Valuing Stamps For Ebay Auctions

Is there anybody who would like to help me value some of my stamps so I can have an approximate value to put on my ebay auctions. I would like to sell some of them and not misprice them. I would send pictures of them to you. What would you charge to do this service.
thanks

Search closed listings for the same items to see what they typically sell for.

That's sound advice. A valuation is hypothetical, but on ebay you can see what people actually were prepared to pay.

If you're not sure of the value of a stamp sell it at auction with a low starting price. I start everything at $2.59 and let the bidders set the price. The most important thing is to have good pictures, preferably a scanned image, IMO cell phone pictures do not get any respect and far fewer bids.

Ihavestamps... if you're talking primarily US stamps, you'll need a Scott Catalog... I have spares if you can use one...

Anytime I'm unsure of the value of something I want to sell on ebay I just search for closed listings of the same item. When you're talking about stamps, you need to make sure you're searching correctly, however, which is typically catalog number.

Hi, Disi123
Thank you for the offer of the catalog. I tried to send you an email,but the stampcommunity software wouldn't let me because I am new. Could you please send me an Email.
thank you

I really like this post and find it an honest attempt to do it right. Much respect. We could assist for a few I guess but we would need some pictures/scans though.

Please look here: www.usphila.com
This site lists lots of hammer prices from the last auctions.

I'll 2nd or 3rd (or 4th) completed auctions on ebay. I have never sold a stamp (yet) however, I think at Scott guide will help tremendously, as you can *usually* figure out fairly quickly if something is worth listing individually, or if it's better off in a lot.

There's definitely a learning curve to using the Scott guide. It will seem like a foreign language at first. But after a bit you will start to see how things flow.

One big problem you will run into with posting pictures is perf variations. People can't determine from pictures unless A) they know specific things about your scanner settings, and B) they're willing to import each one into a stamp program. Someone might offer to help with that, but it's certainly a lot to ask...

Sometimes I just aimlessly scan completed items on ebay and pickup things that way too. However, this is more a means of entertainment and killing time than an efficient way to research values.

A week ago I couldn't tell you what a "block" is. 3 days ago I had no idea how to count perfs. And just yesterday I learned some stamps a worth MORE with a postmark. .... Stamps is a vast sea of knowledge and information but you can learn enough to tread the waters relatively quickly...

And last but not least you have this forum. The help you can get here is PRICELESS.

There are some simple, general guidelines that will get you off and running. #1. If it was made after WWII, you're probably better off using it as postage. Other people can add to this...

My last thought. If you're willing to pay someone to evaluate them for you, you might just consider consigning them with a seller and paying them a percentage. If you have no interest in learning about stamps and investing a lot of time, this is hands down your best option for selling them.

Depends. The difference between perf 10 and perf 12, for example, is fairly easy to spot visually by an experienced collector. I picked those two because they're the most common perfs on most US stamps from before 1930 or so. If you're talking perf 14 vs 14 and a half or 15, it's a little different story. If a precise perf makes a big difference in the price, you could always scan or photo the stamp while it's on the perf gauge with the teeth properly aligned.

Determining perfs from pictures can be erroneous. However, scans make it relatively easy. Especially if known stamps are scanned next to suspects. Once you have correctly identified a set with each of the common perfs, then you can use them physically side by side to determine the others. I'd gladly help you find a set to use as a toolkit.

You could start by posting a scan that shows a variety of what you have. Then we could pick the ones that you could then scan at high resolution for us to create your toolkit.

Easier said than done Historical DNA Collector
....

How so wert?

Watermarks would also be hard to determine from pictures alone. I've been running into a lot of stamps where the watermark is the determining factor...

Ihavestamps, You can benefit from posting pictures but it will only get you so far. At least people can tell you which are worth perusing, and which are not. I would just load up the scanner and letter rip. :)