I Don't Collect Stamps!

So why am I here???

My father just passed away.
He has collected stamps since he was a child.
I have them now, but don't know a thing about them!

I collect coins.
Dad got his stamp collecting bug from his uncle.
He never included me until the last little bit of
time he had left. I tried to absorb as much as
possible, but there wasn't any time.

I got the coin collecting from my mother's father,
and that is what I know and love.

I am here because the situation I find myself in,
and I know from the sister board, Coin Community,
how much help I can get from others in the know.

So I sit back and watch.
I'll ask more questions than I can answer here.

My stamps are cancelled covers going back to the 1860s, and uncancelled stamps going back to about the same time.
He had 11 books intended for mounted unc stamps.
Some are totally full, others have plenty of holes.
They are all brown, with "heritage" in gold on the spine.

He got most of his stuff from Kenmore early on.
Later in life he got with Mystic.
I have nearly 100,000 "profit shares" with Mystic.
I don't know what that is in terms of purchasing power,
Maybe someone can tell me.
I know you have to spend them only on a specific catlog...

All the binders and tan pages within came from Mystic.

He used to keep his uncs in an "All American" album from Kenmore in the late 60s or early 70s.
Most of the REALLY old stamps mounted in there came out to the "Heritage" books. But he must have had multiples of stamps starting in the 20th century because many of them are still there, and the newer binders are nearly solid filled for the 20th.
19th century stamps are plentiful, but there are more and more holes the further back you go.

He specialized in UN stamps.
He was a kid when they formed the UN, so he enjoyed that series.
He has every UN made between the 50s and 90s mounted nice and neat.
We have UN first day covers, as well as US first days, coming out our ears!

For cancelled covers, he had several hundred from 1860s to 1960s.
The bulk of which, about 90% IMO, are from 1895-1945.
Most of those are 1900-1910, with WW2 being the 2nd most plentiful.

All this said... I know just enough about this stuff to get me in trouble!

Oh, and my name is Dave, and I live in the Florida Panhandle.

Dave, we all learned by trial and error ,,its a great school...there must be a stamp club somewhere there in the Panhandle...attend the meetings..most collectors are honest folks and you can learn a lot from them..its a shame your Dad did not show you some select pieces and give you some idea of value on them ...

Dave:

Phil hit it on the nose, Try to find a local stamp club in your area, but beware, don't give them the idea, that you want to sell the collection.

They will be more honest with you, if they think that you will be continuing your dads hobby.

Dave,
So sorry about the loss of your father!

Your dad has got to have some reference books--First Day Cover books/ stamp books there,also, to use as beginning references. The short time that I have been here, I have learned so much! Sometimes people who want a certain stamp or FDC to go with their collection will pay more than it is worth to obtain it -- sometimes not. Also, values stated in the catalogues take in to account a lot of different factors--it is a suggested value . Then there's the condition of the stamp/FDC--centering of cancel, etc. All that said, you have quite a job ahead of you just trying to figure out the collection values--take it a step at a time and calculate it's value as you go OR possibly pay someone to do it for you.

Gussyboy1

Thanks guys.

Bob, I am not sure I want to sell this stuff.
I am also pretty sure that I will not be adding
to the collection either though.

I might just go through and mount everything up
just so, and put the covers in some protective
sleeves or something. There are just so many,
it's a little overwhelming for someone as
green as myself, and not quite as interested
as I should be, or would be if I collected
stamps myself.

If they didn't have senimental value, I would
be looking to trade them for coins.

Sorry that I am not as 'into it' as you guys.
But I am waiting to learn and maybe it
could spark some interest in keeping this stuff
for the collecting aspect.

Thanks
Dave

Dave:

Keep the stuff, pass it on to you kids, by the looks of the covers, [ you posted ] your dad had a great collection

Welcome to the stamp community, Dave!



Sorry about the loss of your father.

We are happy to help out with identifying what you have!

In general, the most valuable single stamps will be those issued before 1940.

The value of the covers will depend on the stamp(s), the clearness and readability of the cancel, the scarceness and desirability of covers from that town (if it came from a small town), the destination, backstamps, advertising and/or illustrations on the cover, the type of business (if it is a advertising cover), and of course the condition of both the stamp and the cover.

Covers addressed to important people, military covers, political covers, patriotic covers, and historical covers have higher value.

Early FDCs and especially early FDCs with unusual cachets may also have significant value.

To reduce the chance of damage, do not handle the stamps with your fingers, use stamp tongs.
You can also buy plastic sleeves for the covers to put them in to protect them from damage.

Since it sounds like your father collected mostly US and UN, so you really need a Scott US Specialized catalog.
The latest is the 2008 edition which came out last November. It costs about $50. There is no real need to buy the latest edition.
You can do just as well with one from 2005, 2006 or 2007, which you can get on ebay for roughly $15, $25, or $35, respectively.
The 2003 and 2004 editions are still useful and you might win one on ebay for $10 or less if you want to keep expenses to a minimum.

Best of luck with your new collection!