Hiring A Stamp Agent/Expert?

Hi, I've recently had boxes and boxes of stamps handed down to me. I'm not a collector myself, so I have no idea about the value or rarity of the stamps.

Are there people I can hire to look through them, sort them out and give an estimate on them?

Yes there are certainly many people who appraise stamps. I don't know any personally so I will not make a recommendation. However I strongly recommend that you never sell the stamps to the person who does the appraisal.

I would suggest you post a few photographs of your stamps and there are enough people here who can tell you if you do indeed have stamps that would warrant an expert. In most cases unfortunately most boxes of stamps passed down are just common stamps.

Good Luck and I hope you take some time to share with us what you have.

Thanks a lot. I don't have the stamps nearby unfortunately, but I will follow your advice try to get some photos in a few months or so. If I'm correct, like most other collectibles, the value of stamps can only go up?

You might find some of the information in this link helpful.

http://www.americanphilatelic.com/a...20COLLECTION

Welcome Everybest!




Well, actually no, often the prices of the more common stamps stay the same minimum value for the past 30+ yrs., only changing when the catalog
people decide to set a higher minimum value. There are certain stamps that always command high value and do go up more than down. These are the types of stamps we all hope to inherit ( but most of us are out of such luck). I think that most expect the stamps of certain countries to appreciate a lot this year due to the value of the dollar. They are basically a supply/demand item. And the catalog price is for only the Best examples of the stamp. Most sell at a fraction of catalog value.

We can give you an idea as to whether the value is great enough to have appraised or auction, or recommend that you hold them for a collector in your family. Most people are disappointed the value isn't as high as they hoped. Just because they are 100 year old might not make them expensive.

But there is a lot of experience here that can help guide you once we can see some of them. I think the US early stamps are the most indicative, other might think certain foreign countries. Hope to see you hang around, as all knowledge will benefit you with your situation.

Again Welcome,

Jim

Welcome to the stamp community, everybest!
Good advice from mkfarm and desertgem.
Just post a few pictures or scans and we will help you get an idea of what you have.
Since you have a lot of material, you might want to look for a stamp club in your area.
Contact the president and ask if someone in the club would be willing to have a look at what you have.
They might take a quick look at it and give you a ballpark estimate for free.
It would not be unreasonable for an experienced philatelist to ask for $25-$50/hr for a more detailed assessment.