# The "magic" postage stamp? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2000, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034 "2000-01-11T20:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/1 "2000-01-11T20:35:00Z")
I once received a “scam” letter claiming it would show me how to send mail without having the stamps canceled. As claimed, the stamp on the letter was untouched. I cannot recall if there were any other postal-type markings. The kicker is I lived in a apt. where my mailbox was opened by key…so it wasn’t just casually dropped in my mailbox. ## How did the “scammer” pull this off? The scary thing is that 90% of the people think they’re above average! - unknown ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/2 "2000-01-11T20:39:00Z")
I bet it was a bulk rate stamp. I’ve seen a few of those, and they are not cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/3 "2000-01-11T20:41:00Z")
I’m not sure how it was done on the letter you recieved, per se, however, I have heard of people putting a waxy type substance over the the stamp (and presumably part of the envelope). This prevented it from being “cancelled” because you could rub the ink right off… I dunno. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/4 "2000-01-11T20:49:00Z")
To Mr. Thin Skin - that’s a good guess, and I did think of that at the time. I failed to mention that point. However, it appeared to be a regular, first-class stamp. * * * The scary thing is that 90% of the people think they’re above average! - unknown ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/5 "2000-01-11T21:22:00Z")
I’ll have to go with Squee’s answer on this. When I was younger and sent video tapes back and forth to a buddy of mine out of state, the trick was to cover the stamps with Elmer’s glue (spread thinly) and let them sit a few hours. The result is a thin transparent film that allows you to wipe off the cancellation ink. Cut the stamped part of the package off and tape it to the next outgoing one the upper right hand corner and viola!..free postage I’ve also heard that if you write ‘free matter for the blind’ on the envelope it gets delivered first class without postage (could be an urban legend) Another trick (if it is locally mailed) is to reverse the sender’s and receipient’s addresses and have it sent free due to ‘insufficient postage’ Finally, another thing I’ve heard is that if you place the stamp in the middle of the envelope (i.e. near the recipient’s name and address) the automatic cancellation machinery cannot find it but let’s it go by anyway. Again, however, you need a mail guy to confirm this as true, because this stinks of urban myth as well ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/6 "2000-01-11T21:26:00Z")
Isn’t it true that postage is scanned under UV light as well to detect the cancellation? At least, nowadays? This is to guard against postal fraud, or so I understand. * * * The scary thing is that 90% of the people think they’re above average! - unknown ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/7 "2000-01-11T21:36:00Z")
But, but, but, Jinx did not clean, wipe, or in any other way remove the postmark. It came without one. Could it be doctored with some sort of bleach or oxidant? Jinx, did the letter have the Postal bar code at the bottom? How about a little ink smudge that says something like “C3?” Any marks on the envelope that leads you to believe it went throught the post office? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/8 "2000-01-11T21:39:00Z")
Damn, reread the OP, forget questions about markings… ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magic-postage-stamp/6034/9 "2000-01-11T21:52:00Z")
After I wrote an answer, I checked my mail… I got an envelope from some magazine. The stamp was not cancelled either. The stamp is a picture of an eagle (looks more like a turkey vulture!) propped up, and says ‘USA Presorted Std’… So, I change my original answer to agree that it was probably a “bulk rate” stamp.