Can I Keep Just One Stamp?

[cobby]

Opinions please.
I have hung on to the retired SU set Cuddles and Tickles all these years just because I like the baby footprints stamp.
I'm trying to weed out stamps I don't use anymore. I want to keep the footprint stamp out of that set and put the rest in a bag to go to Salvation Army.
What do you think?

I've been stamping since 2003. All these years no matter how I reorganize my supplies I have never been able to bring myself to break up the sets. It just feels WRONG! :-D. Maybe that's why keeping one stamp out of a set feels like I'm being sneaky or selfish.

[lynkim]

take the stamp out and donate the rest! I have seen stamp sets for sale with one missing, and things go missing in my craft room all the time! I am sure that stamp just wiggled away to visit a friend, lol

[bjeans]

Of course you can. Some buyers won't be bothered at all. And you'll have the stamp you love.

I don't break up sets either, and have no desire or need to. But I'm starting to sort through mine since they've outgrown their bins - and the rule is they have to fit, no expansion allowed. If I have a set with 3 or 4 out of 10 that I like, I won't break it up. But one? I have no problem pulling it out and donating the 9/10th set. It's not like donating just one shoe from a pair. : )

[gregzgurl]

I break up all of my sets and ONLY keep the ones I love. The rest I give away to anyone who wants them - mostly my daughter who has caught the bug, but also to friends, Craf-T-Bear's women's group, schools, Goodwill and other places. I figure since they're free there's not much to complain about, and I have the stamps I love without the excess of the ones I don't...

[Cook22]

Yes, you can!

[Dorie95]

I just wanted to let you know that I am one of the people who benefit from you breaking up your sets!

I hunt for stamps at thrift stores all the time. Sometimes I want just a single stamp I like and there are lots that are single priced. There are stamps that are in the plastic SU boxes but I have no clue if it's a set or just a bunch of stamps together in a box which always costs more. So, for me it depends on whether I like the stamps or not. Doesn't matter a bit if they are part of a set or not.

Yesterday I found a cute little hummingbird SU stamp for .99. Then close by there was a container with a bunch of stamps,3 little mice stamps and 3 sentiments about friends, two cherries, a pear, a leaf which was $5.00 all SU stamps in their little plastic box.

[Arlene_C]

My favorite stamp from that set is the baby pin! I don't own the set, but I would keep what you want and pass the others on!

[cardmaker2]

If you are donating the stamps, go ahead and keep the one you love! As mentioned, buyers at Goodwill see what they like and buy what they like. No one will say 'oh I wish the 8th stamp was there'

If you were selling the set and wanted to keep one, you would ensure you mentioned going in that it was missing the specific one.

Don't feel badly at all for keeping one!

[BA]

I just finished cleaning/purging my craft room as we are selling our house. I have been a SU demo for over 10 years and I ONLY keep the stamps I LOVE. I have sold many stamps right here in the BST forum that were single stamps.
They are YOUR stamps until you sell/donate them therefore:
~ You have the right to keep only the ones you love
~ You have the right to break up sets and organize them however best suits your needs
~ You have the right to unmount your wood mount stamps (&/or wheels)
~ You have the pleasure to enjoy them to the fullest and when you are done with them to pass them along to next person to enjoy

No worries! No pressure!

[muscrat]

Absolutely, keep what you want. But if you sell the rest as a set, maybe you could just write "missing..." Whatever is missing. I bought sets at a yard sale before I knew much about sets and later realized I didn't buy a complete set, which is totally fine, but it would have been nice if they'd have just circled the frog and said missing. I have taken a flower out of one set and put it in with another since they all punch out with the pansy punch, but I put a note in my set so I know where it belongs if I ever decide to get rid of it.

[Rachelrose]

Realizing that you can break up sets if you feel like doing it can be a truly liberating experience. Why store stamps you don't use, or maybe don't even like very much?

Someone else made them into a set, not you. And I guarantee it wasn't the Federal Bureau of Stampvestigation.

