What do You do with stamps that have foxing / rust?
Foxing, rust, staining… The arch nemesis of stamp collectors has about as many names as forms. Though I try to be very picky with what I include into my stamp albums, every once and awhile I notice that some stamp in my collection has developed the dreaded red brown spots. Usually I just go sigh, and bin the stamp… But sometimes it’s not so easy, especially if the stamp in question is not so common. My question is, what do You do with stamps that show any signs of foxing / rust?
1958 United Kingdom. For the 6th British Empire and Commonwealth games. In my opinion stamps in condition as this belong to junk bin. But what if the damage / rust was just on tip of one or two perf tips?
Do You:
- throw them away? Or
- include them in the collection, and not worry about it? Or,
- include them in the collection (possibly isolated from other stamps),and try to come up with better copy? Or,
- try to remove any signs of foxing/rust/staining with chemicals? Or
- do something else – what?
My personal approach has varied quite a lot.
Way, way,way back I used to save stamps even if they had some very clear foxing if it didn’t disrupt the design in major way. I was a blue-eyed novice, and believed that the situation would stay “as is” till the end of days. Well, years thought me that foxing is an ongoing progress, and stamp with even the smallest brown spot can (but does not necessarily) look far worse in decade or two.
These days I try to avoid foxed stamps like a plague. If the stamp (or sometimes entire collection/lot I receive) is of any bit susceptible, I usually dig out my UV and see what the stamps look under it(blacklight makes any foxing, as well as mold etc. damages, to show up much more easily). I confess being guilty of destroying hundreds, if not thousands of (common and cheap) foxed/rusted stamps each year. I see foxing as permanent physical damage (similar to say thins or creases), and as such it makes the stamps “not collectible” grade. The sooner I bin any such stamps, the better for all.
Of course it’s not all that black & white… I do make exceptions, and place some rusted and “not so common” stamps in separate container. So in a way I’m balancing between the first and third option on my list.
I’m very well aware that there are also lots of chemical methods / solutions (like Foxit, Chloramine-T, Hydrogen Peroxide etc) to stop the foxing process, and remove/ lessen the signs of foxing. Sometimes a simple quick bath in boiling hot water is enough to remove any signs of the staining… But this is where I draw the line. I acknowledge a lot of these methods are used to restore old books, paintings etc. without larger issues by conservation specialists. But I’m not a specialist, and as such I very little interest to storing and using chemicals in my home.
1930 Argentina, Revolution. Stained stamps like this can be cleaned with chemicals. But would you include such a cleaned item into your collection? And how would You proceed if trading / selling such a cleaned item?
I confess that I’m also a “victim” of what I’ve been taught into. In stamp world, any kind of restoration is commonly deemed far more sinister than letting the item go bad it’s natural route. But is it right or wrong approach? I acknowledge that on the long run restoration is likely only way to slow down the inevitable decay all paper products will suffer. And I know there are lots of other collectibles (such as fine art, old cars, comic books etc) where properly restored works are worth more than the tatty originals… So maybe stamp world should change too?
As always, feel free to share your ideas, comments, questions on topics discussed.
Join the discussion on this topic below. There are 29 responses already!
Want more?
Sign-up to weekly newsletter and get notified when new articles like the above are published at Stamp Collecting Blog. The email-newsletter is sent to You once a week (during the weekend) and it contains a summary of latest new entries and discussions.
Show that you liked this article - and support Stamp Collecting Blog!
Clicking the Like-button below promotes this article on FaceBook:Clicking the +1 button below promotes this entry on Google and GooglePlus.
Thanks for your support!
I have 4 albums of Poland, only, stamps. Since many are hard to come by, If I don’t have it, I will keep it. I can always pull it out of the sleeve, and put a different stamp in.
In my view, cleaning and removal of stains are acceptable practices in caring for stamps, and need not to be mentioned at eventual sale. On the other hand, serious reparations, such as a repair of tears or thins, should always be pointed out.
