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thanks for the quick response. The main issue is the rubber on some stamps is hardened and dryish. I was wondering how to recondition, moisturize? them to make them softer. I did find one recommendation for Rubber Renue with a link to Amazon; many of the reviews on Amazon rave about it for rubber rollers on printers and the rubber around car doors etc, however the smell is very strong and one review made it sound like it lingers.
The one issue I can possibly foresee with using oil & oil based products is that it may make it difficult to get ink to stick to the rubber afterwards. To do any good, it would need to be absorbed into the rubber, which may then make it resist the ink.
I'd still personally go with the glycerine- it is the main ingredient in some inks, like Versamark, for instance, and in many stamp cleaners, so clearly it must be good for them. It won't do the wood any harm either, won't leave a smell or give you inking problems.
Good idea to check where the sun is coming into your room- I had to move all my inkpads when I realised that half the day they were sat in full sun!
Do you have a vaccum sealer? I was thinking about the infomercial where they show a piece of meat absorbing marinade when the vacuum sealer is turned on. I wonder if something similar could be done with the rubber and water, or even rubber and glycerin.
Like I said, this is an off the wall suggestion! Maybe try it on one stamp to see the results?
And the seller should have accurately stated the condition of the stamps, up front. Did she mislead in her description about the condition, or simply say nothing? In either case I hope you give her an appropriate review/rating.
I definitely wouldn't try water- that is one of the things often quoted for causing stamps to dry and crack. They can be washed, but need to be thoroughly dried as fast as possible, as it will sit on the surface. Rubber generally is used where the product is required to be waterproof. And have to agree with Illinois Marge- she should have cited the condition of the stamps in her item description. You would have grounds, I think, to open a dispute if you felt so inclined.
Lindsay, the Frugal Crafter, has a blog and YouTube channel, and she recommends glycerin. Coat them well and let them sit for a few days before cleaning them as usual and using them!
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I've received older stamps as gifts, and have used glycerin with limited success. I take a small container and pour glycerin in it until the bottom has about 1/4". I put the stamp in it and let it sit overnight or up to 12 hours (you could leave it longer--I don't time this). I rinse with water and dry.
I would say it helps some, but it's not going to make the stamps like new. It's certainly worth a try in your case.
I got this recipe from a stamp company at a stamp convention years ago and all the other companies I asked there concurred it was the best way to revitalize dried out stamps:
2 tsp glycerin to 1/2 cup of distilled water: Mix together and pour into a dish and place your rubberstamps into the dish to soak overnight. Make sure the mixture is shallow enough to cover the rubber but not the wood mounts and/or cushioning. Give them a thorough rinse and cleaning in the morning, if still not soft enough you may want to give them a longer soak. Be sure you are using the plain glycerin and not glycerin/ alcohol mix.
Do you have a vaccum sealer? I was thinking about the infomercial where they show a piece of meat absorbing marinade when the vacuum sealer is turned on. I wonder if something similar could be done with the rubber and water, or even rubber and glycerin.
Like I said, this is an off the wall suggestion! Maybe try it on one stamp to see the results?
I was struck by this because I happen to read on another forum (not as awesome as this one, of course) a post by someone who had some irreplaceable and valuable wood mounts that went hard. She used glycerin, wrapped them in Press and Seal and let them sit for three months and they were restored. She said she can't actually claim that three months is necessary, it's just how long she left them, it might work in only two months, or one, or two weeks. So maybe if a light soak in glycerin doesn't work, it couldn't hurt to try an extended one, with some sort of wrapping. Don't know, never did it, but this post jogged my memory and I thought I'd pass it on for what it's worth.
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i have had the same problem with a lot of my 20 year old stamps. I boiled a pot of water this morning and dropped the stamp into the water for a few minutes and it is greatly improved and usable the minute you take it out of the boiling water, but as it cools it seems to have hardened already so I am going to stamp a lot of Impressions while it is supple! I don’t actually think you can really rejuvenate them, but I read that silicone spray may work also. The water trick is a fast, temporary fix.
How should I recondition old hardened rubber stamps?
I did read someone tried coconut oil with good luck. I was thinking about baby oil or just vegetable cooking oil lol, so I did put some Saffola (out of Olive oil) on part of a large 4 x6 stamp that is in the worse condition. The wood is also very dry. I have learned a lot searching for stamp information: I learned that UV light is most damaging which I either forgot or did not know. I think my stamps are safe, I will have to check when the sun is streaming in. I have them stored in the large 12 x 12 IRIS cases standing up on bottom shelf. Any suggestions for restoring, cleaning and maintenance are welcome. I would love to see a new thread with suggestions. Like I mentioned all other sites and forum threads are all older. thanks 