[jor]

I just starting doing the same thing. I keep what I want from a set and get rid of the rest. It isn't worth the space to keep a whole set for one stamp. But having said that, I've only JUST been able to do that! And I've been stamping for over 15 years!

[fl_beachbum]

It's kinda funny... I was about to chime in with "of course you can!" when I realized I have never broken up a set! I have a box of newly retiring stamps already set aside and there are at least 2 in there that I debated getting rid of because there are pieces I might miss. I suppose I need to look through again with this new perspective! ;)

[shazsilverwolf]

Totally agree with the others. Robin, I made that revelation when I swapped rooms- if I was getting rid of craft stuff I knew I'd outgrown/no longer liked, then that applied to stamps as well. So yes, I'm quite happy to break up sets.

[lutheran]

When we moved last year I threw away stamps, broke up sets, and donated boxes upon boxes to Goodwill. I recently pulled out some very old sets that I kept, made a card or two, then added them to the next donation pile. There are only so many stamps I can use in my lifetime so the rest have to go.
Mary Beth

[rockybeta]

I'm impressed ladies. I have never been able to break up a set......have bought individual stamps from different sets though and don't mind not having thee rest of that particular set because I felt I might not use it.

As far as Cuddles and Tickles goes, I use the footprints AND the pin........it's really cute if you use it on the envelope flap and make it look like it's pinned shut.......Diane

[jukie]

Do you own the set...if so you can do with it what ever you want ...if you need permission I give it to you!

I (we) need to embrace that we can't love everything and why have the rest of the set sitting there mocking you saying "YOU SHOULD BE USING ME, YOU SPENT HARD EARNED CASH ON ME & I AM NOW GOING TO TORMENT YOU IN YOUR SLEEP" when someone else could love it, use it and have fun with it.....

Who made the rule stamp sets could not be broken up? was it RachelRose's "Federal Bureau of Stampvestigation" :cool:

[Hyde and Seek]

You bought the set, you can break it up if you want it. Remember, you are blessing someone else by donating it. A charity will make money from it and another crafter will get joy out of the other stamps. You also will only feel the joy from using the stamp you enjoy and none of the guilt for not using the other stamps in the set. That's a triple win!

[Scrapjanny]

I wish I would have thought of this when I gave away an SU baby set. I really liked the saying that went on the inside of the card, but I didn't even think of keeping just that stamp and giving the others away. Thanks for bringing up this question. Lesson learned.

[cobby]

Thank you ladies! I appreciate the "permission" to keep just one stamp from this set. Although another poster pointed out how cute the pin stamp is so I may keep that one too!

I can't imagine I will ever break up sets as a means of organizing what I have, but I will be more ruthless about only keeping stamps I love out of older sets and giving away the rest.

[msalvato]

I have been keeping one stamp out of a set for years...I sell my retired stamps on ebay and just list one stamp in the set is missing. Saves me so much room and I have the single stamps I love in one place. My sets still sell - I'm sure there are many stamps left in the set that someone will love.

[stampingqueen]

I love the way you think! I've been wanting to break up some sets so that I can put all of my sayings together etc. and I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it but now I think I can! After all they are my sets and I should be able to organize them the way I use them, right?

[lynnewithane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

Realizing that you can break up sets if you feel like doing it can be a truly liberating experience. Why store stamps you don't use, or maybe don't even like very much?

Someone else made them into a set, not you. And I guarantee it wasn't the Federal Bureau of Stampvestigation.

Hah. Love that! Federal Bureau of Stampvestigation, formerly known as the Stamping Police.

[ShariW]

Yep - I've done it two different ways - 1. Gave away those I don't like in a set and 2. Lost them!

[Craftlover]

If I don't use certain stamps from a set, I divide them and keep the ones I use constantly.
The remaining I donate or gift them.

[jeanne3579]

I've been separating stamps from the beginning (nearly 20 years ago) for the purpose of organizing and to keep only the that I love. I remember once I was sitting next to a friend of mine going through an SU catalog and saying that she really liked the sentiment stamps in a set, but what on Earth would anyone do with the stamps. I told her I had the set and used the stamps all the time, but not the sentiments. She ended up with the sentiments and I still have those stamps I love. Coby, I have seen little foot prints (and even diaper pins) sold separately, so someone may already have such things and just be waiting to find the other stamps to go with them. Keep what you love and want and let the others go to make someone else happy.