To this day I am still puzzled about the cause and nature of so called foxing. Is it fungus? Can the foxing transfer from stamps to a stockbook and ruin it? A bath in ethanol with 15 percent of water should kill all fungus; however some printing ink may run.
For what I’ve read it can be caused by oxidation of iron (Ferrous OXide) in the pulp/paper; or it can be fungal growth; or in worst cases mold. And it can be a combination of all…. I’ve understood that for the bare eye there’s very little means to identify the cause, but below are some “tips and tricks” that might indicate reasons to worry:
- If is mold (or fungus) related, it might look different under UV-light (usually bright yellow) when active/growth phrase.
- If it mold related, it should have a slightly distinct odor/smell (once again, only when active/growth phrase).
- The shape of growth/foxed area should be different with all of these
If it is mold or fungus, then yes if certain criterias are met. In order to grow, both mold and fungi needs moisture and heat. Keeping humidity level around 30-60%, and temperature below 23 Celsius degrees should weaken the growth/contamination risk, and around 30% humidity level and 18 Celsius degrees it should stop (notice: it doesn’t kill the fungi/mold; it just becomes inactive, waiting for proper conditions…)
I’ve got a couple books with signs of past water damage and mold growth. It looks like a one time event where they got wet and not properly dried. I’m pulling out the unaffected and a few lightly affected stamps, though I am concerned about them affecting my other stamps. Dipping them in alcohol or boiling water seems like a good idea to prevent more growth. I’m mostly collecting cheap used stamps for fun and not particularly concerned about resale value, so I wouldn’t hesitate to clean/treat a stamp if I felt so inclined. On the other hand, I’ve never actually tried it.
mrprgrmr… If it’s (black) mold, then I’d seriously consider burning the books and likely even the stamps. It’s not just stamps that might get affected with mold and spores, but also your house and personal health. IMHO it’s not worth the risk of having just few more stamps…
If you try to save something, then I’d go for a long soak (15-30 minutes) in alcohol, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. As far as I know, all these should kill most mold related (unlike the boiling water, which is not as efficient). Not sure how such a long soak would affect the stamps though (likely most modern stamps will suffice pretty well, especially if you wash them properly in running water afterwards)… But this would be at your own risk, and I definitely don’t recommend it.
Out of curiosity, I experimented with soaking a couple older stamps in rubbing alcohol (70% ethanol). These were from the worst affected page I have – a piece of copier paper that had been stuck in the book with a bunch of stamps hinged to it. Apparently, it wicked more of the water into that part of the album.
First, I put in a red stamp. This bled a lot and left it noticably more faded looking. I also tried a blue stamp with similar effects. I could actually see the die coming off the stamp. I’ll repeat the experiment with a couple newer stamps from the same page – once I get them off. I’ll also try white vinegar when I get a chance.
The stamps were Deutches Reich 1930’s Hindenburg Definitives (I think). My research is still limited to looking around on the web but I just ordered my first set of catalogs -2008 Scott.
I finally found a set within my acceptable price range. I had been looking in the wrong place. What’s going on with used catalog sets selling on ebay for 2-3 times retail prices?!
@mrprgrmr… Likely rubbing alchohol straight out of bottle is too strong, and should be diluted with water. I know an urban legend about collector who prefers Vodka instead. One for stamp, one for the collector – talk about true alcohol abuse
Ignorance / stupidity.
I think I devized a method that is likely to kill any mold on the stamps. I ran through the following steps for about 100 stamps in two batches yesterday:
1) Soak stamps that are stuck to album/hinges for 5 minutes
2) Quick dip in rubbing alcohol and set out to dry. I figured this would minimize any bleeding inks.
3) A little longer dip in distilled white vinegar and set out for 10 minutes or so (I read vinegar may kill mold better than alcohol)
4) Soak/rinse for 10-15 minutes with a couple complete changes of water. Dry. If I didn’t do this, would the paper remain acidic from the vinegar??? Any chemists out there?
