Getting Started In Stamp Collecting

I had a stamp collection as a kid, and now that I am older (35) I have been starting to go though what I found of my old collection plus items I have purchased. Right now I have everything from unsorted Kiloware that I am sorting by nation, my old collection that ranges from CTO eastern european to varied US stamps, and a collection of FDC (mostly UN) that I picked up for cheap at a stamp fair a year ago.

I have started to soak some of my kiloware and putting it in stockbooks (Right now I have it split between a US stockbook and a Rest of the world stockbook), have tweezers, magnifying glass, and other assorted items. But what is the next step I need to take? A catalog? (and then, which Catalog?) Right now I am not a fancy collector and I have no problems with used stamps (Actually liked canceled stamps more then never used stamps) but I need some guidence as I am about to soak off about 2000-3000 stamps (I have some stamps I am keeping on paper due to the cancels)

Well........as likely everyone here will tell you - how you configure your collection is your call. The world is divided between mint and used collectors - though with prices being what they are today many are not collecting world mint any more - or even their own country. The collecting of cancels is a fascinating business - and comparatively speaking - inexpensive. You probably need a catalogue - and Scott's is the basic for North Americans - but new is absurdly expensive. I use the library's copies - they have both the current and past year - which I can take out.

You definitely need a catalog & most libraries should have a Scotts copy.
One site I sometimes go to that often shows items not in Scotts is Stampworld.com.
They have a very comprehensive listing and very easy to navigate but don't go by their values.

A brand new set of Scott catalogs can run you lots of $. But I was able to get copies a few years old relatively cheaply. I got some of my catalogs from Library sales but check out ebay and other used book sites. The lot I have is from around 2006/ 2007 but I have some newer US / BNA catalogs from Harris. If there are any stamps that are for the years I don't have I usually go to the internet where there is lots of information.

Welcome to the forum and to stamp collecting in general. You've come to the right place.

In terms of next steps, it kind of depends on where you want to take your collection and what your budget is. If you mean to get "serious" about it - by which I mean actively and purposefully working towards completion of your chosen collecting area(s) - a catalog is definitely needed. A complete set of brand new Scott Catalogs (6-8 volumes depending on whether you want a couple specialized catalogs) will easily run $500 or more. 1-2 year old used copies (perfectly good for most uses) will run half of that or less - often $30-$40 or so per volume. Used copies can be found on ebay or Amazon pretty readily. Scott is the catalog most used in the US and most US collectors and dealers will refer to Scott catalog numbers. Other countries use different catalogs - Michel (in German) is the catalog most used on the European continent, Stanley Gibbons is most used for Great Britain, etc.

If you're OK with spending that much, you can go ahead and jump right in and get yourself a set. If you're not sure where you want to go with your collection or don't want to spend that much (and most collectors don't), I'd recommend picking up a copy from your local library to familiarize yourself with it first. If you end up just wanting to collect the US or (or any one particular country), you'd only need 1 volume, which is quite a bit more affordable. Also, if you just want to collect on a "casual" basis, you could probably get by without a catalog if you have to, but it's still a good idea to have one or at least be familiar with one.

Basically I'd recommend taking it slow and figuring out what appeals to you and what doesn't and kind of take it from there. Getting a catalog - or at least familiarizing yourself with one, is a really good next step. Part of figuring out what direction to take your collection is seeing what's out there and what you can afford. A catalog is by far the best way to do that.

Just keep in mind that the prices you see listed in a catalog aren't necessarily what you can expect to pay, depending on how and where you buy them. Catalog prices are based on buying a single stamp in significantly above average (but not perfect) condition from a full-time stamp dealer. Even most full-time dealers discount some issues heavily (usually 25-50% or more) off of catalog and the discounts become even steeper when buying collections or bulk lots. The majority of most countries' stamps, particularly in used condition, can be had for pennies apiece, regardless of what the price in the catalog says.

So what you are indicating is that the price in the catalog is more of "This is the most you should pay for the stamp" then what you can expect to sell it for. I am going for the low key and inexpensive stamps, but I still need to Identify what Stamps I have. I think my local library has Catalogs in the reference (non-checkout) section so I will take a stock book and a notepad and start to investigate. I fully plan to go with the used route as the prices are much more reasonable and I am assuming that my collection has zero value outside the enjoyment it gives me.

Yes, that's a pretty good way of putting it. Another way to look at it is like a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). Most of them set the MSRP artificially high so retailers can tout large percentage discounts. The same is true of stamps where some dealers will set their prices at a certain percentage of catalog.

In the world of stamps, anything valued at less than a buck or two is pretty much bargain-bin penny material when bought in bulk lots or mixtures. In general, the higher the catalog values the more realistic they are, although average "collector-grade" (F/VF) stamps are nearly always available at a discount off catalog even into 4 and 5 figures. It's just the really nice ones that sell for full catalog value, if even then.

