Posts Tagged ‘sell’

You may have stumbled on a box filled with old postage stamps that maybe your great grandparents had and simply became curious if they are of any value; you have come to the right place. You will be surprised to know as to how much is a stamp worth. Postage stamps have their own corresponding values; it’s just that older postage stamps are worth a bit more. The value of old postage stamps enormously varies depending on how uncommon the stamps are. The rarer your old postage stamp, the more valuable it will be.

Ways to find the value of old postage stamps: – One way of determining the value of stamps, is by simply contacting any stamp dealer in your locality. There are reliable dealers that can provide you with the price of stamps or the cost of stamps. Another way would be checking out the online stamp price guide, it can really help you identify your stamps and moreover find out their value. Stamp prices may vary when consulting with different dealers, because some dealers are fraudulent with their stamp prices in order to make better profits. Better yet, determine the postage stamp values on your own.

In determining stamp value, it is not just the age of the postage stamp that matters, but several factors need to be considered. The keys to stamp valuation are centering, condition or grade, rarity, aesthetics, age, provenance, material, and catalogues or periodicals.

Identify the old postage stamp: – You need to fully identify the stamp itself, including the catalog number. You can do this by looking it up in a catalogue, like the Stanley Gibbons catalogue used in Great Britain or the Scott Specialized Catalog of United States. There you will find photographs and the cost of stamps or postage stamp prices, sorted by date of issue.

Determine the centering: – Centering is the first step in determining the stamp’s value. Centering can be determined as poor, average, fine, very fine, superb and jumbo. There is no established system for grading the stamp’s center, so naturally it is done through eyeballing. The basic technique to see the true centering of the stamp is to simply look at it upside down. When the stamp is turned upside down, your eyes needs to adjust as they are not used to seeing words or designs upside down. As a result, you can impartially asses the stamp’s centering.

Study the condition or grade: – The Condition or Grade of your stamp is one of the most important factors in determining its value. The higher the grade of the stamp condition, the more desirable and valuable it will be.

Give attention to gum: – The Gum is the glue found on the backside of a stamp. For “Mint” postage stamps, the gum must be perfect, the gum must be original and the stamp must not have gum skips or heavy natural gum creases. You cannot find gum on used postage stamps.

Note the degree of cancellation: – The condition of used stamps is judged differently and priced on the degree of cancellation. It may be lightly cancelled, wherein the main design of the stamp is visible and moderately cancelled; or heavily cancelled, wherein the main design is barely visible and the cancel is dark, therefore making it less valuable than the lightly cancelled stamp.

Determine the perforation condition of your stamps:- Perforations are the circular cutouts punched into a printed stamp to relieve its separation from other surrounding stamps. They vary in size and number, but all should have full teeth and clean holes.

Rarity: – The rarity of the stamp is based on its visibility in the market. When it comes to determining the value of postage stamps, rarity may surpass condition or grade in importance for the reason that some buyers would rather have a rare postage stamp or not have it at all. Auctions can often be considered as reliable sources in knowing the rarity and value of a postage stamp.

Age and material are also essential factors as it often adds value to the stamps. The origin of the old postage stamp can simply tell what period the stamp was produced, where it was manufactured and the type of material used. These factors alone can add value to the stamps but if coupled with traceable history and other factors, may make the stamps desirable.

Catalogues: – Several stamps are listed in catalogues or periodicals, most are meant for reference purposes and often used in order to classify and categorize stamps.

Getting the maximum amount of money for Stamps is the wish of every philatelist. It is usually possible to get maximum prices for your stamps if you follow certain rules. It is not difficult to follow these rules. However, remember that by following these or any other rules, you do not have a guarantee of a maximum price for your stamps. But, it will give you a guide line that if followed, may help you to get better value for your stamps or collection than if you hadn’t followed the guidelines. The values of stamps are greatly dependent on who buys your stamps or stamps collection.

Finding buyers for your stamps is not as difficult as in the past, thanks to advances in communication and technology. First, find out if the market exists for your particular stamps. You can go to a stamp shop, auctioneer or even stamp dealer to sell your stamps. They will be very happy to sell your stamps, and will charge you with their expenses. If you don’t know how much the dealer will pay you for your collectible, then visit a dealer and ask. Typically stamp dealers or auctioneers will pay you 30% to 40% of the retail price of your stamps if you want cash immediately. But, if you are willing to wait until your collectible is sold, then you may be able to get maximum of the retail price.

Another alternative is to auction your stamps. Here also the rules vary with different countries. Typically you may receive a maximum of 70 to 80% of the sale value after fees and taxes. The one important thing about auctions is that you are dealing with many strangers. Choosing the auctioneer is also very important. Select the auctioneer that has a good record for selling the stamps that you want to sell. Try to observe the auctioneer for 3 or 4 times. This will give you a feel for how much cash your stamps will be sold for in your auction.

After seeing the exorbitant fee charged by the stamp dealers, auctioneer, or reseller, you may be thinking of selling your stamps on your own. If so, then you should consider that carefully before you make up your mind. The average person has very limited resources. You may be able to get an advertisement in a local newspaper, or sell your collectibles at exhibitions by renting a stall. Again in one or two days there is a very remote chance that you can sell your stamps from your stall at the prices you are expecting. If you add all the expenses than you will realize that it is better to give 25-30% to professionals for selling your stamps.

One good practice is to set a minimum price for your collectible before you even consider selling it. Think of how valuable the stamps are to you, and vow not to part with it for less than a certain amount. Then when you start getting offers from prospective buyers, you will know exactly where to draw the line. Much of the time, a seller will get offered an amount of money that is less than ideal, but will be so excited by the prospect that he will take the first offer to come. Avoid making this mistake, as you will surely regret it.

Selling stamps is very different than buying stamps. Selling your stamp collection requires some homework and research. As selling stamps is not an exact science, there are no standard rules to follow but the one important thing that will help you to get maximum amount for your stamps: research. Do as much research as possible on your stamps, their markets, their prices, and so on. To find out present market value for your stamps, check latest standard stamp catalogs like Stanley Gibbons or Scott and watch auctions held by various stamp auction dealers. Of you are thorough and cautious when selling; you could find that your collection hobby is very profitable in the end. Having more knowledge on yours Stamps should give you more money for your collection.