I made sure to clean all surfaces between steps 3 & 4 so that I would not reintroduce any mold. The stamps appeared to be relatively unharmed, except for a couple older red and violet that may have bled enough to be visible.
It’s a lot of work for some otherwise worthless stamps but I wanted to keep these ones for sentimental reasons – I guess that is the only reason I keep stamps in the first place.
Likely. It’s even possible that change of waters is not enough, but you should add some neutralizing agent (like baking soda, or some commercial acid neutralizer spray)… But that’s just an educated guess from another non-chemist
No wonder conservation specialists learn and study this stuff for years…
mrprgrmr, I’m enjoying your experimentation and research on various topics very much! You are a welcome addition to Keijo’s forum.
Thanks Carol. More experimentation to come – I just ordered a pH test pencil.
I have purchase a couple albums with mold and rust problems. I removed the stamps and soaked them in a 10% bleach water solution for about 15 minutes. The mold is not visible on the stamps, there doesn’t seem to be any damage to the color or the ink. I was told by another collector the mold is still there and if the humidity is high enough it will come back. He suggested putting the stamps in a plastic bag with an open jar formaldehyde to kill the mold. Of course I wouldn’t try this in the house.
If it was chlorine/chlorite based bleach, the stamps will glow brighter than Broadway when you view them with UV/blacklight
I’d say the bleach treatment killed most mold / spores on those particular stamps.
But true… If the temperature and humidity rise on certain level, you will have to deal the issue again. It may occur for the same stamps (as they are already degraded, and may contain spores), or it may spread on some totally new surface. It’s a fact life that spores (fungus, mold etc) are everywhere; you can’t escape them… The most efficient way to control the issue is controlling the heat and humidity of the environment. Keep moisture and temperature as low as possible, and your changes of dealing with mold/fungus issues will go down.
The pH test pencil came in this weekend, so I was testing everything in sight. It covers a wide range of pH so it’s hard to interpret beyond acidic, more acidic, neutral, basic (alkaline). It stains the stamps, so I am only testing stamps that are expendable.
Most stamps are printed on acid paper. Stamps soaked in vinegar and dried are more acidic. Stamps soaked in vinegar and then soaked/rinsed well were no more acidic than untreated stamps (see my previous comments).
I tested some common materials used in stamp collecting. Preprinted album pages (1990’s Minkus and 1980’s Harris) were at least as acidic as the stamps, as is glassine and stamp hinges. “Acid free” card stock that I am starting to use to self-print album pages is pretty much neutral.
Next, I tried soaking some mold stained stamps in 5:1 mixture of peroxide (3%) and household ammonia (?%) for 20 minutes. The ammonia/peroxide mix was very effective at bleaching the stamps – perhaps a little too effective. The paper was lightened considerably as were some colors. It also did a pretty good job of neutralizing the acidity in the stamp (ammonia is basic). If I try again, I will use less ammonia. I tried another batch in just peroxide for over one hour. This had very little effect on the stains. Images are here: https://picasaweb.google.com/101073807386015574429/Stamps#
Finally, I tried soaking some stamps in a solution of milk of magnesia and club soda – recommended in multiple locations as a way to prevent yellowing of newspaper clippings (e.g. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=109266765). Once dried, these tested basic. It probably would prevent yellowing of stamps too, though I currently have no intention of doing this with any additional stamps.
Just to be responsible:
1) I am an amateur. These experiments damage the stamps in ways I can’t see. In addition, since people may have sensitivities to specific chemicals that I am unaware of, I would not sell or trade any of these without full disclosure.
2) If you want to remove stains from your own stamps, be careful as some of these chemicals are very toxic (e.g. ammonia). Finally, if no one ever told you, NEVER EVER mix ammonia and chlorine – or products containing these ingredients. This releases a very poisonous chlorine gas.
