Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Welcome to the postcard.co.uk board, for discussion on all aspects of the hobby. You'll need to register to post but this only takes a few seconds and gives you access to more of the features and options available. Please read the the HOW to REGISTER article first. thanks

Moderator: MichaelDay

Moonraker
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:23 pm

Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Post by Moonraker »

Why did people tear used postage stamps off cards and envelopes? I expect that all of us have seen examples of this, with cases of the removal spoiling a nice postmark and of part of the stamp (often a few perfs on one side) being left behind.

There can't have been much, if any, value in the removed stamps (unless, of course, they bore no sign of a postmark and could be fraudently re-used).

Mind you, I can recall tearing stamps off envelopes and sending them "on paper" to charities. Again, I wondered what value hundreds of definitives for the standard postage rate(s) had. But I can understand doing this with higher-value defins and commems - I still do it myself, wash the stamps off and store them in a stock-book.

(Just looked for "kiloware" on eBay: one kilo of GB for £12.95 and the photo suggested there were a very few worthwhile stamps included in mostly dross.)

User avatar
eastlondonpostcard
Posts: 613
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:10 pm
Location: https://www.ebid.net/uk/users/20sent06/all-about-me/
Contact:

Re: Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Post by eastlondonpostcard »

Yes - little did they know what they were doing at the time!

Worse I have seen is when the corner where the stamp was had been cut-out - completely ruining a real gem!

... and have you seen those in libraries where they have punched holes in them to inex/file! - ugh! How can they do that!
:oops:
~ send it on a Postcard please ~

oldpostcarder
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:11 am

Re: Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Post by oldpostcarder »

Saw some lovely overseas postcards today in an antique arcade. All were reduced to 50p each because they all had their stamps removed, and not very well - the stamp was ruined, and so was the postcard! urggggggggghhh!! - tragic!

Post Reply