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I have been collecting PSX stamps for over a decade now and have accumulated quite a few (thank you, Ebay). Some of these stamps are 20+ years old. I love the detail and quality and I do use them a fair amount, but ... I used to buy and buy, but not necessarily use them right away ... these are previously used stamps or new stamps that I had not inked for months or years after I bought them.
So, over the last 2 months, I have been pouring through my stash and in the process of using some, I have noticed that some of the cushions are dried out and crumbly ... basically when you ink it up, the cushion crumbles pink particles onto the stamp pad - disintegrating! OMG! Were these in a super dry environment? IDK! So I replaced some cushions.
Similarly, I have bought stamps that were treated with some solvent or something that made the rubber ROCK hard. Can't use anything like that! And I have even bought some stamps that the rubber was so dry and cracked, that they were not usable.
Also, stamping right away is important because, even if it looks like it would be ok to use ... that's not necessarily the case. Recently I bought a stamp where the rubber had abrasions. So the stamped image was blurry on the edges. I have no clue how it got this way. Bummer that I didn't notice this issue right away.
The last thing is that ... I store my stamps in Stampendous 1" Stuftainers (love these). I used to stack them 5 high on a shelf. But, this is not good for stamps to have long-term weight on them (I just figured this out 6 months ago!). Some of the vintage ones are already in such a fragile state, that weight on them can permanently deform the image (squishes down) to where the rubber doesn't bounce back, it stays squished..
My lessons learned: when buying Vintage stamps on Ebay - stamp everything right after you get it, so you know the image has integrity. Make sure the rubber + cushion aren't too dry/crumbly. Storing them in Stuftainers is OK but they must be vertical so the rubber is not bearing any weight.
So sorry to hear your collection is deteriorated, I am soooo jealous though. The half dozen or so PSX stamps I have are very precious to me.
I have a stamp set from my childhood that was rock hard due to being stored in an attic once I was "too old to play with it" that are all rock hard now. I was told by several stamp companies at a stamp convention to try this recipe on them:
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.
I know there is there is another recipe that is popular there but this one does not require a special type of water and if the stamps don't need cleaning then there is no reason for any type of soap/cleaner. It is the glycerin that softens and conditions the rubber. HTH some of your precious babies.
I have tried to rescue rock hard stamps with glycerin. No go. You have to catch them as they are starting to harden, not when they are that far gone. At least, I didn't have any success.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
they did ( Inkadinkado that is) they are calling their line something like classic somethings and they have scaled the designs down smaller.
funny true story I once bought a PSX tulip stamp on ebay ( a framed design) where this was a brand new never been inked one... they showed the mug shot of the back and the fronts. no ink stains is all I noticed. when it came I was so excited I inked it right up... and its an Iris rubber on a tulip wood mount lol...
This is one reason to only use cleaner that was made just for stamps. It might not be noticeable until years later but the wrong cleaner can break them down. I'm willing to bet many of these stamps that are in bad shape were not cleaned properly. Sometimes rubber can break down over time no matter what but cleaning stamps with the right cleaner can help them last a life time. I have some PSX and Inkadinkado stamps that are 25 years old and still stamp great because I always cleaned them with stamp cleaner. Sorry to sound like I'm preaching but it makes me cringe to see people clean stamps with baby wipes or other cleaners not for stamps
This is one reason to only use cleaner that was made just for stamps. It might not be noticeable until years later but the wrong cleaner can break them down. I'm willing to bet many of these stamps that are in bad shape were not cleaned properly. Sometimes rubber can break down over time no matter what but cleaning stamps with the right cleaner can help them last a life time. I have some PSX and Inkadinkado stamps that are 25 years old and still stamp great because I always cleaned them with stamp cleaner. Sorry to sound like I'm preaching but it makes me cringe to see people clean stamps with baby wipes or other cleaners not for stamps
I had no idea, that baby wipes were not good to use......
I had no idea, that baby wipes were not good to use......
