|
How Much are My Stamps Worth?
This is a question that a lot of people have when they run into a small
collection of stamps. The general rule of thumb is that if money were put into a collection then there might be value.
It is very rare, if not impossible, to find a collection of value with no significant amount of money being spent to build
it. This means that the person who built the collection would most likely let the beneficiary of the collection know this.
If you have not been told that there is value in the collection, there is
another quick check that will give you an idea if the collection has merit. If
your collection has the $3, $4 and $5 stamps on this
page, and the $1 and $2 stamps on this
page, and the stamps are in good condition, the collection has merit. If
these stamps are missing and some of the other stamps on the pages are present,
it probably doesn't have significant value.
You should use a Scott catalogue to get a general idea of stamp values, but keep in mind that the values listed in Scott are for the very finest stamps and most stamps fall far short of that. If you look on eBay for similar stamps,
in general you will see them sell for a fraction of the price listed in Scott. This is because the condition is lacking.
The stamp may have faults, have lost its freshness or be poorly centered, among
other things.
Try to remember that it is not uncommon for those unaccustomed to using the
catalog to mistakenly "find" a rarity or two in their assortment.
A general rule that experienced catalog users follow is to automatically
assume their stamp can not be rare and to exhaustively search the catalog in
an attempt to find the more common variety. This happens more often than you
might think, we often receive emails regarding the rare Scott
613 and other sheet waste rarities. It is an easy trap to fall into,
but keep in mind that in this case the stamp must be rotary
press and perf 11 to be the rare 613. So far, every
example we have been asked about was the flat plate stamp, Scott 610.
On the other hand, if you have been made aware that there is some value in the collection, by all means take it to a local stamp dealer and let them make an offer. Keep in mind that they are a business and that their knowledge is the result of thousands of hours of experience. If you are willing to put in those hours yourself and sell the stamps individually, you will most likely do better, but that would be assuming you have a lot of free time on your hands. Further, building a library to educate yourself could easily run into the many
thousands of dollars, something most dealers have already done.
|
There is a stamp site that does offer values for U.S. stamps.
If you are trying to figure out how much your stamp is worth, you might want to
try here:
Roger
Kirby's U.S. Stamp Site
You might also want to visit your local stamp
club. You
would be amazed at how helpful stamp collectors can be. Along
this line, there are many stamp chat rooms on the Internet filled with very knowledgeable and
helpful collectors. Two of our favorites are Richard
Frajola's
and eBay's,
and there are many others.
At the end of the day, 1847USA will help you identify your stamps and from there you must determine the value. Often simply knowing the Scott number will allow you to go to eBay and look for a similar stamp in similar condition and get an idea of
its worth.
We hope this helps a little and that even if your stamp
doesn't hold a lot of value to other collectors, it does to you. A price can
not be placed on sentiment.
Enjoy stamp collecting and get to know your U.S. stamps.
Bob Allen, senior editor
1847USA
The Scott Specialized Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and Covers
-
Go to your local stamp dealer, one
that's listed in your local yellow pages, and purchase a copy. The dealer may even
have an older copy available at a discount. Alternately, you may purchase a
copy from one of the many mail order firms found in stamp magazines.
-
Visit your local library. Most libraries have
relatively recent copies of the catalog on the shelf. You may have to take your stamps with
you if the catalog is in the reference only section.
-
Many Scott catalogs are available on eBay. Try a search using
"Scott Specialized" or "Scott Catalog" and
you will be surprised at the nominal prices these catalogs bring at auction.
For practical purposes, the information in a three year old Scott catalog
can be nearly as helpful as the information in a current one.
|