Massive Stamp Collection

The greatest value for individual items is likely in the oldest stamps. See if you can find any pre-Depression U.S. stamps and tell us (show us) if he has high values (5 cents and more) for any of these series and sets.

Start with something like the 1893 Columbians. Then the Pan-Americans of 1901 and try the Pan-Pacifics of 1915.Those are sets many collectors would like to gain.

If he has preserved the higher values of these (especially if they are mint) that could be a a simple sign on whether there is some monetary value in collection. These stamps hold value over time.

This isn't the only thing to check, of course, but it's an easy start.

Appreciate the response. I'll look for those that you mention. There are so many single stamps. Thousands of them. I've been going through these sheet books that he had, they are easier to handle.

I found some certified stamps (PSAG). Not sure how to say this...I listed one on the site that sells lots of stuff beginning with the 5th letter of the alphabet. It got an immediate bid at $15 (Scott #24), so I'm hesitant to start posting the others. How does certification change the value?

Scott #24 - used, in very good shape
Scott #Q6 - unused, plate block of 4, very nice

He has an 1855, non-stamped letter (it has a circular stamp), certified. Is that actually worth anything?

These are visible on my Google Drive.

Certification can change the value because bidders have more confidence that the item is what you say it is.

I think you are right to hesitate after having posted the Sc 24.
Your certified stamps will, as Rogdcam says, give prospective buyers some confidence that what you are selling is the real deal.

Before going to far with posting groups or individual items on ebay, I would suggest developing a strategy. It seems you, and perhaps others in your family, are willing to put some time into sale of the collection and would prefer to maximize the dollar value you can extract from it, rather than sell it off immediately.

If anyone in your family knew a stamp collector, he or she might suggest how to divide the accumulation and approach things. Not an appraisal, and not for them to take it off your hands, but a quick consult. Two hours of on-site advice would really help you, I think.
Meanwhile, as for remote advice from SCF folks, I will pitch my 2 cents worth. I think you will want to create several categories that become tranches for sale in different ways suited to the material and market, and with different amounts of labor devoted to these respective tranches.

It could be that 80% of the dollar value is in 10% of the accumulation and that could well be the individual certified items.

Those particular individual items are worth slowing down, identifying a probable market value as seen in ebay past sales or on Hipstamp which is an online stamp marketplace with some overlap to ebay. For example, your used #24, with a certificate, shows a wide range of asking prices on Hipstamp, from a knock-down at $39 up to several in the $200 to $500 range which are distinguished by condition and centering.

I mention this only to suggest that certified items are likely worth individual attention. They can form a readily identified category and you can put each of them on ebay with appropriate expectations for each individual lot. Some will only be worth a few dollars, others perhaps a hundred or more.... The unstamped letter would be among this category as a postal history item. With a cert, it will sell.

The US sheets from the 30s/40s to date might seem like a lot of stamps, and a lot of value, but as folks are saying, with few exceptions (stamps with face value of say $0.50 and over) these sheets are not worth much in today's marketplace. They can be a real hassle to sell and ship without damage to the sheet. You could try to list the sheets one by one on ebay, starting at face value plus shipping, or the most recent sold-at value plus shipping, but you will be at it a long, long time. I suspect if you group them, you will get dealers/resellers who only go for 50% of face or less on most of them. But there would be less hassle and work for you to monetize them....

You also have some other categories of material which would have discrete approaches, for instance the Netherlands album. If that is all contained in one or two albums, I suppose you could offer it on ebay with many scans of the pages involved.

I hope this helps.
You have my sympathies on several counts.

- Jonathan

Thanks for the comment. I've put in...about 35-40 hours now. Reading, reviewing, posting on ebay (I thought that word was taboo from an earlier post which was deleted). I got immediate attention to the mint sheets sets and have sold an entire set. Some of these sheets are flat our beautiful. The color clarity is impressive.

I'm going to send in some stamps for certification. I have this NewFoundland stamp which is either Canada #6 or #13. It is unused, unperforated. No idea how to tell which of the Scott #s it is. My Dad had used PSAG. I hope that isn't taboo. Good? Reliable? Other ideas? PSAG wants a set of 10 stamps, so I'm trying to determine 9 others that are worth sending in. I have so many stamps around my desk now.

Serftide - You will find varying opinions on PSAG but you will find that the Philatelic Foundation (PF) and Professional Stamp Expertizers (PSE) are the most widely recognized and accepted for US material and some non-US material such as Canada. Greene would be the preference for more complex Canada stamps but the PF or PSE should do for what you describe. Some auction houses do not recognize PSAG (Siegel comes to mind) for their own reason(s).

I'll look those 2 up. Thanks.

Another question on stamp collecting. My Dad has a lot of single stamps that have a margin with a plate block #. When I look up the stamp, they have it designated as a single stamp, block of 4 or block of 6 and then a full sheet. Where does this "single plus" stamp fit in?

They are called "plate number singles" and while unpriced in traditional catalogs a lot of collectors like them and they can command a premium, especially if they are not common stamps.

It's been 3 months. Thanks to everyone who has replied. You (this forum) were the key to me getting started. I've sold a lot of stamps on ebay (at least, in my mind, a lot of stamps). Only certified singles...almost all sheets or books. I have a question on these lines on sheets. I've read some things that say that a line on a stamp sheet is significant and then another site says that they were intentional and have no intrinsic value. Also, my Dad has Scott catalogues as old as 1969. Do these have any value?

Hi serf_tide,

Congrats on the progress you've made on getting some of the collection sold.

It is unlikely that the old Scott catalogs are valuable. Some people collect them, so you could find a buyer, but shipping rates can be prohibitive.

The lines on the stamps were printed to guide the cutting of the sheet into four panes for shipment. They generally are not significant, and they can reduce the desirability of a stamp, especially if they are on a non-perforated edge.

You can read more about the lines on the stamps at Stamp Smarter:

https://stampsmarter.org/learning/I...reLines.html

Got it. Thanks for the quick response.

In my Google Drive, I have uploaded pictures of a Binder which I've labeled "Rare Stamps Book". Some of these are definitely not rare, but there are some that might be. I want to get some of them certified. If you have any time and can look at the pictures and recommend a handful for me to send to APS to get certified, it would be greatly appreciated.

Most of these are .99 to $10 items with a couple that could approach $30-50. None appear worthy of certification to me (except the stampless covers which I have no idea about). The parcel post postage due (green) stamp blocks, the 2 postal currency items, parcel post blocks (red), and the red/black train strips look like the top items to me. Grouping/lotting them properly, so you don't have everyone spending all their money on postage is the best strategy.