Shirl
Many contain alcohol which is a huge no-no for cleaning stamps and even if they are alcohol free they still don't contain the right types of cleaners for stamps. I know tons of people use them and that's fine if you want to (like I said it's a pet peeve of mine ) But I've been stamping for over 25 years and want my stamps to last a long time and mine have since I've taken good care of them.
Thanks ladies for all the good info. These vintage stamps are precious!
I'm not a big stamp cleaner. I have some Michaels stamp cleaner and a stamp scrubber thingy... but I don't use it. Maybe its because I have 2 small kids, a husband, 3 birds and a cat and by the time I have some stamping time, its 10 PM and I am tired of cleaning things, LOL. I just stamp as much ink as I can off of the stamp onto a napkin and then return it to its designated spot. I have never had a problem with any of my stamps crevices getting gooked up with ink to the point that the details are warped ... I guess until that happens, I might not ever 'clean' my stamps with any sort of cleaner. Maybe the ink helps preserve them or keep them from drying out? Someone mentioned this in a thread before.
I will admit that when I buy a dirty stamp (the horrors), I do use a q-tip with nail polish remover to clean the index (of laquered stamps like PSX) ... there is often ink on there, names, stray marks...
Rubber stamps need to be cleaned and conditioned every 6 months whether you use them or not. (My husband used to work for a rubber manufacturer.) After cleaning, inking them with Versamark is a great way to condition them.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Thank you for bringing this up. I also buy a discontinued line from ebay (Stamps Happen) that could be years old as well as other brands. I definitely look closely at stamps and stamp them right away (into my catalogue). Unfortunately I have no choice but to store them horizontally. I will just have to pray.
Another thing I would mention about buying stamps from ebay is to check them for image intergrity. There are some where the previous owner has carved off a piece of it b/c they didnt like it.
IE I got a PSX cardinal that should have had the word "cardinal" on it but the previous owner had carved that piece off. I knew that in advance and that was fine with me b/c I dont buy to collect and resell but to use and I usually dont ink the word in their stamps anyway. I had that happen another time too on another brand-where the seller did not realize it so didnt mention it in the listing. A lot of people who sell there are not stampers. They just dont know how to check them.
It's important to clearly see the stamp side on ebay. Sometimes new sellers dont understand that. Feel free to ask them to send you a pic. Also b/c how "used" it is can be very subjective. Lastly size-if they dont tell you or show you, esp with PSX-ask! PSX made some amazing images but they are much smaller than a person might expect.
I have noticed several mfgs have stamps that are VERY close to old PSX images. In a way it's hard not to if you want to do a detailed stamp of flowers, etc that they excelled in.
I bought Stamp'n Up's "Lovely as a Tree" on e-bay. All the stamps were find except the larger pine tree. The whole set was quite stained though. My mistake for letting my heart lead my head. I think I tried everything to soften it up - soaking with glycerin, sanding etc but could never get a good image. Finally bought a new one from the catalog and am very happy b/c I use it a lot. I will have to try the glycerin soak &/or Versamark again. Just can't throw it out - maybe someone wants a partial set?
I have been contemplating buying a stamp cleaner that is all natural and is suppose to condition your stamps while cleaning them and making them look brand new. I just want to find someone that is interested in going in on the product because the shipping is a bit high for a small amount. Here is the web site: Joy of Stamping, Stamp Cleaners, Sutter Creek, CA
HTH.
I have been contemplating buying a stamp cleaner that is all natural and is suppose to condition your stamps while cleaning them and making them look brand new. I just want to find someone that is interested in going in on the product because the shipping is a bit high for a small amount. Here is the web site: Joy of Stamping, Stamp Cleaners, Sutter Creek, CA
HTH.
Call the owner, Donald Trammell. He's really nice. I just purchased some product from him and he's incredibly helpful.
Also, he uses the medium flat rate box, so get the largest bottle because the shipping price will be the same regardless of the size of the cleaner you get.
I bought the Removez It. The stamps I used them on look brand new. They were in rough condition when I received them. I really do like the product.
Love Vintage Stamps ... but lessons learned
