Newbie

Hello. I am a newbie to stamp collecting basically because I received a book of stamps from my Father in Law which is comprised of probably over 2000 stamps ranging from the late 1800's to the mide 1950's. I was hoping to find a value to the collection but it is very difficult with little knowledge to go online to try to understand the grading, overprints, etc.............

Where is the best place to go to find out the true value of a collection without getting pennies on the dollar as a quote? There is a place called Dr. Robert Friedman and Sons which is very close to me and seems to be a large operation.

Any suggestions please? Thx,

Welcome to SCF, Toadfish!

I will start with identification and valuation - catalogue numbers and values are copyrighted material and to date, not (legally) available online just yet. You are welcome to post pictures of stamps on this forum, but as a rule, it would be best to post scans to a 3rd party hosting site, and create a thread here with a link to the photos.

My wish for you is that you will find enjoyment in this collection and it will encourage you to start in the hobby yourself.

Cheers!

Brian

edit:

If you have the time and patience, I'd recommend visiting your local public library and asking to use their "Scott" stamp catalogues.

Hello newbie, welcome.

Good advice above.

You could poost some pics of the older ones to start on here also. We all could have alook and see what condition hey are in to start and give you hints on what might be worth more than others.

Old is good but condition is all.

Brian conveys most of our thoughts for you to take the time and feel the feelings of a stamp collector. Your father-in-law invested a lot of himself into that collection and must care for you a great amount. Please take the time and enjoy which may be some of the nicest moments of your life. More than likely you have a catalog in that collection that can help, your library is another place to look for current catalog, or just invest in ordering a new Scott US Specialised catalog. But the real value could be those quite moments with your newly acquired collection. Hope to hear more from you.

I need to clarify something I said regarding catalogues - we can reference catalogue #s and values, assuming we give credit to the publisher. What is not allowed is to post those catalogues in part, or in entirety, online. That is why you are having trouble finding online resources to identify your stamps.

Cheers!

Brian

Post some of the older 1800 stamps so we can see what you have. Condition is very important and could make the difference between a stamp having a value of $1.00 or $50.00. Keeping it is the best idea and begin adding to the collection.
Tom

hey man post some of your stamps and im sure you will get answers.

Lots of good advice here so far, and may I add..........
Sounds like your Dad collected the classical era, which runs from 1840 (Great Britain) to 1939. Having "only" about 2000 stamps in that collection tells me that chances are good most - if not all - are what I would call "the easy ones". With that, a dealer would offer you very little - maybe $50 or so. Taking some good pics and listing on ebay might bring in $200 or so. Know this, there are hundreds of stamps out there well over 100-120 years old that have minimal value.

Of course all that depends on them (including the album) being in good condition.

Unless you are forced to liquidate, I would put the album aside and take your time to enjoy it. You might even pick up on the hobby, but at least you would give some time to enjoy what your Dad worked hard to accumulate.

You may want to consider joining the American Philatelic Society, based in Pennsylvania ( www.stamps.org ). Lots of useful information and services; including a monthly magazine; and dues aren't overly high. APS is the national stamp collectors society for the US, but covers all countries. They also have a Stamp Store with lots of stamps for sale to members, from members.

Regarding Dr. Robert Friedman's operation, I've bought a number of collections from him over the past 15 or so years and have been generally pleased with the services & product. I have not tried to sell anything through him. When I sell surplus items, I use either an auction house in Florida or the APS Stamp Store. I don't mess around with www.ebay.com/b/260/" rel="nofollow">ebay; too many hassles.