If you come across a stamp(s) where the perforations are not fully open should you remove the tags, clean the perforation holes, etc.? What is the rule? Thanks.
There's no 'rule,' per se but it seems most collectors leave partial or blind perfs alone for fear of damaging the stamp, even though blind perfs can lower value. For very loose chads, some advocate using the point of a sewing needle to ease them out from the stamp simply because nice and clean perfs just look better.
Wayne, a good rule in philately is Don't do anything you can't undo. In the case of cleaning up perforations, blind perforations are clues to the process and can tell you if the stamp has been reperfed or not. Earlier stamps may have many printings so it is a way to tell some printings from others. I remember decades ago a specialist collector telling me that a specific color variety always had perforations which left some of the holes partially intact. (I wish I could remember what stamp it was). Hope this helps
I will frankly admit that I have a problem with blind perfs on modern-ish stamps. I don't mind at all on "classic" era stamps, say up to 1930, depending on the country. But on modern stamps, I pull those buggers right out with my trusty-rusty lethal-point tongs. Yeah, that's right, lethal-points. Oh, I hear you, I hear you. Save your breath, I think I know what I'm doing so I ain't listening.
My vote is in the "just leave it alone " category. It seems it stimulates the same neural pathways as a crooked picture hanging on the wall, causing some folk to go absolute mad with desire to "fix it". So to each his own.
only thing I do at this time is simply soaking stamps stuck together and preserving them best I can found a easy way to do this soaking a dozen at a time wait 1-5 minutes use cold water take your time and use caution Never put Red or bright color ink stamps in 1 batch why else do we have pink stained stamps lol
Perforations cleaning I only do this if they need a little straightening due to being with other stamps and getting a little perf bend or something like that sorts the rest I leave be!
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Hope this helps
Perforations cleaning I only do this if they need a little straightening due to being with other stamps and getting a little perf bend or something like that sorts the rest I leave be!