In Germany we have both types. Often you can choose between “lick or stick” for the same stamp motive.
I prefer stamps with gum only when they are two (or more) different ones attached to form one picture or when the frame is especially well designed. Otherwise I like the sticker ones because of their convenience. I’m also not a big fan of the taste of the gum stamps, although it does make me kind of nostalgic (born in the early 80s) 
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About the licking of envelopes: nowadays they come also self- adhesive. A few years ago, when that was new ( for me, since it could be around a long time before me noticing) I asked “What, no licking?!”
There are two strips to peel off and under that lies the glue.
I use most self adhesive stamps, because thats what I got in my post office.
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In Italy first self-adhesive stamp has been this in 1992 dedicated to philately day, existing also in its gummed version:
It was a new, but remained alone.
In 1999, with the start of the domestic priority service, the related stamps were again self-adhesive, with tendency to not adhere perfectly to envelopes, expecially bubble wrap ones (and some dishonest people “reused” them).
In 2010 some issues begun to be self-adhesive and in 2014 they were the majority, while in 2017 all the production.
In 2019 we had the pleasant surprise to see again gummed stamps, these two:
The first joint issue with Vatican, the second dedicated to italian painter and sculptur Cesare Maccari.
This year, on 79 issues, there have been these two (Amedeo Modigliani and blind’s association):
plus these two (mega)minisheets dedicated to Carabinieri’s marshals and brigadiers school (228 x 190 mm) and philately day (140 x 205 mm):
Personally I don’t like self-adhesive, they are more stickers than stamps, they have made loose something to philately.
They can’t be saved from envelopes with the old water soaking method, the “perforation” is only to remind the old ones, no more a necessity, there are doubts about their conservation in years, they’re quite thick for stamp albums, and they are less suitable to receive cancellations due to the glossy of the surface: once I received an envelope with the cancellation completely “washed” away.
Certainly they are more easy and quick to use when you have many to paste (I’ve learned personally the lesson at a fair, with gummed ones 
), and probably this is the reason they’ve been diffused… but you have to put extra attention to well press also the little teeth.
I’ve never licked gummed ones, always used a wet sponge, that was an usual presence in post offices.
It’s not easy to paste a gummed minisheet on an envelope (otherwise, where’s the fun? 
), but also doing the same thing with a self-adhesive one is a challenge, mantaining the alignment of stamps and perforations.
Thank you @PinkNoodle to have started this interesting topic 
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@PinkNoodle
Thanks!
I wasn’t aware some sticky stamps were intaglio. I thought they were all made with an offset technique (or equivalent) as they are often smooth.
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In Germany all stamps are released as classic gummed stamps, in addition some are also released as self-adhesive. In small post shops it’s common to only receive the self-adhesive ones. I always order online for a more variety and because I only want to buy the classic ones.
The self-adhesive stamps here are a bit smaller. Here’s an example of the most recent stamp issued in both options:
Classic stamps:
self-adhesive stamps:
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That’s what is happening here too, in post offices (or tobacco sellers) you will find booklets of adhesive stamps most of the time. Also in vending machines.
That’s also because gum stamps are more fragile, and not easy to handle for clerks (without even talking about sanitary questions!).
I always wonder how they cut them when you order them on internet, as they are perfectly cut, so it’s probably done by machines.
Here we have rarely the choice between lick or stick for the same stamp. That would be good.
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Yes, I seen USPS version. Israeli version same but have tabs (as normal for our gummed stamps)
By the was Israeli version have value for USA postage
http://israelphilately.org.il/en/catalog/series/2504/Israel-Usa%20Joint%20Issue%20Happy%20Hanukkah
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I am afraid the washi tape might cause exact opposite problem 
I have noticed it tends to lose all the stickiness once the temperature drops to freezing. Washi tape sealed envelopes arrives often open during winter.
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I heard that the old stamps have gluten in them.
Once again, you all have provided such wonderful information and anecdotes! Thank you! 
Regarding envelopes: @Jarana, I’m always surprised to find a normal greeting card envelope with a peel-to-reveal adhesive strip! These are mostly found on larger, sturdier, “commercial” envelopes. @scopemouth, I noticed growing up that Hallmark brand envelopes usually had a triangular flap and sweet-tasting adhesive that I found…rather delicious, actually. It tasted vaguely like maple syrup! But other brands had rectangular flaps, and the adhesive was hit-or-miss: sometimes tasty, sometimes astringent. I wonder if anyone else associates triangular flaps with maple syrup, and rectangular ones with cyanide… 
@davfv17, WOW, thank you for all the pictures and information! That Modigliani stamp is my favorite. 
