Smoke Free House Stamp Dealers

[msgtdavid]

I have seen different stamp sellers on Ebay, claiming they live in a smoke free house.

Do you think smoking around stamps causes damage to them?  

I have an opinion on this, but want to hear from others first before I state my opinion.

[abt1950]

Some people are more sensitive to odors than others.

I mostly don’t notice odors in stamp lots, but I have come across a couple where the stench was terrible. One was an old lot of kiloware. The smell dissipated fairly quickly. The other one was a set of Scot pages for Hungary. They were unusable without treatment. I put them in a container with some baking soda. It’s been a few years, so I should probable check on them.😄

[msgtdavid]

When you check on them, maybe you will have Stamp Muffins.  I love muffins.

[billsey]

I have often seen collections from a smoking environment where not only was there an odor but the meterial was toned from the smoke. I don't know how reversable that is, but it'd be a pain to work with. Most times it's just the smell though, where you have to deal with packing it on it's own environment with something like baking soda to extract as much as possible.

[malolo]

My Dad was not a stamp collector but he loved to smoke cigars in the evening after dinner. One could smell the smoke when visiting. I didn't realize how much the smoke contaminated everything in the house, but when we came to disperse of the furniture and other household items it was possible to smell smoke on every item. Then we went to paint the walls and wood trim throughout the house and ended up having to wash the walls and ceiling prior to painting as the paint was saturated, wood trim especially, and all had a film which was definitely condensed smoke tar, etc, etc. 

I have smelled collections that were "smoked" and would never knowingly buy one. It's amazing how long the smell lasts. And of course, smokers can't tell that, even all their clothes reak of tobacco smoke.

[msgtdavid]

I get great results from soaking in water over night.

[malolo]

Might work for used stamps, but mint, items and postal history items forget it.

BTW - you may think the smell has gone but trust me bring in a non-smoker in a week and ask them to sniff the items you think are clean. I'll bet they smell tobacco. You nose just gets aclimatized to the chemicals letting your brain say to itself, "no smell today."

[msgtdavid]

You are correct, soaking would not work on mint stamps nor postal history.

So then stamp sellers who state their house is smoke free is great, but if the stamp are very old, the smoke smell and or stains could still be present.

I cannot tell or smell stamps that were exposed to smoking.  Must be because went thru basic training in the early 1960's, if you did not smoke, you got extra duty, we all bought a pack from the BX and lite up just to get out of KP duty etc.  

How about cooking smell like dried fish cooking, when I was in the P.I., a dish of cooked dried fish was considered a treat, but the cooking smell would drive me out of the house, really bad, very bad smell.  I was also station in Iran (before the trouble there), and would go to dinner at someone's house (Iranian Person), they did not have fans, in the summer time, very smellie, wonder what this does to stamps.

[greenwave4u]

Interesting question. I wouldn't believe a seller who said that because what guarantee is there that the penny blacks he is selling have been smoke free for 170 odd years or so? Also maybe he is partial to a greasy fry up and they might smell of bacon and eggs 

[msgtdavid]

Yes, just my point, old stamps surely has smells from years past.

How about in England, after a night at the Pub, I'd go and get newspaper wrapped fish and chips.  In the Pud that I would go to, you could cut the smoke with a knife.  

[abt1950]

Blueberry I hope.  Yum!

[oggilby]

Smoked salmon, yes....smoked GVI Silver Anniversary...no!

[peetah]

As a 30 smoker, now 30 years smoke free, I have to agree <B>malolo</B>. I am particularly sensitive to smoke on stamps. Happens too often when I do a quick fan of an album pages, and the slight breeze tells me a former smoker was a previous owner.
I have had success with soaking used stamps to "clean them up". Mint however, I have to leave them outdoors for a week or more before I can save them. Most times I don't even bother with them.

[msgtdavid]

To All:

Do you think stamp mounts help in some little way to cut down the smell of smelly stamps?