Where To Begin...

So I picked (what I think is) a large collection of stamps today. Some are lose, many are in (4) books.

There are sort of in disarray and don't match up in the book with where they are stuck in many cases, so to ID them its sort of starting from scratch.

The collection seems to be made up largely of US, Canada and France with a LOT of foreign stamps sprinkled in.

If you were me, being a noob, how do you begin to figure out what you have?

Just pick a starting point, find a price guide, and go?

I know its a broad question but I stared looking through and trying to identify and it was a little overwhelming.

What parts interest you the most? A particular country? Theme? Era?

Once you know what you are interested in, I'd start there, to make sure it doesn't become too big a task, and a drudgery. Let us know what you want to start to accomplish, and we can give you some ideas.

Im not interested in the foreign stamps that are here for sure.

Mainly US stamps, but right now it all just looks cool. Not 100% sure which way I want to go haha

Well, U.S. is a sideline for me, but I'll always share my opinion.

Don't get rid of anything yet. You never know what will capture your interest down the line. The more you know, the more things you know to look for. I've gone through some of my glassines three or four times looking for new things. That's free entertainment.

You should get a Scott US Specialized catalogue. If you are pretty sure you are serious, or if cost is not a concern, go ahead and order the current one from Amos Publishing. If you're still dabbling, get a used one from your favorite source for used books. They come out annually, and you can find one a few to several years old for $20 or less. The values will be dated, but almost all of the info will be fine.

Read the introductory sections, and then read them again. You'll be well on your way.

If you are in the US, your local library will probably have the six volume Scott worldwide catalogue in the reference section. They might also have the Scott US Specialized, and they might have the worldwide Scott Classic 1840-1940(ish).

You're entering into pretty interesting territory here. I hope it catches your interest.

Hi, and welcome Rev,

When you say that you 'picked up' this large collection, were these at a charity store or some estate sale? What price did you pay? Are you planning to become a collector of postage stamps or trying to now determine their market value and trying to sell them and make a profit on your purchase?

Understanding your intentions will assist the SCF community in providing you with worthwhile advice.

- stamporator -

Im trying to decide if it is a hobby Im interested in. I always had my grandfathers stamps around but never really got into it because I collected ball cards growing up with my dad. That has since gone to the side, and while I do collect a few other things (antique fishing lure, GI Joes) this is interesting to me. I see a lot of history here and think it is something I could get interested in.

In the end, I may be looking to get a return on my investment if I decide it isn't for me. I'm sure you get a lot of "What is this worth so I can sell it" type visits but that isn't entirely my intent.

I picked them up at a thrift store, I paid about $75 for the lot to answer that question and just some of the unused ones that are in an envelope are worth far more than that based on eBays ended auctions in the last month.

It seems like a great starter collection so I thought I'd explore it and see if it's something I want to pursue.

Thanks!

Since your main intent isn't to sell this stuff, then I assume that all you would want to do is to get your money back. You might do that without any problem. Just don't plan to make any money on the deal...you might even make a few dollars for your trouble, but stamps will never be a get rich quick scheme...

If you decide this is something you would enjoy and want to pursue it further, you'll probably want to buy a new stamp album to house them in. If the history aspect is what appeals to you, there are albums available that also include background/historical information about each stamp or set. Mystic Stamp Co sells a really good US album like this for about $40 (a little more for some premium features). White Ace is another one, although the price will be higher.

Hi Rev,

A belated

There are a lot of knowledgeable collectors here that are more than happy to answer any question you have. For every question a newbie asks, there are probably a dozen lurkers with the same question but are afraid to ask!

If you like to collect things, there is probably an area of stamp collecting that will appeal to you.

You can collect one of each design of a single country or worldwide or just specialize in one stamp, a series of stamps or one country. You can collect topics that interest you or compliment another interest, e.g. fishing stamps.

The only hard and fast rule of stamp collecting I know is: there are no rules.

If you are looking for higher valued stamps, they generally are expensive because of specific details. I suggest you get your sea-legs before you start looking at the hairs on Washington's head or the strength of his toga. It is fun to do but can be frustrating for a newbie.

There are many excellent websites that can help too.

Here are two to get you started:

Collecting tools:
http://www.stamp-collecting-world.c...upplies.html

A good overview of US stamps:

http://www.1847usa.com/

I hope you find an area that gives you as much enjoyment as I have.

Dan

Welcome Rev!

I would figure out a way to sort them. As your mind does this, you may naturally figure a theme, country, or other arrangement that may interest you.


-IBFS

Add my welcome to the others!

I have found that the more I surf this website the more things I become interested in. Also people here are very friendly, helpful and patient with learners. Ask away!

Karen

Welcome Rev - those are the kind of lots I love buying. Hope you find some good stuff in there

"I picked them up at a thrift store, I paid about $75 for the lot to answer that question and just some of the unused ones that are in an envelope are worth far more than that based on eBays ended auctions in the last month."

Be careful here. What you see on completed ebay auctions may not be the same stamp that you see in the envelope that came with your collection. Higher value stamps often have lower value versions that, to the neophyte, look like the same thing. Watermarks, perforations, shades of color make a difference even when identifying which specific numbered stamp in the catalogue you have.

And even if you do actually have the same stamp that just sold on ebay for $30.00, keep in mind (1) sometimes things sell on ebay for prices way beyond what they are worth--they sell that way to newbies! and (2) even if what sold on ebay for $30 was worth it at that price and you have the exact same version of that stamp, still, your stamp may have a flaw or two that takes it down from $30.00 to $10 or even $5.00.

So, figuring out just what your particular stamps are worth takes a good bit of effort at first. One solution is to get help from an experienced collector on site, in your town, at a stamp club. I'd suggest consulting a dealer, but bricks-and-mortar stamp shops are nearly entirely gone from the American landscape.

Another solution is to post decent-resolution scans (not photos) of two or three of the stamps you think match stamps that sold for good money on ebay. People here can't assess condition or do the really tricky identifications completely from scans but often flaws are visible, if the scans are decent, and usually there's someone here who can identify even very tricky cases from scans. Doing that for two or three will begin to give you an idea whether you have anything worth more than the few cents a stamp that the vast majority of stamps in an estate sale or thrift shop album usually are worth.

Here's a suggestion or two. 1 - Collect for the enjoyment, not the profit. 2 - Sort through the un-mounted stamps and see how they identify with those in the album(s) 3 - Get a copy of the Stamp Identifier or go to your local library and check out all the ID info in Scott's catalogs. 4 - Learn the term "wallpaper" and pay heed. Probably every country now in existence puts out wallpaper just to get your money. Particularly stir clear of the last 30 years or so of them. 5 - You call yourself Rev which may mean that you are in the pastorate. Your church missionaries are a good source of stamps and would be countries of interest to you most likely.