I’m glad that you mentioned this, because I often take the little teeth for granted! In fact, I feel unduly disappointed when I have to use a stamp from an edge or corner of a sheet that does not have the perforations on all sides! They do require extra care (I use a pencil eraser to push mine down), but I love the little teeth and sometimes try to line them up with those of the adjacent stamp. Using tweezers helps with the alignment!
@melilot, vending machines for stamps?! I am SO envious! Before I started ordering my stamps online due to Covid, I often made excuses to go into my post office so that I could also buy new sheets of stamps. 
I always felt pressure to choose them quickly, to avoid making the people in line behind me wait longer than necessary. But if there were a stamp vending machine? I could take all the time I wanted–that would be dangerous for my habit!
@Kompis-Ninna, that is a VERY good point. Now that it’s cold outside, I should probably use a bit of extra glue with my washi tapes. If only I had the same glue that they put on the back of those Forever stamps… 
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As far I know greeting cards do not come with self adhesive envelopes. I think because you can give them directly (with a present if it was a birthday card for example.) Then the envelope flap will just be stucked inside, and self adhesive strips on it don’t look nice.
The self adhesive envelopes I refer to are really more a business style, quite boring for postcrossers and I always decorate with stickers when I decide to send a card in a envelope.
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For me, I only consider stamps thr gummed ones. The adhesive ones are basically stickers. The worst of them, in my opinion, are thise sheets from USA that depending on which position are on the sheet, have the dents on one side or another, and then the remaining sides are just straight.
Yes vending machines for stamps in post offices, but hopeplessly very banal stamps are sold there (Marianne booklets or even labels) while it could be used to sell more interesting ones.
On a stamp show I’ve seen them selling other stamps so that’s technically posisble.
Stamps are also sold on La Poste cash machines.
the yellow machine that sells stamps and labels: http://envelopmer.blogspot.com/2016/07/brest-2016-joel-lemaine-lisa-etiquette.html
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There are very nice self-adhesive envelopes around. And I prefer them (but I don’t mind the others, too - so I don’t pay attention when buying new ones). Just one example, but I have plenty more… and I’m getting off topic 
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Yes, there are also in Portugal (but frequently they don’t work, in my experience at least). But the stamps are even worse than self-adhesive ones (normally here we have some series of gum stamps turned into self-adhesive). In vending machines there are just adhesive labels (with some design) and the machine prints the cost in it.
Like this (it says: Give Blood):
that €0,53 can be any other ‘‘normal’’ value, but it’s printed in that moment (and sometimes not very well…)
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We have them here as well, but I haven’t found a single working one in my city or my neighbour city! They all seem to be out of charge. Also, they sell gummed stamps here only, unlike other countries. And they only have two motives. (The new motives are actually really cute, I’m attaching pictures.)
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Okay, so maybe the stamp vending machines aren’t as fabulous as I thought. @melilot, @Axolotl_, and @bom_dia: so they’re really more like on-demand printing machines and less like super-fun vending machines. I was elated–now, I feel betrayed…
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As others have said, in Germany all stamps are issued with regular glue (to be wetted for use). Certain stamps, both definitive and commemorative, are additionally issued as self-adhesive versions. While the definitive stamps have the same size in both versions, the self-adhesive versions of commemorative stamps are significantly smaller (and printed with less detail) than their normal counterpart since the early 2010s. Reason is that German Post outsourced self-adhesive printing to a Dutch company, and their machines are developed for the smaller Dutch stamp formats.
At smaller post offices and post counters in stores they usually only have self-adhesive stamps in booklets of 10 stamps, often only definitive stamps, though I did get self-adhesive commemorative booklets of 10 stamps there as well. In larger post offices these usually is one person who sells wet-glue commemorative stamps (if that person is not on duty at the time of your visit, no commemorative stamps are available). In some large cities (like Frankfurt am Main, Köln/Cologne, Hamburg, Munich or Berlin) there is one post office with a philatelich counter, where you can get all stamps from the past 2-3 years (until they are sold out). Those philatelic counters are also your only safe bet if you want your stamps cancelled by hand and not cancelled again by machine.
Easiest way to get commemorative stamps is by ordering them online from German Post. If you order for at least 20 Euro (easy for Postcrossers ), no shipping/postage is charged inside Germany.
