Selling A Candian Collection

Hello all,

I have been a collector of Canadian stamps since I was a little kid. However I have no experience selling stamps.

Recently a friend of my mother became widowed, and in settling the estate, she discovered to her surprise that her husband had been accumulating Canadian stamps, from early 1950's to 1980 or so. She had no idea he had been doing this! Anyway I have been volunteered to dispose of the collection. My personal interest in Canadian stamps now ends in 1946 so I want to sell these on ebay.

He had an unfocused collecting style. Seems he would drop by the post office on occasion and buy recent issues by the sheet, partial sheet, strip, or block. Mostly letter rate commemoratives, some definitives and higher values. Some blocks or strips are plate blocks.

I am thinking of inventorying them and splitting into three lots for auction:

1. Higher value items collectors might want, such as plate blocks of higher face values
2. Plate blocks of ordinary face values
3. Everything else

I understand lot 3 would probably not realize face value.

I have a question about what to do with the plate blocks. Many of them are larger than 4x4, such as 6x4 or 10x4. Some are the top or bottom two rows of a sheet which thus includes 2 plate blocks.

Should I separate the plate blocks into 4x4 size, and put the rest of the stamps into lot 3? The idea of doing this bothers me, but perhaps it would help realize a greater total sale price.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice.

Randall G

Hi Randall,

Dividing the collection into the three categories you suggest is good. However, I would expect that Lots #2 and #3 would realize less than face value! Even Lot #1, which may have Scott 302 (PB catalog value at $300), would typically only realize 10-20% of catalog.

I would also look through Lot #2 before listing to see if there are any high value PB's, and then put them with Lot #1. (ie. Scott 326 - PB#6 is 8x the value of any other PB#1-5). Also check for paper types - (ie. plain, v. fluorescent v. high fluorescent v. hibrite), as the catalog values varying considerably. Again, moving them from Lot #2 to Lot #1 will change it from less than face value to approx. 10-20% of catalog value.

Good luck!
- stamporator -

You might - if lucky - realize 40% face of this lot. Write me if you want to unload it.

On the positive side, whatever you realize is 100% money in the bank because she didn't even know it exited. Don't feel bad about what ever price you (she) get as it essentially cost her nothing to acquire .... I would consider it "sunk cost" and anything gained to be all profit.

It probably has a cost basis (face value) so if Canada taxes are a problem, that could reduce the capital "gains" or "losses".... whatever. Since I don't know Canadian tax law at all... maybe since it is her husband's estate, there are no tax consequences to her for a sale.

If you are able to sell for 40-50% that would be the price sold at auction. But the auction house will charge 10-20% fee. So if you can unload for the same price elsewhere, you will get that much more.

Since much of that era of Canada stamps have low denominations (5c or 6c stamps) they are not as desirable even for postage because you can't fit 17 x 5c stamps on a letter to post.

Any of the 25c, 50c or higher are mich more desirable, especially any $1 or high denom's.

I would also look for any tiny unlisted errors. These will at least fetch face value or if you are lucky more than face.

There are some issues that are popular, such as the Centennials. If you put these in a group together they might fetch face also.