# Soaking With Water and a Tray

Part of the Stamp Collecting Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/stamp-collecting/guide/index.md)

*5. Collector's Tools*

> **5b.** Water and tray

Collectors use water and a tray to remove many used stamps from envelope paper. This is a practical skill because stamps are often easiest to save straight from everyday mail.

### What the tool does

The tray holds clean water while the paper softens. After a short soak, the stamp may slide free from the envelope paper. Then it can be dried flat for storage.

### How to demonstrate it

1. Cut the envelope paper around the used stamp, leaving space around it.
2. Put the piece face up in a tray of clean lukewarm water.
3. Wait until the stamp loosens from the backing paper.
4. Lift the stamp out gently with tongs.
5. Place it face down on a clean drying surface, then press it flat between blotting paper or clean absorbent sheets.

Not every stamp should be soaked. Some self-adhesive stamps, colored envelopes, or fragile covers need different treatment. That is why careful collectors test before they rush.

> **Safety First!**
>
> Do not soak rare covers, first day covers, or any item you might want to keep intact as a whole. Once you separate the stamp, you cannot undo it.

Video: [How to Soak Postage Stamps off Paper (video)](https://youtu.be/xbdFwdo7gW8?si=GiMrdGKX3twCE_rl)

This tool shows that collectors do more than buy stamps. They rescue usable material from the mail stream and prepare it carefully for an album.

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- Next: [Inspecting With Magnifiers](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/stamp-collecting/guide/req5c/index.md)