Using cancelled stamps as decoration

Postcards & Mail Mailart, handmade & stationery
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I tried looking to see if anyone has asked this question before, and I couldn’t find any posts. Please forgive me if it already exists. I was wondering if I could use cancelled stamps as decorations on my postcards? I would of course have the correct postage amount in mint stamps, but would the postcard be delivered if I added some cancelled/used stamps to the bottom left as extra? Has anyone done this and had the postcard arrive safely? If so, is there a better place to put them/way to do this? Thank you for any answers :slight_smile:

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Hello Mia!
I use them, and quite often. The cards usually arrive safe and sound (just 1 was lost).

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Yes, you could use cancelled stamps :slight_smile:
Even close to mint stamp :slight_smile:

There are so called “chain cards” when postage goes thru few addresses and everyone of them glue new set of stamps with postage amount. As a result card has many various stamps from different (or the same) countries :slight_smile:

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Thank you so much for your answers! I had never heard of that @ursa , it sounds really cool though :slight_smile:

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Hi Mia,
Received a card from Portugal with canceled stamps from Italy & 2 more counties (these with regular Portugal postage stamps) & have received 2 cards filled with cancelled stamps as decoration.
:blush:

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Yeah, using extra cancelled or fake stamps as decoration is okay:) i have received many mails with it

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Fun fact, here in Australia our post office actually sells packets of old cancelled stamps for this purpose! I bought a packet of ocean-themed ones, I think they’re fascinating - they’re from all sorts of countries and I assume what they do is source them and repackage them as an effort to be thrifty as well as interesting to collectors/creators :smiley:

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Wow that sounds like an amazing idea!

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Hello,

I’m glad I found this topic as I was asking myself the same question.

But what’s still on my mind is, when people ask specific for a lot of stamps. For example in the Tags or Round Robin section of the PC-Forum, where f.e. you should stick as many stamps as possible in the postcard. Could I use cancelled stamps there aswell?

Thanks!