have a bunch of stamps never used
how to use good stamps stuck on envelopes never us
unused stamps on envelopes
Okay Folks... A Really Dumb Question...But How Does One....?
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
September 21, 2008 7:53am CST
Get a postage stamp off of an envelope? See here's the deal. I don't know what postage stamps are like in non-USA countries but here in the US all stamps sold are pre-sticking kinds, which means ones doesn't have to lick the stamp to adhere it to an envelope. Convenient, right? Wrong!!
Say you write a letter...stick it in an envelope, stick on the postage which self-sticks, but then you discover, for some reason you don't need to send that letter (or whatever)...So here you have a perfectly good non-used, non-canceled stamp. But since it's one of those pre-sticker kinds you can't take that darn stamp off the envelope to reuse. An old trick that was used for those regular stamps that you had to lick, was to place the unused stamp from an envelope in warm water and viola...it came off the envelope and all one had to do was put a little glue on the underside of the stamp and place it on another envelope....YOU CAN'T DO THAT with these self-sticking type of stamps.....or CAN YOU????
The reason I ask..I have a whole bunch of perfectly good stamps stuck on envelopes for letters I never sent out as it turned out...but can't reuse these stamps since I can't figure out how to get them off the way I used to....
So......anyone have a clue here? Or have you given up, and just thrown that perfectly good unused stamp out?
Say you write a letter...stick it in an envelope, stick on the postage which self-sticks, but then you discover, for some reason you don't need to send that letter (or whatever)...So here you have a perfectly good non-used, non-canceled stamp. But since it's one of those pre-sticker kinds you can't take that darn stamp off the envelope to reuse. An old trick that was used for those regular stamps that you had to lick, was to place the unused stamp from an envelope in warm water and viola...it came off the envelope and all one had to do was put a little glue on the underside of the stamp and place it on another envelope....YOU CAN'T DO THAT with these self-sticking type of stamps.....or CAN YOU????
The reason I ask..I have a whole bunch of perfectly good stamps stuck on envelopes for letters I never sent out as it turned out...but can't reuse these stamps since I can't figure out how to get them off the way I used to....
So......anyone have a clue here? Or have you given up, and just thrown that perfectly good unused stamp out?19 people like this
72 responses
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
21 Sep 08
I live in the United States and we have the same kinds of stamps here too. You can put the letter in the microwave and heat it up a bit and it should peel right off. You can also cut the stamp off of the letter also and glue it to the next envelope you want to send out.
4 people like this
@randomosity_prevails (1110)
•
21 Sep 08
We have the same type of stamps in the UK, and I have never succeeded in getting one off an envelope! Have you already written the address on the envelopes? If you haven't, then just use the pre-stamped envelope next time you want to send something. If you have written on the envelope, then you could just stick a plain white sticker over the top of it, or even just sellotape some white paper over, so that the address is blanked out and you can write on top of it. If that makes sense!
I know it's not really what you were asking, but that is what I would do.
@randomosity_prevails (1110)
•
21 Sep 08
I forgot to say, I don't know about the US postal system, but here in the UK, you can't re-attach a stamp with sellotape, or staples, etc. I used to do it all the time to prevent the stamps from falling off, but it actually invalidates the postage here, as in theory, people could just keep reusing old stamps if they haven't been franked properly.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160702)
• United States
22 Sep 08
I have read that you are not supposed to do this in the US,(reuse uncancelled stamps) but I have done it anyway. Not with staples or tape, but with glue. They might mess up the machine that cancels them, though. The ones that are stapled or taped definitely would mess up the machine.
1 person likes this
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
21 Sep 08
Your best bet like many here have said is to cut the stamp out and glue it on a new envelope. It sure beats standing in line an hour at the post office.
3 people like this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
21 Sep 08
Hahahaha! I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! I just did that a couple of days ago!
There's only one way you can save these stamps. You'll need to cut them off of the envelope, right around the edge of the stamp. Then, use glue to stick them on a new envelope.
Voila! Works great.
