Need Advise On Selling Bermuda Kiloware Finds

I have just finished sorting through a kiloware purchase that included a large number of high-denomination stamps from Bermuda. Following is a list of what I found:

Eleven examples of Scott 377 - valued at $4.00 each as of 2014 - $44.00 total
Eighteen examples of Scott 378 - valued at $6.00 each as of 2014 - $108.00 total
Seventeen examples of Scott 379 - valued at $10.00 each as of 2014 - $170.00 total
Twenty examples of Scott 495 - valued at $5.75 each as of 2014 - $115.00 total
Twenty-two examples of Scott 496 - valued at $9.25 each as of 2014 - $203.50 total
Fifty-seven examples of Scott 497 - valued at $15.00 each as of 2014 - $855.00 total
One example of Scott 488 - valued at $24.00 as of 2014 - $24.00 total
Two examples of Scott 616 - valued at $7.25 as of 2014 - $14.50 total

Total value of the above stamps with some additional lower value stamps from the same sets is approximately $1,700.00!

I'd love to hear the collective wisdom of the group as to the best way to sell these stamps.

Hello Eric,

Well, I think you've identified why they call it kiloware. In this case, the seller was very happy to dispose of these stamps (with others) because there was no other profitable way of doing so. Scott catalog is somewhat inflated, in my opinion. Then, if you have read a lot of the postings here, your expectation should be that the REAL value is about 10-20% of Scott. And that assumes that everything is in pristine condition (no bends, no missing perfs, excellent centering, light cancels, etc.)

You can go ahead and post some pics so that the group can give you a better impression, but my recommendation is to get to 50 posts and see if some people here may be interested. In a few hours, you'll get postings about alternative ways to sell these items. Good luck.

By the way, you may want to update your profile. Instead of United States, it shows Uganda.

Do what the rest of the world does... put them on ebay.
1'd start them at about 10% of catalogue.
Hopefully you have then catalogued correctly.

At this point, I'm not interested in 57 separate ebay listings to sell, for example, the Scott 497s. Do I break them into lots of 5, 10, 15? Will there be bidders if I list all of the stamps as a single lot? Would it be worth my time to contact dealers that specialize in Bermuda and/or the Caribbean?

I'm well aware that there's an immense difference between Scott catalog value and what I may realize from selling the stamps. But even 5% of Scotts would be $85.00. I'm just looking for suggestions as to how others may have handled similar situations.

I think some of your numbers are based upon Stanley Gibbons cataslogue [perhaps, which has different numbers than Scott or Michel or Yvert.

To best sell a lot of stamps, wheth in lots of 5 each or any number, you will not get anywhere near catalogue. maybe 10% if that.

Sellking singley, as sets, or topical stamps (flowers, animals, ships, etc) could net you a higher catalogue percentage, amybe 50% or so, depending on the popularity of that stamp or subject.


Sometimes lots of mixed stamps sell for 5 cents per stamp.

Ir's a scary world out there on ebay or Delcampe sometimes.

A good or better market for Bermuda stamps might be Great Britain or British Commonwealth countries like Canada or Australia or the Caribean Islands themselves.

To sell them here on Stamp Community (SCF) you need to read to Rules (button top right about number of posts needed, donations, etc.

A dealer who always sells caribean or British Commonwealth stamps would probably have knowledge of a greater customer base than others, and would be able to sell them on faster. Price paid is something no one can guarantee.

First you need to know that those same stamps are in other Bermuda Kilo mixtures .Your stamps are all modern issues and most likely broken sets or incomplete sets .Dealers know those catalog prices are going to crash in the near future because there are so many floating around .Your best bet would be to sell them to someone who will mix them into other lots ,they are selling to raise the appeal to buyers .So look for someone who buys wholesale and hope to get 5% of catalog .