What Do You Think?

Here is a link to some stamps I found while renovating my house. can someone tell me about these stamps. I know they are stained as some one said in one post. Let me know what you think. Thinking about taking and giving them to the historical society.

http://fry1goat.myphotoalbum.com/vi...Name=album01

Hello fry1goat,

There is a problem with the link. The URL has an ellipsis (...) in it.

Don't give them away, until other U.S. collectors have seen them. I see some Graf Zeppelins in there.

Steve

Fry1goat,
You have a very significant collection there. I think you should make some effort to return it to its rightful owner or heirs to the rightful owner. Do you know who lived in your house before you?

The house has been in our family for generations. Everyone I have talked to has no idea who in my family would have had it though. I think we will give it to the historical society. or possible a fund raising auction. I dont know how much they will bring, maybe a dollar a stamp. I have no idea how much they go for. Or what I would expect them to go for.

I agree with t360, they are significant. Would suggest using a reliable auction house that specializes in postage stamps. We can lead you to some, if you'd like. You don't want just any auctioneer but someone who can't appreciate the value of what you have.

You also want a stamp auction house that can attract buyers, if you just offer them in a charity auction the stamps will not get the competition and bids they deserve and some fortunate person will likely get a bargain.

Man what a collection!!! I could only dream of finding something like that. Maybe one day I can win the lottery and buy a collection like that and I promise I will share the wealth and buy everyone a Zepp or two. Very Very nice find there Fry1goat. If you don't find the old owners or their heirs and you decide to sell instead of give away make sure to do the research into their value or make sure you find a trust worthy person to give you value of the collection. GL in what ever you decide to do.

Could anyone here estimate the value of my find? I just dont understand what valuable means.

This a valuable collection. Exactly how much it is worth depends on the exact condition of the stamps.
Overall they look like they are in very nice condition. Most were issued from 1893 to 1930.
I did not go through it systematically and add up catalogs values.
Just scanning through the pictures I would say somewhere between $5,000-10,000., perhaps more depending on condition.

Many states have laws requiring that when you find valuable items you must make an reasonable effort to find the rightful owner.
You should buy a copy of Scotts Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps and learn about what you have.
Then make a list showing each item and its catalog value. We can help you do this.
Don't try to handle the stamps or you may damage them and lose hundreds of dollars in value.

Holy Moley! What a find!! Please adopt me!ha
Congrats!
Gussyboy1

What about those 2 cent hardings?

https://goscf.com/t/1314#1314

Gussyboy1

I have been checking over the stamps. One other thing of interest is those red 2 cent stamps, I have around 20 pages of those all in mint condition in sheets of 6 stamps by 4 stamps.

It is a very beautiful and extensive collection for the time period covered, and I gave you a very conservative estimate. Gussy is right about those 2c Hardings. They need to be checked. Many of the pieces need to be examined closely by a knowledgeable philatelist (for example to measure perforation sizes and check for watermarks) to conclusively identify them and determine exactly how much they are worth.

It may seem silly, but a significant part of the value will depend on how well preserved the gum on the back of the stamps is. If they are stuck down on the pages from moisture getting into the collection, it may be difficult to remove them without damaging the gum, and they will be worth less.