New To Stamp Collecting With A Selling Question

I am new to the stamp collectors' world and I have recently come to own (in my eyes) a rather huge stamp collection that started in the late 1800s early 1900s. The collection is consisted of 6 binders and two rather large trunks or "chests" that contain alot of stamps not put in books but still well preserved. Some are mint, very fine, used etc. I have started an inventory to see what all I have and I have made it through one binder and I am up to 1351 stamps. Hence being new to this I am officially overwhelmed with stamps =) In anyone's opinion, would you recommend selling these piece by piece or as a whole or book by book or what? Also, is there a way to look up what are the most desirable stamps? I got myself prepared for the huge job ahead by purchasing a illuminated adjustable magnifier, magnifying glass, tweezers, gloves, glassine envelopes, stamp hinges, mounts, new binders, and updated pricing magazines and books, also a dino-lite. Any advice would be so greatly appreciated!! Thank you all!

There are a lot of potential answers to your questions depending on what you really have. Most of the time you will get more money by selling them in smaller pieces or parts or even by the individual stamp, if appropriate. But this is very time consuming. If you just want to be rid of them, show them around to at least a couple different dealers and see what they offer.

As far as how to find the valuable ones - most decent-sized public libraries will have (if you're in the US) a set of Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogues, which list and price almost every stamp ever issued. You'd have to look through stamp by stamp to find the valuable ones. HOWEVER - if you do this, keep in mind that the values you see listed in that book are MUCH higher than you'll ever sell them for. Most collectors buy stamps at anywhere from 5-50% of the values listed in those books, so you can imagine that a dealer is going to offer you less than that still.

All that being said, you really need to post a few pictures of the kind of stamps you've got and I'm sure you'll get some good advice here. If you've got a trunk full of rarities, you could consign it to an auction house, if you've got nothing but penny stamps ("common junk" as some call it), you might be best off just donating it to someone. A few pictures will do more than about a million words here.

Landstuhl: welcome to the web site and to the wonderful world of philately (a.k.a. stamp collecting). Artful Hinger has good advice, so I won't repeat what he's said. What I would add is that if you're not in a big hurry, take your time and enjoy the process of identifying what you have. You might consider joining the American Philatelic Society ( www.stamps.org ). There is a monthly magazine and a wide range of other services. Dues are pretty reasonable.

Most parts of the country have one or more major stamp shows each year. As an example, the big show of the year in metro Denver; where I live; is the Rocky Mountain Stamp Show starting two weeks from today. The APS magazine; American Philatelist; lists upcoming shows around the country. You can often find volunteers from stamp clubs in attendance at the shows who would be willing to look at some of your material and give you a quick and very rough idea as to value.

Luckily the ones that I have gone through so far in the first binder were already labeled so I can give a few examples of the older ones. Starting at Scott#1 I have two of the 5C franklins used, #2 10C washington used, #9 Franklin type IV 1C used, #10 two type I 3C unused and it just keeps going from there. I have attached some photos of #1, #2, #9, #10, & #11.

<---- drools

Good Lord. What you have just shown there is or may be extremely valuable. Knowing what I know now, If I were in your shoes, I would buy a Scott 2014 Specialized by grade catalog and learn everything there is to learn in the identification section.

If you have Scott #1 and #2 in all those stamps, there's no telling what else can be in there. Identifying stamps can be tricky, but with the help of the people here I'm sure you will get the hang of it in time. But I'd certainly find out what you've got there on you're own rather than going to a stamp store.

If you have questions on individual stamps post them here. There are an absolute plethora of Knowledgeable people on this site.

I would create a post for advice on how to open an ebay business for selling stamps and sell them individually. But you must be CERTAIN of what you're posting and selling.


-IBFS

I can post more stamps. Like I said I still have about 5-6 thousand stamps to go through. It has taken me almost a month to get to where I am at. I will post more pictures soon. Thank you for all your help!

As you are going thru all those stamps, I wouldn't group them by color, but by year. That's why you need the catalog and it's Identifier section. You may get some stamps in the wrong pile, but you will figure that out as you examine them. You have your work cut out for you, but you have a magnificent adventure in front of you.

In the mean time here are some websites you may find helpful. Bookmark them.

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/ID.html

http://www.1847usa.com/SiteMap.htm

http://www.1847usa.com/washfrankmain.htm

http://www.hgitner.com/shame.html

http://www.1847usa.com/BanknotePaperTypes.htm

http://www.stampnotes.com/Notes_fro...tnote502.htm


All the Best
-IBFS

I am very comfortable with this all being legit. Not fakes that is. Alot of the stamps that were not in books were graded already. Also, there is alot of documentation on the ones that were in the book. I am getting kinda nervous about the super old ones from over seas. So far, I have found 3 of the "black pennies" used and one used but still attached to the letter. I have also found one of the two pence stamps as well. I have no idea how to look these up considering all the documentation I have is like reading greek to me =) I am really starting to get into this though!

landstuhl: you have some incredibly valuable stamps there! Three "penny blacks"? WOW!
Definitely use a scott catalog to identify your stamps, and considering what you've already shown, it's likely that you have some more rare stamps.

