Need Help Urgently! Massive Collection, Where To Start?

I have recently acquired a large stamp collection. Very large. Possibly 20,000 stamps. It would be quite a chore simply to count them. Collection is very disorganized, between partially completed books and binders to shoeboxes full of stamps and loose stamps everywhere.

A public auction stamp salesperson has reviewed the collection and offered 1% of the collection's purported catalog value. Another service will charge $60 an hour to review the collection and come up with a price on it.

I have absolutely no knowledge or experience in regards to stamp collecting. I have been told that it would take a novice 5 years to organize and catalog this collection.

I'm just looking for options. I would like to get at least 10% of the catalog value of this massive collection somehow. My wife and I had the idea that if at least the stamps were more presentable, it would be easier for an appraiser or outside collector to view the collection and give a more reasonable price. Would it make sense to sift through the collection with an eye for extremely valuble single stamps to at least cherry pick the value of those? Is there any possible way that we could catalog this ourselves while maintaining my full time job and family at home within 6 months to a year?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

MrStamp, First again welcome to the forum.
Second, What is the purported value? It sounds like your not to interested in keeping this collection.
I'd at least recommend that you go to a public library and get their copies of Scott's Standard Catalog's look over the stamps.
If it's more then you wish to do,. you can just auction it off, as is, on e-bay, but with that large of a collection there are likely some gems in there that may sell well seperately.
There is a possibilty that a local stamp club member in your area
maybe willing to give you a hand, but you'd need to make a few calls.
We can help if you post images of the stamps & answer any questions you may come across at any time.

Good Luck!
Mike

I have inherited a collection of about 4000+ stamps and it won't take me a year to deal with it - and I started out knowing nothing at all. That said - if you only work on it sporadically it will take a long time.

Sifting through the collection may be very difficult if you don't known what the stamps are - are they mostly from a single nation or more world wide? If all from a single nation than it may be worth a try, but if you are looking worldwide it would be much harder.

If it is a world wide collection my first inclination would be to sort them into each nation first and then decide if you want to do more with it and maybe get more advice here.

John Paul

After reading some other postings, I think this collection likely has far more that 20,000 stamps. If 20,000 stamps is several bags or binders worth, then this collection likely contains 10+ as much. We filled a truck and a sedan with boxes, binders, folders, bags of loose stamps, etc.

The collection once had a catalog value of over a million dollars. It is unclear if all of the stamps from that original catalog value are still there. As I said, the condition of the collection is a complete mess. Thanks for the advice on starting to deal with it, the idea of a local stamp club is intriguing.

Any other thoughts?

Also, stamps from all over the world in the collection. Some in books, some aren't. Like I said, it would be a chore to simply COUNT all of these stamps, let alone sort them.

My suggestion: download some scans or pictures of what you're dealing with. The "major" countries value-wise which would likely give us a good representation are the US, Canada, and Great Britain -- post pictures of what seems to be the oldest looking stamps in the albums from these and we can immediately get a better idea.

Quantity does not necessarily reflect quality. At least this way, we can get an idea if the collection has been pillaged.

I'm positive the collection has been pillaged, it is just a question of extent. I realize that having a million common stamps is worthless, but my thought is that with the sheer quantity there is a chance that there are valuable stamps on there. I will try to get some pictures posted. It is tough to do this and maintain another full time job however!

I understand your time constraints. We can wait until it's convenient for you, don't worry.

i wish I could be more sympathetic..i am trying to execute an estate and playing with stamps is more fun than being the phone and doing paperwork..but stamps are on a far back burner..its never to late to accept responsibility I guess !!

I understand why stamp collecting, and collecting in general is fun. Taking over a mess of a collection, however, doesn't seem like fun to me at all! No personal attachment to it, and lots and lots of WORK. I need to find some enthusiatic folks like yourself to help!

Awwww, it's okay MrStamp -- we're here for ya!

welcome mrstamp I can relate to your frustration I to have a very large un-organized stamp collection and it sounds like you have the same mess and problem I have when I started on this site I knew nothing about stamps but all the people you talk with on here are some of the nicest people I've ever met well kinda met (names not faces) so dont be afraid to ask questions that seem really dumb to you because everybody has to start some where I've learned alot from everybody by asking my silly questions I've been sorting and sorting for months now and still cant se the light at the end of the tunnel but I am making some progress (i think)my problem is that I have alot more than I need or want I have several shoe boxs full of loose stamps,block plates,covers,stamp booklets ect plus 50 some albums most are full so I wish you the best and be patient its not the easiest task I've ever done once again welcome

Mrstamp...if you can locate a stamp club in your vicinity..the folks there will give you straight advice...it sounds like the stamps you have would do better being sold to collectors..you are correct..the stamp appraiser would be merciful..he would eye ball your collection and give you a figure within 50 bucks of what another appraiser or dealer would offer you...dealers do not want 90 percent of the stamps in a collection...they want to make a living..they need stamps that they can sell for 10 dollars or more apiece..they will die holding large amounts of Hindenburg and Germania stamps that everyone has already..unless they can wholesale them out..we are all in the same boat..thats just the way it is ....