This little gem of an activity was inspired by a recent package that arrived for Mark all the way from Hong Kong. Emily was enthralled with the stamps, so I thought I would introduce her to my old stamp collection from when I was a kid. My dad has a much larger collection, so it must run in the family. Stamps have since have become her tiny treasures, and she takes excellent care of them.
To start your own stamp collection, first cut the envelope around the stamps. Soak in very warm water for a few minutes to allow the adhesive to come loose. Gently peel the stamp off of the envelope with tweezers, and transfer to a paper towel with the printed side facing down.
Allow the stamps to dry completely, and then add to your stamp book. You can use hinges like these
, or collectors binder sheets like the ones we used. There is even a Beginner’s Stamp Collecting Fun Kit
!
, or collectors binder sheets like the ones we used. There is even a Beginner’s Stamp Collecting Fun Kit!This is a great introduction to world geography, and a super-frugal hobby for just about anyone. You can bet we’ll be keeping a close eye on our mailbox for any unusual stamps!
September 28th, 2009 on 10:07 pm
Dear Valerie,
Please make sure that Emily does not remove the stamps from our outgoing mail.
Love,
Mark
September 29th, 2009 on 6:00 am
I think stamps are very cool. My children would enjoy this.
September 29th, 2009 on 6:37 am
Fun idea!
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September 29th, 2009 on 7:04 am
So fun! I love that it is a hobby passed down 3 generations.
September 29th, 2009 on 9:26 am
I like to turn cool stamps into bookmarks. Email really diminishes how many stamps we get, though.
September 29th, 2009 on 9:27 am
What a great idea. Again in the category of why didn't I think of this? Of course I never would have thought to put the stamps in water to get them off of the paper. Thanks.
September 29th, 2009 on 10:58 am
Cool idea! I haven't thought of stamp collecting since I was a kid.
September 29th, 2009 on 12:00 pm
What a great hobby. I don't get much mail, so I'd just have plain us flag stamps!!
September 29th, 2009 on 1:02 pm
Thanks for the tip! We were just cutting them out but soaking them and placing them in a special book will be fun to do.
September 29th, 2009 on 3:22 pm
Fantastic, I love stamps. Top tip for anyone with godchildren. Try and send a postcard to them whenever you're away. One of my godparents did that for me, and I loved the excitement of receiving post (so grown up!), the thrill of having a postcard to display on my wall, and the joy of a foreign stamp to stick in an album. Good godparent points assured forever!!
September 29th, 2009 on 6:12 pm
Cool! That looks like fun!
September 29th, 2009 on 9:09 pm
Collecting stamps makes for a fun and interesting hobby. With Christmas coming up the stamp collection is sure to grow!
September 29th, 2009 on 9:33 pm
I have always wondered how to get the stamps off of mail. My son is crazy in love with the mail. I think stamp collecting would be a really fun hobby for him.
September 30th, 2009 on 4:45 pm
Dear Mark,
I didn't know Emily was so in to stamps. I will send her postcards when I'm traveling (Italy, Hong Kong and Japan next month).
Love,
your sister
September 30th, 2009 on 5:47 pm
Dear Julia (my favorite sister),
Emily would love that, although probably more the Chinese and Japanese than the Italian stamps. She really loves China for some reason.
Love,
Your Brother
October 2nd, 2009 on 9:56 am
Dear Mark,
Will do. I also saved her some from mail I've received at work–from Taiwan and Japan.
Love,
Julia