I am getting some more pictures put together and I will post them next week. I am little bit upset that I have commitments this weekend that I cannot get out of so that I could just elbow deep in all these stamps. So far, according to the scott# I have about 90% of all the numbers 1-500. This just keeps getting more interesting by the minute.

I'll repeat the drooling of others. Those are some nice stamps, and, especially if they're all in good condition (no creases, tears, thin spots, etc), the total value of it will buy you a whole lot more than just a nice dinner. Oh, and any you find still attached to the letter? Leave them there. They're worth more, usually MUCH more (sometimes by an order of magnitude) still on the envelope.

Also edited to add: While my comments earlier about catalog values are generally true, the stamps you have pictured, if indeed genuine and in good condition, could potentially in fact be worth close to actual catalog value. 99.9% of stamps are worth well under $100. Those types of "bread and butter" stamps are what generally go for, typically, 10-40% or so of catalog values, sometimes more, sometimes less. You have scarce, highly sought after stamps that appear to be neatly centered, attractively canceled, etc. Those types of stamps will often retail at close to catalog value or even higher if it's a real gem. Of course - that's still retail value, not what a dealer is going to give you.

Also, if the rest of the collection is like the pictures, this is the type of collection where a dealer will come to you if you're serious about selling.

As exciting as it has been learning all the about the stamp world I will definately be selling them. Once I have them all inventoried I planned on looking into local dealers and if I can't find any locally then not so locally. I haven't decided yet if I will be selling them seperately or as a whole, that was basically one of the main reasons of seeking out the advice of this fine group! I will post more over the upcoming days, and hopefully have the inventory figured out as well.

I have come across two 1c imperf Franklins and I honestly have no idea if they are 7, 8, or 9's. I am also still trying to figure out grills....that one is confusing as all get out. I have also came across a few of the #121 that seem to be in very very good condition. I am astounded with the pricing that I have found for these stamps. I am amazed that I am only on the first book of 6 and it is already this amazing.

I personally know the family that collected these stamps for 80 years. They were worldly scholars that lived and/or worked just about anywhere I could imagine. They were very in depth with this collection up until their health no longer allowed it. I also know that they tried to authenticate as many of them as they possible could. They just were not the best at labeling and/or organizing them. Luckily that is my thing! I will post more pictures of the ones I literally cannot figure out! Thank you all again for all your help!

Seriously, if they're all like this and you don't mind waiting for the money, you could probably consign them to an auction house. You'll get maximum value, and the auction house will do all the work identifying and describing them. It's in their benefit that your stamps sell for the highest value as well. It'll just take some time - probably several months - to get your money.

I'd also look at some large national buyers in addition to local dealers. Mystic Stamp Co, Gary Posner, Bob Friedman, etc come to mind as potential buyers, and they may even come to you. You probably wouldn't get as much as at auction, but you'd have your money more or less immediately, and you'd get fair value for them. I'd send a few of the better ones off for certification just to kind of get confirmation that they're the real deal. They may not be forgeries, but you also want to have them checked for potential hidden flaws or repairs, etc, as these things can tremendously affect value. If you send a few off and they all come back clean, that might be an indicator of the rest of the collection. Here's a service that's quick, reasonably priced, and accepted in the marketplace for US stamps:

http://www.stampexpertizing.com/default.html

There are a few other services. All charge some kind of fee, most based on catalog value, and can be quite expensive on some of the higher catalog items.

Very nice material shown so far. Keep in mind that in most collections the 1st book would usually houses the oldest and most valuable stamps. As you get to 1930 and later the value typically goes down substantially. Many mint stamps don't even bring face value. That's not to say that there isn't an occasional stamp of value, but they get much fewer and farther between.

Also be aware that later binders may house specialized material, back of book or revenue stamps. This a whole different animal and some of those could be quite valuable, but you may need different catalogs to determine that.

You say you've personally known this family for 80 years! You may be embarking on a journey better left to someone else. Based on your location, I'd suggest you contact the Rasdale Stamp Co. in Westmont, Ill. They are honest stamp dealers that could give you a good appraisal of what you have. They hold regular stamp auctions at their location and they could either buy the collection outright or accept it on consignment for one of their sales.

GOOD LUCK

Hi,
It appears you may have something of real value. Lots of good advice given so far, and I will add my two pence.......
- It would be so cool if you were to keep the collection and take over the hobby as your own. This is a life time affair, and the learnings and enjoyment are immeasurable.
- If you do intend to sell, I would suggest two avenues.
1. Determine which stamps have the really high value - say $100 or more. CAREFULLY pull them and offer on ebay - making certain to take quality pics of front and back. You may not get "book value", but it sure will be better than what any dealer will offer.
2. Remove country pages from the albums and sell as such. Again, complete pictures are a must, and anything decent will sell well.
Remember, most of the stamps in collections are of minimal value. And while I prefer ebay, there are other sites out there that will be as good or perhaps better.