Practical philately

Can You Still Use Old Stamps? A Guide to Mailing With Old Mint Postage

Almost every inherited collection, desk drawer and estate box contains sheets of unused stamps: 3-cent, 6-cent, 15-cent, 20-cent commemoratives that nobody got around to using. Can you still mail letters with them? In the United States the short answer is usually yes. The longer answer covers which stamps count, how to add up the postage, how to apply stamps with tired gum, and how to make sure you aren't sticking something collectible onto an electric bill.

Are old U.S. stamps still valid?

The U.S. Postal Service treats postage stamps issued since 1861 as valid for postage. Stamps from before then were demonetized during the Civil War era and can't be used, though at that age they're collectibles anyway and shouldn't go anywhere near an envelope.

That means a 1960s 4-cent stamp still counts as 4 cents of postage. It doesn't grow in postal value over time; you simply add stamps together until you reach the current rate. Rates change, so check the current USPS rate for what you're mailing before you start counting.

Forever and other non-denominated stamps

Forever stamps show no number. They're always valid for the current price of a First-Class one-ounce letter, even if bought years ago at a lower price. Related non-denominated stamps work the same way for their purpose: postcard stamps for postcards, additional-ounce stamps for extra weight, and Global Forever stamps for a one-ounce international letter.

Older non-denominated stamps that don't say "Forever", such as lettered rate-change stamps issued when rates went up, are generally valued at the rate they were issued for, not today's rate. If you have a stack of those, check USPS guidance or ask at the counter.

What isn't postage

Collections often mix postage with things that look like postage. None of these will pay for delivery:

Before you use them: is any of it collectible?

Most unused postage from the mid-twentieth century onward was printed in very large quantities and is common. Dealers and collectors often treat it as postage rather than as collectibles, and it's sometimes sold as "discount postage". Using it is perfectly sensible.

But mixed into those sheets you'll sometimes find things that deserve a second look. Set these aside before you start licking:

• Anything from the classic era, roughly the 19th and early 20th century. Even common-looking older stamps can be worth checking. See our guide to U.S. classics.
• Plate blocks and margin pieces with plate numbers, ZIP blocks or other inscriptions. These are collected intact; tearing them apart for postage destroys what made them collectible. See plate blocks and margin markings.
• Possible errors: missing colors, imperforate edges where perforations should be, dramatically shifted perforations or colors. Check catalog listings and get an expert opinion before assuming anything; our errors and varieties guide explains the difference between a true error and a common shift.
• Airmail, special delivery and other back-of-book issues in good condition.
• Full panes or sheets of popular issues, particularly with intact selvage.
• First day covers and other covers. Those aren't postage to soak and reuse anyway, but check them before discarding.

For a quick reality check, look at completed sales rather than asking prices. Searches like sold U.S. mint postage lots or sold U.S. plate blocks show what similar material has actually changed hands for. Our sold-listings guide explains how to compare properly. If you're working through an estate, start with the first 90 minutes with an inherited collection.

Adding up the postage

1. Look up the current rate for what you're sending (letter, large envelope, postcard, international).
2. Sort your old stamps by denomination into piles or glassine envelopes. It's much faster than hunting each time.
3. Pick a few higher values first, then fill the rest with smaller ones. Fewer stamps means a tidier envelope and less chance of machines mis-reading it.
4. Mix in a Forever stamp if you're short of high values. A Forever stamp plus a couple of old stamps is often the neatest way to cover heavier letters.
5. Keep a printed rate card by your desk, and update it whenever rates change.

A simple trick: pre-build "letter-rate packets" in glassine envelopes, each holding a combination of old stamps that adds up to the current letter rate. When rates change, add a small top-up stamp to each packet.

Applying stamps with old gum

Older stamps use water-activated gum, and decades in a drawer can leave it weak, uneven or partly stuck to neighbors.

• Use a damp sponge or a stamp moistener rather than licking. It's more hygienic and gives more even moisture.
• If the gum has failed, a thin layer from an ordinary glue stick on the envelope works. Make sure the stamp is firmly attached; a stamp that falls off in transit means postage due or a returned letter.
• Separate stuck stamps carefully along the perforations. If a block has fused together from humidity, don't force it; you'll tear the paper.

Placement and mailing tips

• Put stamps in the upper right corner of the envelope.
• Keep stamps clear of the address block and the bottom edge, where sorting machines print barcodes.
• If you need many small stamps, use a larger envelope or stack them in neat rows across the top rather than down the side.
• For packages or anything unusual, take it to the counter instead of a collection box.
• Colorful old stamps on a letter tend to delight the recipient. Many collectors deliberately use attractive commemoratives on their mail.

Other things to do with surplus mint postage

If you have more than you'll ever mail, using it isn't your only choice. Some dealers buy common mint postage, though usually as postage stock rather than collectibles; our guide to selling a stamp collection compares options. You can also donate it; some charities and clubs welcome usable postage (see our donation guide). Or browse mint U.S. commemorative sheets on eBay to see how others present similar material.