Inherited Collection

Hello, I came across the website and am hoping that this community could be of assistance to me. I inherited a stamp collection several years ago and am now considering selling the collection. I had a dealer look at it and offer me $200, but my uncle sold an identical collection for around $1500. I am just a bit confused and don't want to be taken advantage of. I have included a link bellow to a flickr account that has images of the pieces in the collection from the 1880s to the 1970s. The collection also includes a very large number of stamps from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Any guidance that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100457644@N06/

Hello and welcome.

My quick look through didn't find anything extraordinary, so, in my humble opinion, the offer is reasonable. However, you should consider whether it is worth selling or saving for someone else to enjoy in the future. To me, adding a few more stamps and putting in some comments/special items would make it a great collection for a grand child someday. Good luck in whatever decision you make.

I agree Partime, while there is little value shown in the Stamps above, what I do see is a wonderful opportunity to expand the collection or pass it on to a Child, the history lessons in Stamps are amazing.

Yup great starter collection but those are the kind of collections I pick up for $30-40 and hope for a gem or 2. If that is a scan of everything and you were really offered $200 for it, take the money and run - fast and far. But I can't see any dealer willing to pay more than 20-30 for what is shown. That is if you don't want to start collecting yourself of course.

BTW, there are no 2 identical collections. Your uncle's was probably all mint(unused), had everything in mounts and a lot older than what you have. The scans you've shown are unfortunately, all common stuff.

EDIT - I re-read your post and see the stuff from the 80s, 90s and 00s are not shown. That might be your money right there. If they are all neatly mounted and unused, the $200 may be coming from an offer based on the face value of the unused stamps. I guess we would need to see what that stuff is to get a better idea.

One more thought it looks like all the newer stamps are mint, but also hinged. That will make nearly all the mint stamps less desirable to a collector and a dealer. If you don't have a desire to collect stamps, then as others have already stated, save it for your child, a nephew or a niece. Keep it intact and pass it on. It already has a family history.

Art