Help! 20k Of Stamps <15yr Old

my father left a stamp collection to me that he had started in the mid 1990s. He had over a $1,000 face value worth of stamps for every year since 1995 until 2008. My question is where would I be able to try and sell these and what should I expect to get for them?

There are a few issues that might sell for something above face, but in general, dealers are happy to get about 85% of face value when selling newer issues (they are selling this era as discount postage for mailing purposes), so they aren't generally willing to pay that much to buy...if you can skip the buyer and sell directly, you might do better, but watch auction fees and shipping. A dealer paying close to 75-80% for the whole lot might net you more. You can go to a library and flip through Vol. 1 of the Scott catalogue, which will show recent issues and an idea of current values. (No one actually pays the Scott price for much, if any, recent U.S., but you can compare what you have with items that might seem to have a higher value relative to the neighboring issues...that would give you an idea of the items that sell for a bit more.)

Good luck.

Collin

CJD: Does your rule of thumb on value here hold for plate blocks, mint sheets, and the like, or just for individual stamps? Thanks!

A person has to find out what the collector acquired over the last 15 years...certain items will have value above face. A lot of it won't. A nice thing about an accumulation that is limited to very recent issues is a shorter learning curve.

If there is a rule of thumb to be had, perhaps it is to assume no particular value and then be pleasantly surprised...

I tell my wife to have the same attitude toward me.

But then she tells me she's still waiting...

k

Kim, I am always pleasantly surprised by you!


Doug . . . still learning to appreciate what he has while he has it!

Thank you CJD, just to give a little more info on the collection, it appears that he purchased four (and occassionaly 8) sheets of every type of US stamp issued since 1998. with about 50 sheets total of stamps between 1994 and 1997. I have started by creating a log in excel listing the year, type, stamp price, stamps/sheet and # of sheets for each type of stamp (which is taking a lot longer than I expected).

I have a few more questions if you dont mind. Since none of the stamps are more than 20 years old should I even bother looking up the value? Wouldnt it be safe to assume that they are just worth face value? Do you know how to find out when and where auctions take place or where I can find a dealer? Also, were you saying that I could expect to get ~80% from a dealer or more than that at an auction? your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Matt

Just a thought, if you were to follow the lyrics from an old Woody Guthrie song:

I'm a-gonna wrap myself in paper,
I'm gonna daub myself with glue,
Stick some stamps on top of my head;
I'm gonna mail myself to you.

Maybe then you have a way to travel willy-nilly about the country?

To find a reputable dealer that is closest to where you live, you can check on the
American Stamp Dealers Association website. You may also be able to find a stamp show occuring close to you by consulting the notices in Linn's Stam News. Good luck.