Aggregate catalog values are of little assistance in assessing the total value of a collection, since dealers and most collectors will ignore anything with a value of less than a few dollars or so in most cases. For the cheaper material, dealers generally have all they need of stamps like that and most intermediate and advanced collectors will already have those stamps in their collections. 1000 stamps valued at 25 cents each (the minimum value) won't sell for $250. Most collectors wouldn't pay more than $20 or $30 for them, and a dealer might give you $5 if he wants them at all. One stamp valued at $1000, on the other hand, will likely bring at least a few hundred dollars assuming it's not damaged, and may even approach the full $1000 if it's a really nice example.

I might add to Artful's latest comment: stamps with catalogue values of between $.25 and $1000.00, stamps that catalogue for, say $10 or $30 or $50, will generally go for 20-40% of catalogue value. If from a less commonly available country or period or if the stamps are vf rather than merely average they might fetch 40-60% of cv.

Faulty "better" stamps ("better" meaning stamps in the cv $10-$100 range) tend to go for 10-15% of catalogue value, more or less.

I find that to be pretty much spot-on. I've bought a lot of stamps (and sets) in that range of cat values and it's unusual I have to go over 40%, and I usually hope to pay around 30% or less for sound stamps with acceptable (to me) centering. I'd say that 20-40% rule applies to "average"* (F/VF) stamps valued at even up to a few hundred dollars and up. Exceptionally nice specimens of course go for more and ugly or beat up pieces go for less.

I'd also add that the value of mint stamps of roughly pre-1940 (or earlier, depending on country) is greatly affected by the presence or absence of a hinge mark. Older mint stamps that are never hinged will often sell at a higher % of catalog value.




*Average is used here to describe the condition and grade in which most stamps are found. "Average" when it applies to centering standards doesn't mean "average", it means "terrible". I'm not referring to horribly off-center stamps, just the kind of stamps that most collectors have, neither really good nor really bad.

The relationship between catalogue value and man-in-the-street value probably varies between markets too. I'd expect to pay around 10% of CV at auction for decent European stamps, whilst Empire/Commonwealth issues would probably go higher - say, 20%. Estimates from auctions that I use (not fancy, expensive ones!) usually reflect this. As others have said, the percentage will increase with age and unused status. At the very top end - where stamps are usually bought by investors, not collectors - CVs may well prove to be understated.

I think the key is to enjoy the hobby, and not worry overmuch about values. But it's hard to live without a catalogue!

One reason I think it's important for a new collector to understand catalog values is so they don't get intimidated or discouraged from pursuing a collecting area when they look at some of the higher values. I remember, not all that long ago, when I first took a look at Scott and saw the prices they listed for certain stamps I'd want to collect. I'd see stamp after stamp at $50, $100, $200 and up, thinking there's no way I'd ever have any of them, so why bother. It was only later that I realized that so many of those "unreachable" stamps could be obtained at a far lower price than the catalog showed.

Today my collection contains scores of stamps that I never thought I'd own a few years ago, and if I had to pay full catalog, I probably still wouldn't have most of them. For example, not long ago, I won a mint no-gum copy of Germany Scott 22 (2015 CV is $500 mint) with fine centering (which isn't bad for this issue) for $17, or 3.4% of CV. From the front, it's actually a fairly attractive example and doesn't have any other faults. Now the $500 CV is for VF centering (very tough on this issue) and with original gum, previously hinged, so my example falls pretty short on both of those fronts. That's an extreme example, but I brought it up to illustrate that some of the items that you think might be unreachable at first can be obtainable if one makes certain concessions and is patient. Some collectors don't want to make any sacrifices when it comes to quality and they have the means to follow through on that. Others may be able to live with some faults but not others when our want list and wallets collide.

you don't really need the latest Sctt catalogs at this point - try them out at the library, but if you find you would like to have them at home, you can shop for older catalogs at a steep discount - they are perfectly fine for identifying your stamps (its only the catalog values are out of date) - the only exception is if you get one that is too old the images are in black and white instead of in color (they've been in color for at least the last 5 years).

If I was going to expand my collection into a new area, I would buy some material to tempt me into the subject.

Have a look at what you have, what are you tempted to explore further? A collection based on your home town? An thematic collection on a subject of interest to you? A collection of postmarks for every day of the year?

Your collection will be just that, in this day an age you will be able to find information on whatever topic you choose.

Thank you for all the wonderful replies - I am still a bit of "Buy Kiloware and see what I get" but I know I like the following stamps

US (Easy to obtain since I am in the states)
Finland
Norway
"Warsaw Pact" Era stamps
Rhodesia
South Africa
Canada
Also I like Revenue Stamps

Few things

Some US and Canada 2000+ stamps are very hard to find used because they release a lot of them in souvenir sheet to make more money with us.

Many US stamps in the classic area are very expensive, hard to identify too.

Depending on the Country I was able to buy used 2013 Scott Catalogs Volume for Swiss for $8 and US for $23 through Amazon