How to Reuse a Postage Stamp
Sometimes the cost of mailing something seems so outrageous that you wish you could get more mileage out of the stamps you have placed on the letter or package. You can legally reuse a postage stamp if you do not have the intent to defraud the government. Here's how you can do that.
Things You'll Need
- Used stamps
- Scissors
- Water
- Pan to hold the water while you soak your stamps
- Clean, white paper towel or napkin
Instructions
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Trim the paper around the stamp carefully. Leave a good quarter inch or more around the stamps to avoid cutting or damaging them with your scissors.
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2
Soak the paper in water to loosen the stamp without tearing or damaging it. Cover the paper completely with water. If the paper floats, turn the stamp side down into the water so it can get thoroughly wet.
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Remove the stamp from the water after it has floated free of the paper. This could take an hour or more for a stubbornly stuck stamp, so be patient.
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4
Dry the stamp on a clean, white paper towel or napkin.
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5
Use the stamp as a decorative accent. Glue stamps onto other materials to make bookmarks. Add a unique touch to mailing accessories, like letter openers or pencil holders. Use stamps as a colorful accent on a bank for children's coins or a travel fund.
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Tips & Warnings
It is a federal crime to reuse a stamp that has not been canceled out with a postmark. If you get caught, you can spend a year in federal prison.
Resources
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Comments
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mikelb
Oct 04, 2009
I wish you had given many more examples of how you can use already cancelled postage stamps (or stamps that have already been used for the carriage of U.S. Mail but have erroneously not been cancelled by the U.S. Postal Serice. In other words, Step 5 should have contained more ideas. But thanks for the severawl good ideas you did include. -- MikeLB
