Have you run across powdered stamps?

Ron Lenke

I recently pulled a set of mint overrun country flag sheets (US 909-21) from a sheet folder only to find a white powder sprinkled on the front and backs of these sheets. I presume it was to ward off moisture and adhesion of the back-to-back sheets in the individual glassine pages. It dusts off with no apparent residue and appears to be a talcum-like powder. I know we sometimes want to "baby" our stamps but was this commonly undertaken in the past?

Michael Generali

Many British stamps were printed on chalky paper for that purpose, especially in tropical climates.

Ron Carmichael

I have encountered the "talcum" effect a few times, both for old mint stamps and new used stamps.

The old stamps is to keep them from sticking to each other from humidity, new used stamps to keep them from sticking because the "glue" (aka contact cement) is not 100% off the back of the stamps from "soaking" them.

It tastes especially bad when one is licking the talcumed mint stamps for postage......

Kurt Lange

I've also seen that trend in some WWII stamps brought back home by GIs in their baggage or ammo cans or whatever form of protection - It seemed to me that they were also powdered for humidity and storage reasons for the long journey home during that era. German ones in particular because they were going be sold off for millions because of their "scarcity" (turned out to be worth a cup of coffee instead).

Tania Radley

Recent used GB self-adhesive stamps are often found with powder on the back from "dusting" after removing from the envelope paper with solvent. Some of the adhesive always remains after this process - so it stops the stamps sticking themselfs to your album or stockbook. Personally I like to see these S/H used stamps just tightly trimmed and still on paper in albums.

Dave Bennett

" . . these S/H used stamps . . "

Luree Hughes

What a wonderful memory of the books and books of S&H Green Stamps! Got my first transistor radio by using them. Guess my Mom was feeling generous that week.

Dave Bennett

Glad you got the prize . .

. . . I got stuck on licking duty!

Luree Hughes

Oh, I was the one to stick 'em on the pages. That's why I got the prize. But I also remember the Redemption Store and was totally amazed we could get such neat things for just grocery shopping and sticking stamps to a little bitty page. I remember a toaster, my radio (which I wish I still had!) and a waffle maker! We hit the big times with appliances.
My how the times have changed.

Dave Bennett

Our household was actually more into Top Value stamps -- partly because there was a redemption store nearby, but mainly because I loved that little elephant mascot!

Kurt Lange

Dave, just last weekend I picked up a new catalogue of Telegraph Stamps & Telephone Stamps and met the author in person (who lives more or less in my neck of the woods). He's eventually working on putting together a catalogue for Savings Stamps, too! You can't even imagine how many exist.

Dave Bennett

That sounds cool -- I've heard that some independent store chains used to have their own Saving Stamps programs, but I'm only familiar with the national Big 2 - S&H and Top Value. I'd be very interested in learning about others and seeing what kind of promotions they had.

Those TV stamps were an obsession with my mom back in the '60s!

Luree Hughes

I remember Top Value. I don't remember where we had to shop to get them. My Mom was a Winn-Dixie shopper and they gave out S&H. But my memory wants to say something about TV.....

Dave Bennett

We got our Top Value stamps at the two local (Cleveland area) grocery store chains where my mom did all her food shopping.

I think we got S&H Green Stamps at the gas station we always used.

Ted Tyszka

The stores we frequented, when I was a boy, gave out Blue Chip Stamps.


One of the prizes my parents redeemed them for was a set of 3 ducks to hang on the wall. To this day I have to chuckle a little, every time I listen to this song:

Phil Atarium

I grew up in the Southeast, and it seemed like S&H were the most popular. And, like Luree mentioned, the redemption center was like a temple of "free" things. (And it was a nice, new store, near other popular retail locations, so it felt like it had really taken root in that city.)

Again, like Luree, we primarily shopped at Winn-Dixie, so I'm sure that's where a lot of them came from.

Also, there was a regional department store (Belk's -- Belk-Simpson in our neck of the woods) that also gave them out, so school clothes, etc., usually came from there. (The Blue Horse notebooks and notebook paper came from there, too, with their own coupons to clip and save! Remember those?)

I think some of the gas stations offered Green Stamps as well (it was probably Esso), and, if I'm remembering correctly, even the company that supplied our heating oil once or twice a year gave them out, too.

With all those sources, we seemed to accumulate them pretty fast. Again, like Luree, I was responsible for pasting them in. (We used a moist sponge in a little plastic holder that was dedicated to that purpose.)

It does seem like we got a lot of stuff with Green Stamps. Probably every can opener we ever had came from there! I do particularly remember getting a clock radio, maybe some luggage, and, later on, the bookshelf stereo component system (Panasonic!) that I had in high school and took with me to college. (In fact, I still have it, but it's in storage. I'll have to see if it still works once I stumble upon it again.)

I appreciate that this thread has moved a long way from the original post, but thanks, Dave, for moving us down memory lane! (And I see a design style that was possibly influential on you with Toppie!)


https://www.hipstamp.com/store/the-philatarium/?sort=catalog

Ron Lenke

While growing up, here on the west coast we also had Blue Chip stamps which I diligently collected until I finally redeemed them for a bicycle. It was on my bike's maiden journey through a local park that I met my future wife. Years later while we were changing our first child's diaper, the talcum powder's lid popped off and a white cloud dusted all everything nearby including my stamp desk. I recall gathering up the stamp sheets exposed on the desk top and hurriedly placing them into a file folder and stashing them away, only recently to be found. And thus this forum's rabbit trail has come full circle. Well this was fun ;-)

Ted Tyszka

" And thus this forum's rabbit trail has come full circle. Well this was fun ;-)"

See? Just like Buckaroo Banzai said, "No matter where you go, there you are."

John John H. Talman

Over the years I have purchased stamp stocks at auction in the US or Canada with talcum powder or something similar put on them. It works in keeping the stamps unstuck but I find when you wipe the powder off the gum has a rather dried out look. Can't recall any major complaints from buyers on this but I just didn't like the look or feel of it. Have also seen many stuck together stocks so the powder idea can't be all bad.

George DeKornfeld

The A&P (Atlantic and Pacific) grocery store in NY where I grew up issued 'Plaid Stamps,' which I think were their own company issues. Everywhere else used the ubiquitous S&H green stamps. I haven't thought about these in years so these are neat memories !

Richard Warfield

The white powder may have also been corn starch. My father protected many of his mint sheets and plate blocks with this in the 1970's. Still come across traces of it today as I sort thru his collection. Very rarely do I find anything stuck together.

Luree Hughes

Corn starch, never thought about that powder.

So with all the experience we have here, if we were do powder our stamps, which would be the best powder to use? Talc or corn starch?

Tania Radley

Chanel No. 5 talc...................................it's lush

Luree Hughes

That's a wonderful talc. I like lavender scent. But who can argue with Chanel?