Inherited International Stamp Collection

I'm another one who has inherited a stamp collection, from my father. Stamps were mounted into a book published by the Scott Stamp Co. Almost all have been cancelled by the post office.

Most of the 'collection' are international stamps, many dating from the 1930's. Some are from the 1940's and 1950's. There is a HUGE variety of countries represented, many countries that no longer even exist! I take it that he arranged with friends of friends of friends to get the stamps sent to him from all over the world. He then carefully took the stamps off the envelopes and postcards and pasted them into this book, which is arranged by country. Some of the stamps have fallen off their pages or were never mounted, and I've just put them in an envelope.

I have no desire to keep this for sentimental reasons (I am lucky to have many, more personal sentimental objects that belonged to my father). There are no other family members who are involved.

I've had this thing sitting around for five years, and I'm not getting any younger. Suggestions as to what to do with this would be much appreciated.

I really really hope that the word 'pasted' is a non-philatelist's error. They should be held loosely on the page by small pieses of semi-transparent gummed paper attached to the rear of the stamp.

If they truly are pasted - prepare for bad news.

Well, first thing would be to post some pictures. That way we can judge better. Also, you mentioned the word 'paste'. Is that how they are in the album?

Peter

Being a collector helps judge stamps, but liking everything does not. If value was marked down somewhere then that may be what the catalogue pricing was or what he bought them for.

The market value, selling them to another, can be less or more, usually less unfortunately. This is because the value of a stamp, unless very rare and very old usually, is determined by condition, judged by the buyer or by a trusted stamp dealer or seller. A good name in selling is important to get a good price for the stamps, and to judge (again) what they may be worth to certain collectors or other collectors.

Wholesale pricing is never good for the owner, but, given your story, your father probably received much satisfaction just from collecting and sorting and mounting (pasting however) the stamps. This itself has much value, and to other collectors tells of how he looked after his collection or collected sometimes.

Worth or value is a relative thing. To me alone, everything depends on many factors. Others may have stricter criteria or judgements, based on their own collecting habits.

Unless you have 50 post on the forums here, you cannot sell or trade the stamps here. Just get 50, easy enough to do over a time, and see what others have to say and are doing now-a-days with there own and other's collections or accumulations.

Good luck and satisfaction, and live long and prosper of course.

Read the forum rules first. For those first 50 posts, they have to be something of substance. Not like just saying "nice stamp" in a post for e.g. .


-IBFS

Firstly, let me assure all of you that I have no intention of abusing or breaking the rules of this forum. I've participated in forums since the early 1990's and value the information freely given. I've been a moderator, and know how thankless that can be.

I would like to thank all of you who so quickly answered my question. I will take some photos in an effort to give you guys a better idea of what I'm holding. Of course, it's a THICK book with many pages, so it will only represent a fraction of the "collection".

I use the quotes purposely because I DO realize that there is not likely to be much value in this. The stamps are the work of a teenage boy, then a young man, who had pen pals, traveled to Europe during WWII, then immigrated to South Africa before returning to NY. He had the opportunity to obtain many stamps from many countries, but they were almost certainly all gifts from somebody's personal mailboxes. I very much doubt any of these were purchased.

I did not even know about this "collection" until some years after he died when his sister was placed in a nursing home and her kids cleaned out her house. The stamps were found, and and the cousins figured out that they were my father's. Now I simply want to be sure that if they have ANY value, I am aware of it so I don't get ripped off. If it matters, I'm likely to donate any proceeds to his museum, the Hendersonville Rock and Mineral Museum. http://www.mineralmuseum.org/mlhistory.html which contains his REAL collection - minerals and fossils.

Nice rock site you have there. I do lapidary from time to time it is fun and interesting, had to slow down arthritis in my hands but still like to polish rocks and see what they look like. I do more with stamps now easier on the hands.

Looking forward to seeing how your collection is organized if it is anything like your rock place should look cool. Pictures are of some of my stuff what is left sold the better stuff couldn't keep it around family, friends neighbors got it hot off the press so to speak. went to a rock/gem show last october, was very cool,loved the mystery bags got a fossilized clam.

I wish they would have stamp show in my area...i am kinda into stamps now days. sell on ebay should sell no matter what you have, browsing ebay will also give an idea what to charge and see how others do it.

Sometimes value is in the eyes of the beholder...what I'm saying that sometimes the postal history is better than the actual stamp...you had mentioned that "it was started by a young boy, then a young man that traveled around during WWII". Right there, that sentence says take a closer look! You could have a postal history goldmine and although that sometimes don't translate into dollars (or Euros as the case may be?) but into study and interest. There lies the actual treasue in my opinion!