I only use normal (wet-glue) stamps if at all possible. I’m a long-term stamp collector specialized on postal automation, and I’ve had serious issues with self-adhesive stamps, and also with stickers, tape and self-adhesive envelopes. In some cases the glue stops sticking after some years (for example the first German self-adhesive stamps), in other cases the glue slowly destroyed the stamp, the card/envelope it was put on or both (for example the early French automate stamps, many stickers and many self-adhesive envelopes). So I stay away from self-adhesive stuff wherever I can.
Regarding gluten in wet-glue stamps: Many different glues were used over time. One, dextrose, is made from processed starch. If that starch is taken from gluten-containing cereals (e.g. wheat), it could theoretically contain traces of gluten, if made from other starch (corn, potato) it can’t. Dextrose glue was used in Germany from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, though I have not heard from any issues regarding gluten-related health issues. On the other hand the glue use ended before gluten-related disorders became common knowledge, and all these stamps became invalid at the end of June 2002 with the introduction of the Euro.
Stamp vending machines: Germany had vending machines for single stamps (from coils) and stamp booklets (there the stamps did not have teeth either on the upper or lower edge to avoid mechanical damage). Only definitive stamps were available. These vending machines have been discontinued in the 1990s. Automate stamp machines (defined as machines that imprint the bought value at the time of sale) are still available. Here in Frankfurt they usually work.
In the USA there were also automate stamp machines, I’m not sure if they still exist. If they do, they sell the least appealing automate stamps I’ve ever seen. In addition, you could buy stamps at ATMs (cash machines) from some banks. Again, I don’t know if they are still available, and what banks have them. These stamps are self-adhesive definitive stamps on sheets with the same size as the US dollar banknontes. I have one such sheet in my collection somewhere.
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This is fascinating, in-depth information on the topic; thank you so much, @shugal!
I am so intrigued by the thought of there being a postal employee dedicated to the sale of commemorative stamps. The next time I travel internationally (which seems to be a distant dream at the moment 
), I will be first in line at one of these special counters!
I am not aware of any banks in my region that offer stamps, but I would be interested to know where they are offered. Another stamp source that I neglected to mention is grocery stores: a limited selection is available at the checkout in some mid-size to large chain stores, and some grocery stores even have a near-fully-functional USPS branch inside. There is also a bulk retailer that also offers a couple designs in–you guessed it–bulk.
A question for you, @shugal, and other collectors: What, if anything, can Postcrossers do to make their self-adhesive stamps easier for collectors to remove and keep?
(Please advise: should this be a separate topic? I’m so curious to hear the answers!)
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Philatelic counters in large post offices, or in some countries only in the main post office of the country capital, can be found in many countries across the globe. Philatelists still create a significant amount of revenue for many postal administrations. Even some private postal carriers offer philatelic services.
For those interested in German stamps, you can find the locations (and by click on the city name also address and opening hours) of the post offices with philatelic counters here: https://shop.deutschepost.de/sammeln/philatelie/service-informationen-der-philatelie/uebersicht-der-philatelieshops-in-deutschland Note that usually only one person is assigned to the counter, so for offices with no lunch closure the philatelic counter will most likely be closed for 30 to 60 minutes for lunch break. For those who understand German (unfortunately German Post doesn’t publish this in English), you find additional information (new stamps, special cancellations, and other information) in the fortnightly (biweekly) free PDF download “Stempel und Informationen” (cancellations and information): https://shop.deutschepost.de/sammeln/philatelie/service-informationen-der-philatelie/stempel-und-informationen
There are many different self-adhesive glue types. So the methods for removal will vary widely depending on country and even time of issue. I do not remove stamps (I collect complete postcards and envelopes only, and mint stamps of course), so I have no practical experience. I think German self-adhesive stamps have a layer directly above the glue that dissolves in water, which would explain their easy removal (if my memory is correct, that means the glue stays on the card or envelope). Other postal administrations are less collector-friendly, they are more concerned about the possibility that uncancelled stamps are removed and re-used, and therefore use glue and material that makes it most difficult to remove the stamp in one piece. Spain’s automate stamps come to mind, and I’ve seen similar made-to-destroy cuts inside the stamp paper in British stamps. From what Kompiss-Ninna says, the USPS seems to be part of that side…
It’s aways interesting what you can dig up on the internet… USPS themselves have a recipe to remove their stamps, though it’s not for the impatient: https://about.usps.com/publications/pub192/pub192_003.htm It seems to take one hour in cold water to remove them. Best try it first with some stamps whose damage or loss isn’t important. I found other “recipes”, including the use of a microwave oven. Better not try that, as running a microwave oven with little or no stuff in there that it can heat may damage or destroy the oven.
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