How do I know if my stamp collection is valuable?

Contact the Philatelic Traders’ Society by visiting its website and find your local dealer. They will be able to give your collection an ‘appraisal’ for free and give you advice as to whether or not your collection may be worth something.

Does anyone buy old stamp collections?

Selling To A Collector

Selling directly to another stamp collector may provide you with the highest sale price for your stamps. You’ll bypass dealer and auction mark-ups. … If you’re a knowledgable stamp collector, and have a network of other collectors you can barter with, this may be a good option for you.

Where do I sell my old stamp collection?

If you know you have rare stamps, you can sell them through several means:
  1. Local Dealer: Dealers handle both collections and individual stamps. …
  2. Mail Order Dealer: If you’re not going local, consider working with a mail order dealer. …
  3. American Philatelic Society Circuit Sales: …
  4. Auction House:

Are old stamp collections valuable?

Stamp collections only rarely contain extremely rare and valuable stamps. … Values assigned by stamp catalogues are very optimistic and seldom realized. In the real world, modern mint stamps are not worth their face value when sold at auction or to dealers unless there was a low print run or a printing error.

What can I do with an old stamp collection?

Ways to sell your stamps
  • Using a stamp dealer. It is vital to understand that dealers are often also collectors in search of a bargain. …
  • Stamp fairs. …
  • Stamp Magazine. …
  • Selling stamps on eBay. …
  • Donating stamps to a charity. …
  • Selling stamps at auction. …
  • Selling stamps by Private Treaty Sale.

What are the most valuable stamps to collect?

Most Valuable Stamps in the World
  • 1904 6d Pale Dull Purple I.R. Official. Value: $535,204.
  • 1897 Red Revenue One Dollar Small. Value: $889,765.
  • 1868 George Washington B-Grill. Value: $1.035 million.
  • 1918 Inverted Jenny. Value: $1.593 million.
  • 1859 Sicilian Error of Color. Value: $2.6 million.

What stamps are collectors looking for?

Stamp collecting, also known as philately, is a hobby as old as stamps themselves.
…
The Four Main Elements of a Stamp.
Stamp Year Price
Baden 9 Kreuzer Error 1851 €1.31 Million
The Inverted Jenny 1918 $1.35 Million
1c Benjamin Franklin Z Grill 1868 $935,000
3c George Washington w/ B Grill 1867 $900,000
•
Sep 14, 2020

Is there an app to identify stamps?

The free “Stamp Manager” app takes the stamp collectors’ world into the digital age with a mobile desktop platform. … The app is available for both iOS and android free of charge in the respective app store.

Do people still collect stamps?

Today, more than 5 million people in the U.S. alone collect, preserve, and trade or sell stamps. If you are considering becoming a “philatelist,” A.K.A. a stamp collector, as a hobby or an investment, there are a few things you should consider before you get started.

What was stamp collection How was it related to Charley?

According to the author, stamp collecting is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’. Its an escapement from worldly worries. One night, while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-day covers, the letter of Sam with a six-cent stamp mailed to his Granddad earlier into his collection.

Do stamps go up in value?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is raising the cost of its Forever First-Class stamps at the end of August. Starting Aug. 29, the cost of a Forever stamp, or mailing a 1-ounce letter, will increase from 55 cents to 58 cents. Additional ounces for letters will remain at 20 cents.

Is stamp collecting a deceased hobby?

Whilst it is true that stamp collecting is in decline, reports of its death are greatly exaggerated. … The average age of a stamp collector is about 60 plus and there doesn’t appear to be a shortage of people who, when they reach their latter years, turn to philately as a hobby.

What problems are new stamp collectors likely to face?

The biggest handicap new collectors face is that fewer people use stamps on mail these days, and when they do, the stamps may not be worth collecting. Once, even the utility bill had a stamp on it; now, a birthday card from a far-distant aunt is likely to have only a routine flag stamp.

What does Cinderella mean in stamp collecting?

In philately, a cinderella stamp is “virtually anything resembling a postage stamp, but not issued for postal purposes by a government postal administration”. … The term excludes imprinted stamps on postal stationery.

Why have stamps lost their value?

The overall effect of all this is that stamp prices have declined due to numerous part time and one-time sellers willing to undercut the market in order to liquidate their collections. Since many of these sellers are retired, they put a very low value on the time and effort needed to conduct their business.

How do you store a stamp collection?

How can I store my stamps? The best way to store stamps is in a stamp album or on loose leaf paper in a binder. Affix your stamps by using stamp hinges, glassine strips with gum on one side, or stamp mounts, clear plastic sleeves that offer better protection for unused stamps.

What does hinged mean in stamp collecting?

Use. The short end is moistened and affixed to the stamp, the long end is likewise affixed to the page. The hinge keeps the stamp on the page while still allowing it to be lifted to examine the back, for instance to see the watermark or expert marks.

How do you protect valuable stamps?

Here are three tips for keeping your stamps that can protect them from harmful situations:
  1. Store your stamps high up if you’re storing them in a closet. …
  2. Store stamps in an area of your home that’s very dry but not too hot. …
  3. Don’t store stamps at the bottom of a box with anything even remotely damp on top of them.