Hello My Name Is Yepyep. I Need Help With Stamps.

Hi, I am new to the stamp collecting world. I was handed a small briefcase
and inside to my surprise was several hundred stamps. They are from every continent
around the planet. Some are used, some are uncirculated. Some have really dark
postmarks. Some you cant even see where it was. Some are in really good shape and
some are ruined. Now thats where I hope I can receive a helping hand as I dig through
a mountain of stamps. Even if its a little info pertaining to what to look for. Or even if they
are all destined for the landfill. Thank you.
yepyep

Welcome!

Dale

yepyep,

Enjoy having fun with stamps! That is the name of this game. Wonderful you are carrying on your father's collection. You are the next steward of a family treasure you can pass on to future generations. Its value as a family heirloom wil always surpass it monetary value.

Collecting for the enjoyment of collecting, whatever that might be, is the name of the game. Don't hesitate to ask questions especially if you need basic information and especially more advanced sources of information for any possible topic. You should be able to find folks on this board a little further along on their collecting journey glad to share experiences.

My personal bias is a used stamp loses the story of its journey in the postal service when it is removed from the cover it transported to its destination. Collecting postal history adds a whole new aspect to your journey in our hobby.

Wishing you many enjoyable future days in our hobby. Russ

Welcome.

Pretty quickly, you'll see references to the "Scott catalogue" which is the standard catalogue for U.S. stamps, and one of the major publishers of worldwide catalogues, too.

They are published annually. Every edition has a great introduction section that is well worth reading. It will explain terms and concepts that you'll want to know. In the U.S., many libraries have copies - sometimes in the reference section, sometimes available for checking out - and I recommend reading it, and then reading it again. If your library doesn't have them, or you prefer to own it, you can also buy an older copy online for a few dollars. A 10- or 15-year-old catalogue is still useful for the intro section, among other things.

A current or former numismatist, I see.

and .

Welcome to the enlightening hobby of stamp collecting. I hope for you great reward, and the joy this journey brings. Interesting and powerful how many enter this hobby, and for what reason.

I recommend heading to the library for a book on introduction to stamp collecting, which will help in identifying the countries, and a stamp catalog (will be Scott's in the US) to help in identifying the individual stamps.

Google image search also does a really good job of identifying stamps.

Once you are sorted and have an understanding of the age of the stamps you can decide how to proceed. tock books are typical for new collectors. The activity will also inform you if you're interested in continuing in the hobby. note - don't expect to get any money out of it.

OP posted this almost a year ago. OP never followed up on the post. According to OP's profile, OP signed up on the day this was posted and never logged on after that date.

Post up some images and questions so we can begin to provide comments and insights.