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Soaking Stamps
In the 30+ years of stamp collecting I have soaked a great deal of stamps. I've removed stamps from paper for both personal use and resale. Stamps on paper can be acquired either from friends or relatives or purchased. Dealers often sell stamps on paper as “kiloware” so named because it is sold by weight or kilogram. Beginners should be cautioned that some older stamps are actually more valuable when still attached to the envelope or “cover” they are attached to.
I have found this technique for soaking stamps works best :
Start with a large bowl of warm water with a dash of salt in it. Place a small handful of stamps in the bowl (don't be tempted to do too many at once), wait until they lift freely from the paper.
Change the water with each batch of stamps as it can quickly get contaminated. Discard the unwanted paper, and blot the stamp on a clean dry dishtowel. Ensure that there is no residual gum left on the back of the stamp. Place the stamp in a drying book. Weigh it down with a stack of large books and leave to completely dry (2-3 days is best to ensure the stamps are completely dry)In some circumstances, such as when stamps are on coloured envelopes, use a large bowl of water and soak stamps individually to prevent colour from staining the stamps.