Author Topic: wax seals  (Read 7255 times)

Offline Lynda

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wax seals
« on: May 27, 2014, 04:53:25 PM »
Hi All ~
I'm "thinking about" playing with wax seals, they're just so pretty.   I see they now have low heat glue guns to produce a more flexible version to withstand mailing.  Do they really withstand mailing?  Do you need to put extra postage or request they be hand stamped?  Not sure if I'll be putting them on the outside of an envelope or on something inside the envelope, either way, it will create a bump and I worry about tearing at the post office.  Wondering if anyone has any experience with this.
I have found a website Nostalgic Impressions but if anyone knows of others I'd love to check them out.

Thank You,
Lynda
« Last Edit: May 28, 2014, 11:26:38 PM by Erica McPhee »

Offline garyn

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2014, 05:15:00 PM »
The problem is not the stamping but the autosorting machines.
I received 2 envelopes with flex stamps on them, and both were damaged. One was very severely damaged, half the seal was gone and the other half had scrape marks consistent with a roller spinning on it...hence my theory of damage by the sorting machines.
I would double envelope the letter with the stamp on the inner envelope.

Or you put the stamp on the bottom of the letter, next to your signature.

I would love to try it, but I have so many little projects that this one is down the list.
Gary

Offline Lynda

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2014, 05:18:42 PM »
Thank you Gary, this is good to know!

Offline Moya

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2014, 07:34:18 PM »
I often use wax stamps for mail within Australia, although you have to be careful to use the right kind of wax - I have a beautiful J Herbin gold wax stick, but it is the old-fashioned kind where you break the seal to open the letter, and that wax never survives a trip through the mail.  But you can get actual mailable wax, which is what you're talking about I think, and that's more likely to make it.

I will take note of Gary's suggestion and not add wax to my letters to America though!

Offline Lori M

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2014, 08:26:02 PM »
 Is flexible wax always in a form like hot glue stick? I have some old wax sticks (at least 5 years old) and even some wax beads that you heat up in a metal spoon. Should I assume that those are the old "brittle" wax? And that even if have your letter hand postmarked, it still has to go through auto-sorting machines?  :(

Offline Brad franklin

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2014, 08:34:51 PM »
I received a letter from Moya today in the States and the wax seal looked great.

Offline Moya

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2014, 08:38:51 PM »
Oh that's good to know Brad!! :)

Lori, no, my wax sticks are just sticks - I don't have a hot glue gun or anything.  I think the easiest way to tell if your wax sticks are brittle or not is to make a seal and then try to bend or crack it - if it can take the abuse you give it, it can probabyl tae the post office :)

Offline garyn

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2014, 09:05:49 PM »
Is flexible wax always in a form like hot glue stick? I have some old wax sticks (at least 5 years old) and even some wax beads that you heat up in a metal spoon. Should I assume that those are the old "brittle" wax? And that even if have your letter hand postmarked, it still has to go through auto-sorting machines?  :(

@Lori,
I don't know the actual process, but I think that is the case. 
I think once it gets into the system it is auto sorted.
One way to test this is to have someone send a letter and get it "hand postmarked," then the recipient check the envelope for a bar-code along the bottom of the envelope.  If that bar code is there, then it is more than likely that the letter was auto sorted.

I don't know if there is a manual sort process for delicate letters that are hand postmarked.

I think it is a luck of the draw that a flexible seal will survive the mechanical sorting or not. 
So far I have been unlucky with 2 damaged out of 2 received.
But Brad received his undamaged, so there is hope.

I think flex wax is also available in candle or bar format.
But like was said, you can test it by making a small seal, then bend it.  If it cracks, it is the traditional wax, if it does not crack, then it is flex or supple sealing wax.

@Brad
Does your letter from Moya have the bar code along the bottom of the front of the envelope?
« Last Edit: May 27, 2014, 09:54:49 PM by garyn »
Gary

Offline Roseann

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2014, 09:14:41 PM »
Hi Linda!
I've used the low temp guns with the supple (flexible) wax sticks, and everyone's told me that they get them intact.
 
I once asked, and paid extra!,  for the post office to hand cancel one envelope with the wax seal and it was delivered with large, horrifying black marker slashes across the stamp!!!  I couldn't believe it!!  But the wax seal was fine. 
After that incident I don't bother to have them hand cancelled anymore.  I just drop it in the mail.  And you don't need extra postage either.  As long as the envelope is within the standard weight allowed. 

You can always mail one to yourself and see how it looks when it's delivered to you. 
Roseann

“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”   R. L. Stevenson

Offline Brad franklin

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2014, 09:33:04 PM »
@garyn

There is indeed a bar code and some digital numbers at the bottom edge of the envelope. I will also add that I have not received any mail for a week because my normal mailman was on vacation and the temporary mailman could not find my box  >:( so I am not sure if my letter was just sitting at the post office. But it still survived  :)

Offline Brad franklin

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2014, 09:42:38 PM »
Moya,  here is the seal now. How has it been affected if any?

Offline Moya

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2014, 10:04:04 PM »
Nope, that's pretty much exactly how it looked when I sent it, messy half-glitter and all :)

Offline Brad franklin

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2014, 10:06:12 PM »
excellent! ;D

Offline SueL

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2014, 10:41:16 PM »
This makes me want to send myself a self-addressed calligraphy style envelope with wax seal, just to see how it looks after it's been through the mail system. :)

Offline schin

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Re: wax seals
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2014, 11:29:32 PM »
I love wax seals!
I have found that not many survive the post.. but these ones by Atelier Gargoyle do: http://www.ateliergargoyle.com/pages/waxes/agsealingwax.html

Their seals are more waxy and glue-gunnish but the colors are great, very rich and opaque and stick on very well. They also smell kinda nice! I have not had reports of them breaking yet, and I seal em outside on the envelope! Here's a pic of the seals they sent me:



They also sell traditional Herbin seals: http://www.ateliergargoyle.com/pages/waxes/herbinsealingwax.html
But I find these ones are safer inside the envelope.. and even then are prone to breaking. I like the atelier gargoyle ones better.
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