Looking For Some Help/Advice

I'm not a stamp collector(sad I know), but I've come across a trove of stamps my grandmother collected for me.

Essentially it's 16/20 blocks, 4 blocks, doubles, singles, of everything released from 1972-1992. plus mint sets from 1976-1991(plus doubles), a few random collector sets like Bicentennial, Statue of liberty(1986), and a US/Australia joint set.

All said I have a little over $2500 face left plus the mint sets, pre-stamped envelopes, postcards, aerograms, and around 100 first day covers (sold off about $400 face for some things)

Now, I sold/traded the $400 face at around %70 face to a coin/stamp dealer. looking around that seemed fair. Now, I'm contemplating selling the rest straight up at %60 for the 20-40 cent stuff.(about 1500-1600 face). He'll take %10 of the smaller stuff at %60($150 face), and I'll still have around $400-500 face of smaller stuff. I also have around $400 in .40-$5 stamps, which are yet to be determined an offer price.

What I'd like to know, if there is anywhere else to check before pulling the trigger? There's a stamp show near me, this coming weekend that I may go to just to shop around a bit and see. As I said, I'm not a collector, I know I could get more if I wanted to sell it slowly over several years, but with a lack of interest I'd find that hard to do.

Also, I've been told the envelopes, postcards, aerograms, first day covers are pretty worthless monetarily. I've found a place that will take the covers at .15 a piece, but haven't found a place for the stacks of other odds and ends.

Any suggestions or advice?

I sell surplus postage to businesses. Not easy but you can get 90 - 100% of face and no tax.

Large postage lots on ebay, Bidstart most times fetch 90% to 95%. Just keep lots around $100 to $200 and you will have mutiple bidders.

Both Moonbird and 1775mac have given you the best shot at the most buck!

Yeah, I looked at ebay, looked to bring around 80-85%, minus fees and paypal, worked out to around 70% after all is said and done. I'd use some for postage, but don't really use stamps anymore. (seems I'm not alone).

Worse come to worse I can use the $1-$5 stamps for packages I still send. will keep a few around for postage, but no way I can use up $2500 bucks worth. Seems sad to me that I can't find a better use for these. Also, I do have full sheets too, didn't list those. Does ebay bidders have any preference towards denomination, or are the 3.4 cent stamps as good as a 29 cent stamps?

Any advice for the pre-postaged envelopes, postcards, FDC's, etc?

Full sheets can sell at a premium on auction websites. I would put those in lots of only full sheets.

Stamped envelopes do not sell well in my experience (I just bought a small lot from a dealer at 85% of face). The same goes for stamped postcards (unless you are talking about picture postcards, which is a whole different kettle of fish).

If the FDCs are from the date range you have provided, these are often sold and purchased in lots.

Thanks for the help you've all provided so far. I think I will check out the dealers at this big stamp show this weekend and see what kind of offers I can get before I decide what to do. Woth to check it out, If I can get say %80 face instead of %60. Haven't broke up the mint sets yet. Seems to me a collector may end up with them sometime rather, than them just being used as postage.

I guess I need to dig around for a dealer for the envelopes, postcards, and FDC's, and take what I can get there.

I know there's some boxes of picture postcards in the storage room somewhere. My grandparents were travelers, and I may have stuff from the 30's-80's probably. I've found some picture postcards they received in the 50's.

well, I'm actually having some fun going through all these. Found I have a lot of series stamps, mostly transportation and Great American. I've found what may be an error, and wanted to ask if it worth pulling.

I have a 20 stamp plate block of some US/Netherlands stamps. Think it's scott #2003 where there are some red ink spots like the ink used to print these dripped or something. Also wondering what's up with plate numbers?

Neat to look through all this stuff. Hopefully I can keep myself from picking up another hobby lol.

Stamp designs are impressed upon the paper using plates with the design. It has been practice to number these plates. Nowadays most stamps printed use several different plates, one for each color used on the stamp.

Your lucky they are all US and not Canadian . From what I've seen the us mint generally hits 90+% and if you did lots of about $200 as stated with a few full sheets in each lot you'd likely get 100% but like you said good ole ebay sucks about 15% . Canadian mint generally sells at far less only attaining about 75% before fees. Take a deep breath go through scotts guide for any possible errors or rarities , unload what you are sure you don't like and maybe when all is said and done you may get hooked. I inherited a world collection and unfortunatly had to sell of most other countries except Canada for medical reasons and didn't have a clue what to look for as far as specialties and errors.
Also sounds like you have running sets and keeping them together can always get you a bit extra. Good luck.