OK, the thread on the coin collection got me thinking. I avidly collected stamps as a youngster in the 60s and 70s. I inherited my grandfather's stamp collection in the late 70s. I had the Scotts catalogue and looked them up at the time, and I had many stamps that were valued at that time in the 25-200 dollar range. That was 40 years ago. The collection has been sitting in my storage for decades. I have nobody to leave it to, and I do not collect stamps any more. Can any SF collector recommend the best way to get this appraised and to sell it, without getting ripped off? I understand the buyer needs to make money. Thats how it works. Thanks for any advice. This is not a covert ad trying to sell to anyone here. I just would like to know if there is a trusted place to get this done.

I used to collect stamps when I was younger. I collected first day covers, upper right blocks and I worked hard to get every space stamp I could lay my hands on. If I remember, Manama had some great photograph quality stamps that I had

Unfortunately when I was a student at Northrop University back in 1983 I ran into a bit of grief and sold the collection and a a half-bag of Kennedy half dollars. I think I got hosed - I figured I got 10% of what it was worth

but I was a starving student and desperate

I'd try to find a local collector to take a look at it for you to give you a raw idea of what it might be worth before you take it to a shop. They will likely give you a heavily discounted low-ball price and you need another data point

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I used to collect stamps when I was younger. I collected first day covers, upper right blocks and I worked hard to get every space stamp I could lay my hands on. If I remember, Manama had some great photograph quality stamps that I had

Unfortunately when I was a student at Northrop University back in 1983 I ran into a bit of grief and sold the collection and a a half-bag of Kennedy half dollars. I think I got hosed - I figured I got 10% of what it was worth

but I was a starving student and desperate

I'd try to find a local collector to take a look at it for you to give you a raw idea of what it might be worth before you take it to a shop. They will likely give you a heavily discounted low-ball price and you need another data point

Yeah, that is why I do not want to take to a local "shop in a strip mall". I would like to know about a nationally respected stamp dealer that will not rip me off. Just like what they are talking about in the coin collection thread posted here, of late. I understand any dealer/buyer needs to make money. I just would like to know if anyone here knows a respected national dealer. I need a Dave Truong for stamps! Heck if Dave dealt in stamps I would just mail him the collection!

Perhaps you live in a town that has a local stamp collector club? You might google that.

I think that might be a good place to ask people face to face and be less likely to get ripped off.

Good luck to you.

A brick and mortar store isn't necessarily going to rip you off. They're not going to pay market value so they can resell at market value. Surely, you've seen Pawn Stars. Unless you're wiling to do the legwork and sell each stamp to someone who wants exactly that stamp at your price, you're going to have to sell to someone who's in it to flip for a profit. I have a coin collection I no longer care about. I'm going to have to find someone in the business to take it from me, or I can try to move each coin individually to someone who wants exactly that year and condition. Guess which one I'll choose.

I was suggesting that you find a local collector

I've also got a collecton of really early US stuff, plus some depression era German stuff... from my looking around, it seems stamp collecting is not a thing the current generation is very interested in.

^^^^ There's no buttons for them to push with their thumbs.

quote:

Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
I've also got a collecton of really early US stuff, plus some depression era German stuff... from my looking around, it seems stamp collecting is not a thing the current generation is very interested in.

That also what I found out 5 plus years ago. Very limited market for old stamps these days. Kinda like old typewriters.

My Mom had a stamp collection from the 70’s, she wanted me to check the value.

I took one booklet home, checked prices on eBay. They were about worthless. These were just run of the mill ‘collector’ type stamps from the mid 70’s.

If one goes back further, they may be worth something. I still have that one booklet, also another thing many today have little interest in.

My Father was a avid stamp collector his entire life. He inherited his fathers collection.
I remember him pointing out some entrees that he was particularly proud of. One was a block that was canceled in space and signed by the astronauts.
He sold part of the collection about 20 years ago and then started a new project of American presidents.
When he died he left me the collection.
I have no interest in it nor do any of the current close familiarly members.Many of my family including my wife wanted me to have it appraised, I decline.
I decided that because it meant so much to my father I would hang on to it, I have no interest in its monetary value. I took everything and vacumn packed it with oxygen wafers and put it all in the back of my gun safe.It will stay there until eventually somebody in the family is born that has an interest in Stamp collecting.

I would take a couple of the high end ones and take it to the local stamp/coin show when they come around and see what you would get. Maybe there are stamp clubs in your area also.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I will see if there is a local stamp club with perhaps some dealers as members. Had not thought of that. I know I have a handful that do have value, but most I imagine do not. I might frame some of the cool first day covers from the space race era in the 1960s. I know they sold tons of them to young baby boomer collectors (like me) and they are not valuable. But they sure look cool! I once had an elderly client stamp collector that used to use his old mint stamps from the 40s/50s/60s (that did not have collectible value) on Christmas cards. Every year I got a card from him with about 6-8 old mint stamps on it. Enough to add up to current postage costs. I might do that as I have a lot of mint stamps I bought in the 60s/70s that have no value other than face value. They are neat looking stamps though. The other thing I was just told is to sell the few valuable ones on Ebay. That will get a better price than to a dealer who might pay 25% of value. I guess I have to do some research again. Time to pull it all out of storage. There is one I need to look up. It is an upside down old airplane and is a 24 cent stamp. Looks like a bi-plane.

do you live in the U.S.?

You can't lick a good stamp collection...

Sell a valuable stamp on eBay? Sure, and the buyer claims they got something other than as advertised, gets their money back, and sends you ‘back’ a corner of a Christmas card envelope with a cancelled Forever Stamp.

Times have changed. A lot of what we did the modern generation doesn't.

Are there still stamp stores in the mall?

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:
Times have changed. A lot of what we did the modern generation doesn't.

Are there still stamp stores in the mall?

I doubt most modern kids even know what a stamp is or what it's for. . . .

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:
Times have changed. A lot of what we did the modern generation doesn't.

Are there still stamp stores in the mall?

I doubt most modern kids even know what a stamp is or what it's for. . . .

flashguy

E-mail(and that's getting old too) is now.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
A brick and mortar store isn't necessarily going to rip you off. They're not going to pay market value so they can resell at market value. Surely, you've seen Pawn Stars. Unless you're wiling to do the legwork and sell each stamp to someone who wants exactly that stamp at your price, you're going to have to sell to someone who's in it to flip for a profit. I have a coin collection I no longer care about. I'm going to have to find someone in the business to take it from me, or I can try to move each coin individually to someone who wants exactly that year and condition. Guess which one I'll choose.

Yup, bear this in mind. To maximize return, you'll have to sell them a few at a time, and research what the market price is. It will take a lot of time and effort.

Otherwise, ask a stamp collector who he would trust near you to give you a fair bulk price.

I suspect that most ordinary collectible stamps aren't worth a lot of money, unfortunately.