Stamp Collection Value?

hcoles · 11:51 AM

Hey Pelicans,
Anyone interested or knowledgeable in postage stamp collecting?
I inherited a collection and I have no idea what the value might be.
How do I find out in an efficient way?
Most of the stamps are "pasted" in a collection book.
I can post photos if that helps.
Thanks.

Mods please move to OT. Thanks.

hcoles · 10-08-2021, 11:03 AM

my error - mods please move to OT - Thanks.

herr_oberst · 10-08-2021, 12:26 PM

There was a thread a while back from someone asking the same question. I can't remember who started it. Basically, the gist was "not too much". IIRC

hcoles · 10-08-2021, 12:28 PM

I figured that was likely the case. Just trying to get rid of stuff so I can start getting rid of my stuff.

stevej37 · 12:42 PM

[QUOTE=hcoles;11479587]Hey Pelicans
Most of the stamps are "pasted" in a collection book.

If they are pasted/glued in...not good. Are any of them 'not pasted'?
I'd take it to a coin/stamp store and get a quote.
Most all of them will take a look at it.

einreb · 10-08-2021, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcoles

Hey Pelicans,
Anyone interested or knowledgeable in postage stamp collecting?
I inherited a collection and I have no idea what the value might be.
How do I find out in an efficient way?
Most of the stamps are "pasted" in a collection book.
I can post photos if that helps.
Thanks.

Mods please move to OT. Thanks.

How old are the stamps? The most likely answer to your question is 'not much', but it can be interesting to learn a bit and find out about them.

FWIW -I inherited a decent stamp collection a while back and went through a similar process. I matched up Scott numbers for some and got a rough idea of what may be worth a bit (https://findyourstampsvalue.com/helpful-terms/scott-numbers) Generally speaking, the stamps from the 1800's had a few (Columbian Exposition set, etc.) that were worth *something* and the later stamps worth next to nothing relatively speaking.

This was in about 2005 and I had an auction house give me a $3-5k estimate if it went to auction on what would have been book price at around $10k (you never get that book price).

I still have the stamps due to a combination of being lazy and sentimental. I highly suspect that the collection is worth less now that it was in 2005.

MMiller · 10-08-2021, 03:58 PM

We just went thru this with my Grandfathers stamp collection. Had 2 or 3 big books of well preserved mint stamps. Most very cool to look at and we were hopeful worth some bucks. My older sister had a friend who lived in Phoenix who was a collector and he offered to take a look and advise. We watched him turn page after page with out much interest. Once done he went back to two pages and pulled about 6 stamps. He said these may bring some money and offered to put them in an auction for us. The rest he said we should use to mail letters. The auction came and went and we netted about 600 bucks on the 6 or so stamps. My grandfather collected coins too... they turned out about like the stamps, most worth face value.

M

hcoles · 10-08-2021, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMiller

We just went thru this with my Grandfathers stamp collection. Had 2 or 3 big books of well preserved mint stamps. Most very cool to look at and we were hopeful worth some bucks. My older sister had a friend who lived in Phoenix who was a collector and he offered to take a look and advise. We watched him turn page after page with out much interest. Once done he went back to two pages and pulled about 6 stamps. He said these may bring some money and offered to put them in an auction for us. The rest he said we should use to mail letters. The auction came and went and we netted about 600 bucks on the 6 or so stamps. My grandfather collected coins too... they turned out about like the stamps, most worth face value.

M

Thanks for that story. I think I need to go see what a store will say. I don't know any collectors. I expect it is all not worth much.

mtnrat · 10-08-2021, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcoles

Thanks for that story. I think I need to go see what a store will say. I don't know any collectors. I expect it is all not worth much.

Call the local Philatelic club. They will put you in touch with someone who can evaluate your collection. Most of the time it is worth sweet f all. With my fathers it was worth over 50,000. But if he had concentrated on China rather than Japan it would have been worth much much more.

Bill Douglas · 10-08-2021, 11:04 PM

Sadly, for the first time in generations, no one wants stamps (relatively speaking).

Young people (like we were when we collected stamps) say "What's a stamp?"

javadog · 10-09-2021, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Sadly, for the first time in generations, no one wants stamps (relatively speaking).

Young people (like we were when we collected stamps) say "What's a stamp?"

I bet the average kid of today has never written a letter and actually gone to the post office and mailed it.

hcoles · 10-09-2021, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnrat

Call the local Philatelic club. They will put you in touch with someone who can evaluate your collection. Most of the time it is worth sweet f all. With my fathers it was worth over 50,000. But if he had concentrated on China rather than Japan it would have been worth much much more.

Thanks, I'll do it.

jcommin · jcommin's Garage

No stamps but coins for me. Value, not much but I enjoyed the search. I still look thru change and sometimes stumble on a wheat penny - I save it. Old habits die hard.

Seahawk · 10-09-2021, 08:29 AM

We got a bunch of stamps via inheritance. I posted about it but that was over 5 years ago.

I spent $15 to join a stamp evaluation web site for two months. The interface was terrific and it was a lot of fun seeing what the stamps MAY be worth. I frankly don't remember the sites name.

Nothing of real value, perhaps $600 total. I kept the stamps more in memory of Mr. Landes than anything.

Good luck!

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

You may have a ton of stamps that are worth nothing but one in there could be extremely valuable. The trick is finding out if any of them are worth anything from an honest appraisal. How many of us have had Porsche flippers offer to take that old sled off your hands for a fraction of what it is worth?

Seahawk · 10-09-2021, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

You may have a ton of stamps that are worth nothing but one in there could be extremely valuable. The trick is finding out if any of them are worth anything from an honest appraisal.

That is exactly right.

I still have the spreadsheet in Excel I built.

I enjoyed the hunt.

mtnrat · 10-09-2021, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcoles

Thanks, I'll do it.

They also brokered a deal with someone who wanted what we had. The people in the hobby/business are a pretty small group and can help with finding buyers.

id10t · 10-10-2021, 07:41 AM

The really valuable stamps...

Seahawk · 10-10-2021, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I still have the spreadsheet in Excel I built.

Here is a screen shot of the spreadsheet, one smallish section:

After I did the homework, the website values where $4k plus. The DC guy I went to was only interested in a few: G Rate Make Up Stamp, Circus Wagon, Steam Carriage Stage Coach and two Roosevelts.

All for about 1/5th the money from the website. I kept everything. Folks here warned me but again, I enjoyed it.