Hello From Seattle, Looking To Unload Decades Of Stamp Collecting

I got into stamp collecting as a kid in the 1970s, and would go around to antique stores to look for rare stamps used on postcards. Occasionally I'd find an entire stamp book or collection to add to my own. For me, it was always about quantity over quality, so I was never looking for any particular stamp that I wanted, I just wanted more and more stamps from different places and from different times. I believe the rarest stamp I have is an unperforated 1cent stamp of Washington, you know the one, purple, if it is authentic.
Anyway, I no longer have the time to do justice to my stamp collection and am hoping to find someone who might appreciate it. I realize that unlike with baseball cards, these days I will never be able to find someone who will appreciate all the time and effort that I put into my collection; but it would be a shame to see the collection end up at the dump after I pass away. If there are members of this group in Seattle or in Washington State that are interested in seeing my collection; that would be great. By the way, how many members are there in this group, and are there any other groups that may be helpful to me in my quest?

Read the rules you agreed to when you signed up. No trading or selling until 50 quality posts.

What "one cent imperforate Washington" are you talking about.

Check the internet there are active dealers and clubs in the area you specify.

The first comment is very true, so please don't attempt to circumnavigate the system. One of your options is to start a new thread on one particular stamp or set of stamps. Ask a question about those stamps, and this question could be, "What do you think I would get if I offered this on ebay?" Then, start a different thread on a different stamp, and ask another question or ask for comments, etc. By doing this type of question/answer enough times (but please don't be repetitive in your questions), you will quickly get to 50 quality posts. Please note that your questions could best be answered by supplying a front and sometimes back scan of the stamp.

The second comment is also interesting. I am not aware of a one cent imperforate washington that is purple. Start a new thread and show us that one first.

And welcome to the community.

There is a stamp bourse (show) in Seattle October 9 - 10, 2026. I've never been to this event so I don't know how many dealers will be there but this would be a good place to start. https://www.seapexshow.org/

Welcome to the group (from another new member)!
I agree with the recommendations about connecting with a dealer in the Seattle area. Unless you want to invest the time and effort to figure out what you have, it will be hard to find an individual buyer (or perhaps a donee?) for your collection. Dealers are in the business of sorting through accumulations of stamps and making recommendations about next steps.
In my limited experience, the stamp collections available on ebay (i.e.,stamps in albums) fall into two broad categories. There are sales by knowledgeable dealers, usually in auctions or "best offer" scenarios, where the dealers don't (and as a practical matter, can't) make representations about the conditions of all of the stamps, and they are very realistic about the 'fair market value' of the collection. (The fmv of a collection is generally far, far less than the catalogue value of each stamp.) Buyers can get a good bargain, but there are usually no assurances regarding the condition of the stamps. The other category of sales are typically from individuals who don't have a clue what the value of there collection is worth - they see a few "older" stamps (and anything printed in a single color counts as "old") and they think it is worth a fortune. I expect that those collections never sell.
Good luck finding a home for your collection!