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Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:13 pm
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.)

Re: Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:23 pm
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:

Re: Used postage stamps torn off cards - why?

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:50 pm
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!