@mrprgrmr… Excellent information! Thank You for sharing these !!!
I definitely got to try to buy one of those pH test pencils on some point… I think the pH level of materials depends highly on when they were manufactured. I know that at least big stock book manufacturers have changed their “recipes” more archival friendly in recent years.
But the chemicals I think I’ll leave to others… Playing with silica gel (= cat litter) to control humidity levels of my cabinets is enough for me
Re: “But the chemicals I think I’ll leave to others… Playing with silica gel (= cat litter) to control humidity levels of my cabinets is enough for me”
Everything I’ve read eventually suggests this is the right approach – controlling temperature and humidity is the safest most effective treatment.
One more tidbit. I received three packets of hinges “made from a special Acid-free peelable gummed paper” yesterday and just tested them. They are as acidic as the 20 year old ones I previously tested. I plan to use them anyways.
@mrprgrmr… Interesting. Personally I’m not that much surprised though… Very likely the bacteria and other stuff on the saliva is far more sinister to stamps than the slight(?) acidic of the hinge.
I am a stamp dealer and I believe that foxing is a fungus it does grow and will spread to stock books and stock cards. Unfortunately when I find it in my stock I usually just throw away the affected stamps and card to prevent it from spreading to my good stock. It seems to affect both mint and used stamps. A lot of good comments here I will try the alcohol and water soak on the used stamps in the future. I am aware of something called Archival Mist but they will not ship it to Hawaii where I operate my mail order business from, I have not been able to find out why they will not ship here.
@Tony Kassel…. I’ve heard about of Archival Mist too, but AFAIK it only creates an alkaline layer on acidic material. So it doesn’t help against foxing, but it will slow down aging…. Krylon should have a similar product (Krylon Acid Free) on the markets too.
I have some foxed stamps in my Vatican collection, but there is no way I would throw them away or destroy the gum by cleaning them. I just keep an eye on them from time to time. I’ve had them 6 years and they are now being stored properly and havent worsened thankfully.
I was quite interested in the comments about preventative care of stamps. Regrettably I only worked with photographic materials. One thing I am aware of is that most “acid free” pages are only a temporary stopgap measure for stamp collecting. The term “archival” is also worrisome as it has now become primarily a commercial term. Speaking with museum friends, the common consensus is that alkaline buffered paper [pH value of more than 7.5] [60 lb weight or better](ISO 9706) is best, to make your own album. Its availability is however limited and sometimes costly. The current best solution has already been mentioned: keep albums in cool environment; well ventilated; away from sun and artificial bright lights; and best upright. Brows thru info provided by both The Northeast Document Conservation Center [NDCC, US] and the Canadian Conservation Institute [CCI] for useful information. Happy stamp collecting!!
hi would you say foxing afects older stamps more than newer ones,what i mean is would new stamps be more resistant to infection from contamenated ones ,cheers
@Karl… I’m afraid they are all on the same line as I’ve seen way too many modern stamps “ruined”
i have just throw n away about 50 or more british stamps ,,dating to the 1950s ,ive seen foxing on stamps ,new stamps,now i know for a few years i stored in an old stockbook that has contaminated new stamps. its frightning ,im just throwing anything that ,looks dodgey
@Karl… I agree it’s frightening and saddening. I can only try to imagine what it’s like to deal with this problem in countries where the conditions are more hostile.
hi
lived in Spain as a child where i first started my stamp bug.And i think at the time in Spain they were not so careful on selling stamps foxed ,as when i went to stamp markets, i used to watch dealers licking whole sheets of mint stamps and sticking them in scrap books.
hi i have some fdc with dark grey marks on them they are very small and some are more like a tiny line ,some roundish,they are not brown and blotchy like foxing ,are they fungel or flaws, they are just on the envelope,thanks karl
@Karl… Without an image/photo it’s pretty impossible to say what they are. It could be fungus/mildew of some sorts, but could be something else too.