Hello Lincoln, welcome!
This is one of the best reference and help sites on the net, to start with.
Use the search button above right to look around or the different forum categories. Use the Active button to keep up to date the easiest.
After that do a Google for AskPhil (ask philatelists), a good site that has a glossary and many beginner article written. There are many others around plus blogs and stuff even written up on
ebay in Guides and Reviews.
There are sites on pretty well whatever topic you might beinterested in also. Sometimes countries too, but usually you need to get access or buy older ones of the Scott or other brand names catalogues. Then there are specialized catalogues for each country usually too.
It can be kind of overwhelming to start out with but it's also exciting. I've been at it for 40+ years off and on and I am always finding new stuff and new knowledge.
Don't worry about asking questions here and starting new topics to find out stuff either. We all like to help and not everyone knows everything but all together we know quite a bit and know where to look to find out more.
Value: China stamps of any sort I think are more valuable now than they were as people in China are wanting them now, now that they are waking up over there and starting to collect.
Mint sheets of US stamps that are relatively new(or stamp years sets or loose stamps) may only be worth face value of less to sell. May be worth more as postage. I like the space sheet.
Vatican was big years ago and is slowly coming back I think.
Spain is nice but not valuable, not sure of the brown stamps set though. catalog needed.
Russia I don't know.
Sometimes the value of stamps is in the idea that certain people had them before you and also your own interest in certain areas or topics makes things worthwhile.
Posted 05/08/2012 01:17 am
