How Much Money Caan I Get For My Old Stamps

When you're wondering how to sell your stamp collection, yous're probably as well curious near how much your stamps are worth. Learn how stamps are priced, and and so find out about getting an appraisal for your collection.

How Stamps are Valued

The cost of a postage stamp is determined by several factors:

Rarity: How common is the stamp? Were many issued originally? How many are available at present?
Condition: Does the stamp wait similar information technology simply came from the mail office? If so, information technology's in "superb" condition. Stamps that are torn, wrinkled, dirty or otherwise damaged lose value. However, for some collectors, worn stamps are interesting considering they are show of postal history.

Has the postage been used on an envelope? Although you may exist able to soak information technology off, it'due south better to leave the stamp in identify. The envelope — or "cover" — may contain historical information that some collectors detect important, such as date, writer and recipient names, also as geographical origin, destination and journey through which it traveled.

A letter that's been mailed will take a cancellation, or postmark, on the postage. The ink should not block the stamp's design. Nevertheless, some unusual cancellations — such as pre-machine hand stamped marks — add value to a stamp. Stamps that accept been "socked on the olfactory organ" are sought after. This characteristic — SON — refers to a cancellation that centers on the stamp. The value arises from its rarity.

Other criteria that affect condition are color soundness, centering, glue, perforation and margins. Stamps are worth more if their colors have not faded due to sunlight, indoor lighting, clay, pollution and human being contact. The value is higher if a stamp's blueprint is centered inside its perforations.

A hinge is a small, gummed paper rectangle that attaches the back-side of a postage stamp to an anthology folio. Hinges sometimes leave marks on the back and can reduce a postage's value. Ideally, the postage'southward own gum should exist equally pristine as possible. Also, complete perforations effectually a stamp'south four edges are preferred. Margins that may incorporate printing plate numbers or other inscriptions are plant with blocks of stamps.
Purchaser: Stamp storeowners, show dealers, individual collectors and sellers through auctions and mail sales often earn different amounts. Professionals who program to resell stamps buy at prices that let them make profits.
Original purchase prices: If a knowledgeable collector spent a lot of coin buying stamps, they probably have pregnant value.

Age: Mod stamps have very limited value, usually but a small percentage of confront value.

Face value: Stamps with higher face value typically add together to a collection'due south value — of course, higher original price would add to the value.

Number: Blocks, pairs or sheets of stamps can be worth more than than single stamps. Never separate continued stamps.

Storage: Store stamps in a cool, dry out, nighttime area and so they stay in top condition. Rut, light and moisture cause damage. Stamps should exist stored upright and never stacked, which causes them to stick together. If y'all have stamps that are fastened, don't endeavour to pare them apart yourself. Seek skillful assistance, or you can make matters worse.

Although some stamps have keen innate value, collectors who have action to preserve their stamps retain — or increase — their value.

How Do I Know If My Stamps are Valuable?

The more familiar you are with the hobby, the better you will be at estimating how much your stamps are worth.

If you're a collector, you probably already have a sense of market value. You lot have an idea of which stamps — and which countries' stamps — are most valuable. Keep an upwardly-to-date inventory of your stamps to monitor market place changes. That information serves equally a guide to your collection's value.

When y'all inherit a collection, you might as well receive information that provides clues virtually the stamps' worth. Consider these questions:

Does the will incorporate details about value?
Does the collection come with an insurance policy?
Are in that location invoices, bills of sale or canceled checks from dealers or auction houses? A pregnant amount spent on a collection often suggests a high value.
Did the collector proceed an inventory? If so, are there indications of catalogue numbers? These can exist used to look up values.

Whether yous're a collector or inheritor, you're probably going to want to get an idea of your collection's worth before you decide to sell. Start with Scott Standard Postage Catalogues, which are benchmark sources in the Us. The information is revised yearly. Each stamp has two listing prices: one for used and 1 for mint or unused condition. Most libraries have copies of the catalogues.

It'southward important to realize that the list prices are not commonly what you'll receive for your stamps. Status is the primary factor and value is generally a pct of the Scott Catalogue value.

Where and How to Go a Postage stamp Appraisal

Get an estimate of what your stamps are worth before selling them by seeking an appraisal. An appraiser can take unlike approaches when valuing a collection. For example, yous can detect your stamps':

Catalogue value
Replacement value (through insurance)
Potential auction cost
Retail price if sold in a shop
Wholesale value if purchased past a dealer

Appraisers typically focus on important stamps and may spend little or no time on mutual stamps in your collection.

Find a reputable dealer/appraiser through the American Stamp Dealers Clan, National Postage stamp Dealers Association or the American Philatelic Society. Each group's code of conduct requires members to provide honest, updated appraisals. Y'all can also locate an expert based on dealer recommendations.

The cost of an appraisal generally falls between $l and $100 per hour when appraising for insurance value — if non for a written insurance appraisement, Apfelbaum, Inc.'due south appraisals are always gratuitous.

Appraisals take unlike forms:

Make an engagement, and bring your stamps personally to the appraiser.
Ship your stamps through the mail to an appraiser.
Utilise an appraiser from an auction house for loftier-terminate collections.

Factors to Consider in Selling a Collection

When determining the best time or method for selling your stamp collection, keep these elements in mind:

The value of stamps fluctuates depending upon marketplace conditions. You lot'll get the all-time price when the market is strong and there's demand for your stamps. This may mean delaying for a few years, but the wait could significantly increase profits.
Stamps require specific ecology weather condition to retain their worth. If yous make up one's mind to concord onto your collection until the market improves, be sure to maintain those standards. There's no indicate in holding onto stamps if y'all let them devalue.
If your collection is incomplete, adding sure stamps could round it out and heighten its value. Consider this stride when a collection features stamps from a specific land or historical era.
Postage collections are typically categorized past value:
- High (worth more than $3,000): Auction houses typically take only high value collections.
- Medium (worth $i,000-$three,000)
- Depression (worth up to $1,000)

In one case you lot develop an authentic guess of your collection's value, y'all'll exist better able to achieve potential buyers. There's goose egg incorrect with shopping your stamps around, looking for the highest price. Even if you lot receive an offer, yous don't have to sell. A sales attempt may plough out to exist a mode to gather data for the futurity.

Source: https://www.apfelbauminc.com/guide-to-sell-a-stamp-collection/chapter-4-what-stamps-are-worth

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