# How Many Years Do Postal Stamps Stay Sticky?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 17, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942 "2019-01-17T19:55:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942/1 "2019-01-17T19:55:11Z")

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I am thinking of stocking up on forever postage stamps before the rate increase but don’t want to end up having to stick stamps on envelopes with glue.

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**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942/2 "2019-01-17T20:05:05Z")

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Do you mean the self-stick kind? Or the ones you have to lick?

I still have some of both kinds from at least 10 years ago.  
The self-stick ones just go on sticking.  
The lick ones seem to work, but I get nervous.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942/3 "2019-01-17T21:26:20Z")

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Self-stick.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942/4 "2019-01-17T21:48:00Z")

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That glue is actually ‘press to stick’. Because the glue is sealed inside little bubbles; it’s only when you press them down & break the bubbles that it is exposed to air and will dry out. So they should last for years.

I have some address labels, old enough that they are on pin-feed carriers, must be from around 1996, and they still work. They are just recently losing a bit of their stickiness; I use them for name tags, and they tend to only stick (to clothes) for an hour or so.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-years-do-postal-stamps-stay-sticky/827942/5 "2019-01-17T22:33:16Z")

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They say “forever.” If they don’t work in a billion years, take them back to the USPS and demand a refund.