Inherited A 20 Page Notebook Of Stamps Around The World From The 1940's

This is one page of 22 in this notebook. Each stamp is individually wrapped in some kind of clear plastic. My father was a member of the American PhilatelicmSociety in 1946, his membership card is part of this collection. Most of the stamps are not cancelled and in pristine condition, from what I can see. I have no idea how to begin with selling these to a collector. I have not counted them yet or tallied how many countries are represented. But the photo is an accurate picture of what each page looks like and how they had been cared for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Keith Olive

First you must identifying the stamps single - sets - year - color - perforation (horizontal & vertical )- watermark ..all that by using a printed catalog or honest dealer near you here is link to some sites help you
https://www.stampworld.com/en/
http://www.stamp-collecting-world.com/
http://(20130207) Not allowed by the Staff.com/en/stamps/countries

Hi kolive, and welcome to the forum. Nothing wrong with the above advice, but maybe the best way is to go to your public library and check out the Scott catalog. Most larger libraries have an older one that can be checked out.


Peter

Welcome,
The stamps shown represent a nice start on a collection. Value-wise there is nothing shown that will command a lot of money. Chances are good that the real value in this collection is that they represent something your father spent his time on; a family heirloom. Every now and then, but it is pretty rare, you may stumble across a stamp which is worth a fair amount of money.

You are welcome to post more images and get additional feedback.
Don

The three stamps in the bottom row of your picture are 1939 airmail stamps from New Guinea, and the Scott catalog value is about $4 each. The set of three stamps in the upper left-hand corner of your picture are 1935 airmail stamps from New Zealand, and the Scott catalog value for the set of three is about $18. So, there is some significant value to be found, although nothing really rare or scarce.

The "clear plastic" may be stamp mounts that were known as Crystal Mounts. Stamps mounted in this type of mount have been known to suffer damage after long periods. So, the stamps you have need to be checked carefully before determining any value, as condition is very important to valuation.

Barhata,

Thank you for the info. How do I check to know if the Crystal Mounts have damaged the stamps? I see no discoloration or any visible sign of damage. These have not been exposed to light very much but stored in the notebook in a closet.
As for assessing the value, is there a reputable place or a way to do this that I should pursue? Right now the sheer volume of stamps in the notebook seems pretty daunting.

Looks like I need to go look for a Scott's Catalog too. Just checked ou library and a 2008 edition is the most recent.

Keith

keith, a 2008 will most likely do. I guess you have not got many newer stamps, and most older stuff still catalogs for about the same. For actual retail value, go to http://stampworld.com


Peter

Adding to what Peter and others have posted...
Retail value and catalog value are of limited use since the actual market value is different than both (since you mentioned that you would be selling them). Often, but not always, stamps like these might bring approximately 10% -15% of catalog or StampWorld.com value.

You may be best off by scanning all the stamps and posting them here so folks can give you an idea of market value. (Scanning might be a lot of work but would be needed if you want to sell them on ebay anyway.) Alternatively, you can take them around to a number of dealers or stamp clubs and see what other folks will offer you for them.
Don

Here is another page from the book.

Thanks for the FAST replies. I would love to find someone that really appreciates these stamps. Getting top dollar is just not what I am after. I realize this could be a good addition to someone's collection and would love for it to go that direction.

Is it acceptable to keep posting photos of pages for people to see or should I be posting photos of the individual countries?

Keith

Kolive, another option would be to go to http://stamps.org . On their website is a link to American stamp clubs, arranged by region / state. You can contact one of these clubs close to you and ask them about a trusted person to value your collection or better, attend a meeting and sell them there!


Peter

Keith, yes it is acceptable to keep posting photos. Please be aware that rules prohibit any selling of stamps until you have 50+ quality posts.
Don

Don, thanks for the heads up and posting guidelines.

Peter, thanks for the idea. I contacted APS and sent an email to them 15 minutes ago.

This is a nice group that seems very helpful!

Thank You!

Its great to see an old stamp book where someone has gone to great lengths to protect and preserve the contents