Value Of Your Total Collection

It was increased from 15c to 20c in the 2001 catalog.

i think that there's an amount that no one seems to be addressing
in this thread. What would your insurance company value your collection / replacement value?....From a strictly scientific point of view, considering all of our stamp sales for the past 5 years...I have averaged 16.7% of Scotts catalogue...
but if you take specific countries....I average 21% for USA....18.5 for France and germany, etc. we list at 1/3 value but with fee's etc......40% of our sales are in expenses and discounts.....

Value = dont know
Enjoyment = enormous

My thoughts for the average Joe collector collection not the
rich accumulators who spend thousands and upwards a month on
stamps.


I believe once you start concentrating too much about the value of your
collection then you loose some of the enjoyment of collecting.

I mean if you have to worry constantly about getting insurance
for your stamps or whether you have enough coverage then
I think it's time to get another hobby.

Same if you store your stamps in a bank fault.

I collect for the fun of it. Value very rarely enters the picture.

I've never asked for a quote from the collectibles insurers, but I've been under the impression that coverage is usually a stated value, similar to art insurance.

Now, paying a claim? That might be a different matter.

I insured my collection in the seventies with a company I got through the stampclub I belonged at that time.
I believe it was $20 per $1000.
Don't forget twenty bucks (even Canadian) was real money then.
After a couple of years I said to myself to hell with it I'm
not going to worry about it anymore.
If it's stolen or lost, then so be it.

With respect, on the point of Insurance of stamps. The cost of a new 2hr fireproof safe is by far the 'most economical long term' way to go, thus allowing more finances to be directed towards higher collectible items.

Volume should never be an objective when collecting, quality is easily housed.

I just collect for fun and if I need something I'll drop far more than it's worth especially on a have-to-have item so I am a realist and know I'll never get back monetarily at least what I ever put into it but the enjoyment I get is truly priceless!

Pennies an hour for the time I've spent on my hobby in the last 35 years.

The only bad questions are the one's that are never asked.
So, keep asking and don't ever stop.

The value of my collection is exactly $197,326,498.32 US.
That's the value I place on it.

The insurance company doesn't think so. My wife doesn't think so. My dealers, auction house or anyone else for that matter, doesn't think so, but I do.

It has taken me years to build it up, traveled thousands of miles to stamp shows, many $$ to create my library, ??? hours spent trying to get others involved in the hobby.

It is truly a very subjective matter. personally, I don't care what it's worth. Its a hobby, its my hobby. OK, maybe its a little less than what I stated above.

This seems to be a touchy topic, and I am almost afraid to answer this question! But here it goes...

I don't know what my collection is worth. I suppose an everage could be made. But I do seem to be one of the only ones here that hopes it has some value.

While enjoyment comes first, I do hope that all the money put into the collection wasn't a waste. For instance, what if at some point things go very wrong in my life, and the collection has to be sold? It is disheartening knowing I'll never get what it is worth. I'd rather just keep it... at least that way I know it didn't go to waste...

Also, and this some of you may not understand, there is a sort of pride owning something of real value (the definition of "real value", of course, differs from person to person). I don't own a house, or anything really valuable. I've driven the same Ford for 11 years. My antique AMC won't make me rich in its current condition. I live at home and quite frankly, don't know if I will ever get to live a "normal" life out on my own. So knowing I have a stamp that has at least a little value can make you feel special, even if only for 5 minutes...

Quite frankly, I am happy if a stamp is worth more than $5... I don't think that is too much to ask when people have stamps worth hundreds of dollars, even thousands, and don't appreciate them one bit...

But again, I do feel that any collection should be valued in emotional happiness first, value second... and that value can also be historical, not necessarily monetary...

The way I see true monetary value of anything is how much it sells for less what was paid for it. But from a lot of people the saying of it ain't worth anything unless someone buys it. For me my stamps are a hobby of enjoyment. Do I have some <$5.00 stampss- yes.
But I dont have anything in my collection worth hundreds. At least that I know about yet

how much more can this topic be re chewed ? it will go on..i just do not have to view it anymore !

my collection is priceless. it gave me a great group of friends that I can relax and have a beer with!

Love to collect the rarest possible stamps I can buy,enjoy learning about them,would like to discover a rare one on my own,join all clubs around the world to learn more about them.