My nephew has smoe stamps

clw54

He got them from the post office in sheets wrapped with plastic. He wants to know if they should be unwrapped from the plastic to go into an album. Thanks.

edueku

I don't think the USPS packaging should be left on long-term as it is probably not inert/archival. Of course there is something to be said for the original packaging.

StampAlarm

Peel and stick or lick and stick?

dougwtx

IMO, if he has an album with the space, I would take it out of the plastic and put them in a hingeless mount and mount it in the album.

If its the plastic shrink-wrap that has the cardboard backing, then it has no value; or at least in our lifetimes. I am not sure how many years it would take before it would harm the stamps, but I've had Celebrate the Century and the hi-val outer space stamps left in their original wrap and can see no problems yet. Only reason I left them in their packaging is because I toss them in a dresser drawer and that cardboard backing helps keep them from getting bent. I agree with edueku as the plastic is probably not archival quality.

Even the special envelope that the Bicentennial souvenier sheets came in don't really command a premium.

quarterlvr

Usually for items wrapped in plastic, the USPS puts a sticker on the back stating "not suitable for philatelic archiving", meaning it's not good for long term storage. I have a few covers I kept in the plastic for a short period but I eventually removed it and put them into glassine envelopes or in something else more suitable. Again, I don't have a problem with humidity like some areas, if you live where it's even slightly humid, I'd get em out of that wrap right away!

laceupboots

I always take them out of the plastic, and put them in a hingeless mount, which is just more appropriate plastic.

clw54

Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to answer a very basic question from a coin guy. I'll tell him it's okay to remove it from the original packaging. The stamps are the peel and stick type, new ones from the post office. I'm pretty sure it was for a school project of some kind, and maybe the start of a hobby as well. That would be cool if he gets into it. I gave him a state quarters map a few years ago to plant the seeds of coin collecting and give him silver dollars now and then. If something takes root, great.