Rookie Question: New Or Used Stamps Are More Valuable?

Hi there, a newbie question.... for stamp collectors, a used stamp (with that country's postal office's stamp on the stamp itself) is more valuable, or a new unused stamp is more valuable? I am buying some stamps in Japan and I am wondering should I post use these stamps and send to my own address in Japan in order to get a post office's stamp on those stamps, or should I just keep them new, unused.

Thanks!

A quick answer: "It depends." Some used stamps do command higher values than mint, often because it will show proper postal duty.

Mint and Used Stamps both have their place as collectables. What you must be careful about, however, is that any attempt to take an old "mint" stamp and place it on an envelope today for a cancellation will likely devalue it. It is generally accepted by most stamp collectors that a postmark must be "contemporaneous" that is, if the stamp is dated to 1920, for example, the postmark is expected to be from that same general time period.

And, if I understand correctly, the condition of the stamp is a huge factor. Also, some post marks may be of particular interest to some collectors.

A general rule of thumb, the Mint stamps from very large countries are more valuable, while the very small countries, postally used are more valuable. There are of course many exceptions to this.


correction: mint added to large countries

Are you getting into this for investment purposes rather than just as a collector? If so I'd recommend you do a good deal more research on the subject. Contemporary stamps - cancelled or not - rarely command high prices on sale now, or years into the future. The letters you were thinking of sending might well be more valuable than the stamps on them.