3 people like this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
23 Sep 08
I just use Elmer's white glue. Put it on thin, then allow it to dry for about an hour. It won't come off, at least until way after it gets where it's going.
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
21 Sep 08
I've never tried to get one of the newer stamps off an envelope, although I'm sure it may be possible to do and re-use. Have you thought about perhaps gluing a piece of paper over the envelope where you had addressed it and then addressing it again? That might be easier 
@fatmansmommy (751)
• United States
21 Sep 08
i have done that before! lol i just take scissors and cut right around the stamp as close as i can, and then either taped or glued it back on the next envelope when i was ready to use it again. it worked fine for me- good luck! :)
3 people like this
@stvasile (7306)
• Romania
21 Sep 08
Stamps in my country are still the good old-fashioned lick-and-stick type. I do get stamps off the envelopes by using steam, but I do that with used stamps, because I collect them.
For the not used stamps sticked on envelopes, maybe you could cut the piece of the envelope they are sticked on and stick it wherever you need them with some glue.
@WhatsHerName (2716)
• United States
21 Sep 08
Don't waist your time. I got a letter a few months ago and the stamp didn't have the stamp on it saying it was used. I had been noticing this a lot lately and I was at the Post Office when I got it so I asked, "what's to stop me from using this again". They said that they no longer will take stamps if they have been peeled off envelopes. So, if you spend a lot of time trying to get it off then gluing it on an envelope they probably won't take it anyway. Sorry
...
...2 people like this
@WhatsHerName (2716)
• United States
21 Sep 08
Why would they bluff me? The United States Government "bluff" me? No way...
1 person likes this
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
21 Sep 08
They were bluffing you...
There is no such policy.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
21 Sep 08
I don't think that you can peel off using hot water when you have as self sticking stamp, without the risk of tearing it. So I would suggest to keep your stamp and envelope handy and save it when you really need to use it.
2 people like this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
21 Sep 08
You can put a blank label on your envelope and re write the new address on it.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Sep 08
hi pyewacket good discussion I found out that uncle sam does not like it when you use a self stick stamp that you got off an envelope you never used. I put glue on it and adhered it to my letter only to have the letter returned, stamp not legal, boy
oh boy and I had to waste the stamps that I had stuck on letters that I had not need to send. I even tried taping them on with scoth tape, no deal. stamp illegal. now thesewere unused stamps too not cancelled ones. my. so you lose the money on these.
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
21 Sep 08
you know i've done a couple things. one is open, save the whole envelope,relable with the white sticker lables when you want to send envelope/stamp back out to some place else,scotch tape the envelope closed. or try to loosen stamp a little at a time in hopes it dont tare, then glue it to another envelope. but then i worry the post office will think i reused. but so far its worked a couple times.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
21 Sep 08
Hi pye,
Yes it can be most annoying when you can't the stamp off bbut one thing does work for me is steaming, when the kettle is boiling just put the envolope with the and put the stamp directley over the steam and it will come loose.
Bright Blessings.
Tamara
2 people like this
@seabeauty (1480)
• United States
23 Sep 08
I have never had this problem thank goodness but if I do there are some good ideas in here from mylotters. So, were you able to get the stamps off of the envelopes yet?
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
21 Sep 08
You can still do it - or you can hike to your nearest post office, tell them that you did this by accident and get it replaced (you have to prove you were the one addressing the letter in the first place.)
Another option is to just put a blank sticker OVER the name on the envelope and use it that way.
2 people like this
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
23 Sep 08
I would just cut the stamp off the envelope and glue it onto another envelope, actually I have done this a few times before.
1 person likes this
@cinderella2007 (2662)
•
23 Sep 08
That's on way of doing it, I think I have done this before but used sellotape to tape it down as didn't have any glue!!!
1 person likes this
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
21 Sep 08
My idea has all ready been posted, I was going to say the same thing, why not just cut the whole stamp off the envelope and just glue the stamp on another envelope. It should work just as well.
Did you use any of these ideas?
If so did any of them work?
2 people like this