[Gabriella18]

I understand the feeling of it's wrong to break up a set. I was in that state for years ...finally due to the impending birth of my twins I had to move out of my craftroom and the smallest bedroom became my craftroom. My storage was cut in half ......I could not get my stuff into the space! The stamp were the problem. I said enough and dumped all stamps onto the hallway floor and pulled out only the ones I used and loved onto my desk. Then I organized them into themes that made sense to me.....Christmas, flowers, sentiments, funky, design and whimsical. I then relabeled the boxes I was keeping and put just what I wanted away.....I took all extras to neighbors and schools and then the rest to a resale shop.....I felt great.....it's 11 years later. I do not miss anything and I still work on this system if I buy a set and I don't like or use some images out they go.

[gregzgurl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabriella18

I understand the feeling of it's wrong to break up a set. I was in that state for years ...finally due to the impending birth of my twins I had to move out of my craftroom and the smallest bedroom became my craftroom. My storage was cut in half ......I could not get my stuff into the space! The stamp were the problem. I said enough and dumped all stamps onto the hallway floor and pulled out only the ones I used and loved onto my desk. Then I organized them into themes that made sense to me.....Christmas, flowers, sentiments, funky, design and whimsical. I then relabeled the boxes I was keeping and put just what I wanted away.....I took all extras to neighbors and schools and then the rest to a resale shop.....I felt great.....it's 11 years later. I do not miss anything and I still work on this system if I buy a set and I don't like or use some images out they go.

TOTALLY with ya, sistah! I'm currently going through my indexes (again!) to purge some stamps to make room for the new ones I bought at Unity's Memorial Day sale, plus two sets from Wplus9 that are retired and I won't be able to get if I wait (they've been on my wishlist for two years - most of the list has already been deleted). One of the brand-new Unity sets has four or five stamps that I really want, the other ten or so will go to a new home right after I get them. I paid less for the entire set than I would have for just the tree - which is sold separately as well as in this set - so I'm okay with that. That's how I roll, lol...

[biblesistersmom]

I always wonder if I will regret it. Over time, my stamping style has changed, so what if something I don't like today I do like tomorrow? Like most of you, I really do need to reduce my inventory. I try to keep track of when I use a stamp set, thinking that if it goes a while without seeing ink, it can go. Yesterday I used a stamp set that the last time I used it was 2012!

[TeeGeeDee]

Yes, yes you can! I find that if I don't "connect" with a stamp, I'll never use it. That connection could mean I love the design or the saying or the font. Or, just as likely, it reminds me of someone I send cards to, or an event I'd like to scrap

That said, I still gave a lot of uninked connections

[jeanne3579]

Jennifer, keep what you love. If you don't really love it, you won't use it. And if you love it and don't use it, keep it anyway. If it brings you joy, just looking at it, it's a keeper. Put those that don't meet the standard in a box in the closet. If you go back and get something out in the near future keep it. If after a while you haven't used, or even thought about some stamps, find them a new home where they are loved.

[Allistamps123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stampingqueen

I love the way you think! I've been wanting to break up some sets so that I can put all of my sayings together etc. and I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it but now I think I can! After all they are my sets and I should be able to organize them the way I use them, right?

I can't bear to break up sets for organization generally but about four years ago I broke up my thank you, congrats, wedding, birthday, & encouragement. It's the best thing ever.

The rest stay together.

[stamphappy1650]

Not only do I break up sets and bid them adieu, I modify my stamps by cutting off the offending pieces. It's my stamp so I figure I can do anything I want except break an angel policy.

[jeanne3579]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stamphappy1650

Not only do I break up sets and bid them adieu, I modify my stamps by cutting off the offending pieces. It's my stamp so I figure I can do anything I want except break an angel policy.

Ditto!