I have about £25 in used stamps can they be converted to cash or re-used?

UberTiger · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:09

I found a load of stamps cut out from a parcel in a drawer. They've been stuck onto something so I guess they've been used but they haven't got any kind of postal markings or 'stamps' ontop of them.

Can they be converted to cash or re-used on another parcel?

arknor · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:10

i always reuse stamps that dont have a postage mark

/waits for the morality brigade to say im stealing

Cosimo · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:15

Soak 'em off and stick 'em on.

Pate · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:21

simulatorman said:
Soak 'em off and stick 'em on.

Deiwos · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:23

Got a pritt-stick?

ash_scotland88 · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:24

a lot of charities collect them...or atleast my mum does for some local thing.

Energize · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:37

Legally I don't think they have any value.

edscdk · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:47

they are used so they are worthless...

you probably have about 0.0001p worth of recyclable paper...

they cannot cost more than a few pence per 100 to make so they are not going to be worth anything to the PO either

unless its a pile of rare and valuable stamps

UberTiger · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:49

So if I were to take a package to the post office and find out the postage cost, go home, leave the package on my desk, accidentally spill some glue on it, then open the window which might cause the breeze to blow the stamps I found onto the sticky package, then return to the post office they should just accept it?

Vonhelmet · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:49

The confused smiley is not emphatic enough for this.

Anyway. Rumour has it they sometimes use invisible postmarks that can only be seen under UV so you can still be caught out. Not sure how true that is.

Sp00n · 14 Jan 2011 at 16:50

Invisible postmarks?

I reckon you'll be fine, just put a sender address on them, you're not gonna get arrested for it lol.

"andy" · 14 Jan 2011 at 17:08

i thought stamps are designed now so that removing them just pulls them apart ?

to be fair you could probably sellotape bits of stamp on and i doubt anyone in the sorting office will give a damn

arknor · 14 Jan 2011 at 17:11

"andy" said:
i thought stamps are designed now so that removing them just pulls them apart ?

to be fair you could probably sellotape bits of stamp on and i doubt anyone in the sorting office will give a damn

i pulled some of the self adhesive ones clean of a birthday card and stuck them on another envelope without even needed to use pritstick

Energize · 14 Jan 2011 at 17:13

"andy" said:
i thought stamps are designed now so that removing them just pulls them apart ?

Stamps are removed by submerging the letter in hot water so they just slide off.

Lunatic Dreyfus · 14 Jan 2011 at 17:18

arknor said:
i always reuse stamps that dont have a postage mark

/waits for the morality brigade to say im stealing

Stick it to The Man, brother. I'm with you!

vonhelmet said:
The confused smiley is not emphatic enough for this.

Anyway. Rumour has it they sometimes use invisible postmarks that can only be seen under UV so you can still be caught out. Not sure how true that is.

We do all sorts to your parcels and letters. Sometimes we even deliver them.

UberTiger · 14 Jan 2011 at 21:17

lol, Cool, was curious more than anything, as I seem to have it in the back of my head the stamps are legal tender as they have the queens head on. I may give it a try posting something, although I'll probably just ruin the stamps, don't dob me in Dreyfus!

Slime101 · 14 Jan 2011 at 21:22

Lunatic Dreyfus said:
Sometimes we even deliver them.

Rarely in my experience!!

The problem with re-using stamps is when they fail to read properly at royal mail the poor recipient gets hit for the postage, plus a £1 handling charge.

UberTiger · 15 Jan 2011 at 19:42

Ahh fair enough, in that case I'll probably just leave be. Not worth the hassle or giving the recipient the aggro.