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How to Safely Separate Stamps

Whether you're a stamp collector, otherwise known as a philatelist, or just someone who needs to mail something, you will occasionally need to separate stamps. Most new stamps come apart easily, though; those with stamp-separating issues are usually collectors who want to separate old stamps that are stuck together.

Things You'll Need

Stamps
Paper
Handkerchief
Iron
Ironing board
Stamp tweezers or tweezers

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the unseparated stamps on an iron-safe surface, such as an ironing board or another hard surface that you regularly iron on.
- 2
  Place a thin piece of paper or a clean handkerchief on top of the stamps.
- 3
  Heat up the iron to hot. Once the iron is hot, run it over the paper or handkerchief in a quick and gentle fashion.
- 4
  Remove the paper or handkerchief from the stamps and carefully tease apart the stamps using stamp tweezers. If you don't have stamp tweezers, you can try using regular tweezers, but the risk of tearing a stamp will be higher.
- 5
  If the stamps do not come apart easily, repeat the ironing process and try again. Do not force the stamps apart. If you keep ironing, eventually the stamps should become unstuck and easily separable.

Stamp Collecting