many people throw away their canceled postage stamps, assuming that they have no value. In fact, you can help nonprofit organizations raise money by donating those stamps to them. Due to the collectible nature of stamps, some nonprofit organizations try to sell them to raise funds. These donated stamps are sometimes sold individually, but more often they're sold in bulk at auctions. Follow a few simple steps to donate your canceled postage stamps.

Things You'll Need

Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Contact charities that you would like to donate your canceled stamps to. Confirm that they accept canceled stamps as donations. Confirm the charity's preferred method for sorting, preparation and delivery for the used stamps.
- 2
  Cut the stamps from their paper backing following your charity's directions. If your charity does not have specific instructions, leave approximately 1/2-inch of the envelope or postcard around the stamp.
- 3
  Presort the stamps using your charity's preferred method of sorting. Common methods of sorting include sorting by country, age and backing type.
- 4
  Deliver your stamps in person if possible. If this is not possible, ship your stamps to your chosen charity using delivery confirmation to ensure that the stamps reach the charity.

Stamp Collecting