Covers From The Late 1800's, Are They Worth Anything Or Should I Trash Them?

Just curious if any of these stamps are worth anything or if I should just trash them all?

They'll be worth something to someone. Don't throw them away, and don't remove the stamps from the envelopes.

Geoff is correct - they are worth more if still on cover!
By the way, do not throw anything like that away, there is always a market


Peter

No trash talk please.

Please don't trash them! Someone would be really happy to have those pieces of history.

You haven't won the lottery, but they aren't worthless

That was written for effect. No way would you throw that away.

No it was not written for effect. If they're worthless I'm throwing them in the trash. If everyone started doing that it would make the ones that are left worth more. So it's actually a good thing for you collectors.

I'm not trying to win the lottery. But every dollar helps at this point. So if they're not absolutely worthless then I won't toss them.

Mindya12 - Most covers from the classic era are keep-able. No, you did not win the lottery but still these have value to someone.

There is more to philately than stamp collecting. Even if the stamps have faults, on cover their condition becomes secondary to their usage, the rate they paid, the routes they traveled etc. You are getting good advice here. Show a few individual items and someone experienced is bound to tell you something about the cover that will open your eyes.

I see a couple I would buy....yes they are sellable, take to local club

I collect for fun and pleasure and enjoyment. Money is last on my list. Stamp collecting for me is a hobby. Not an investment. You would be doing no one any favors destroying postal history.

There are collectors that just collect on cover. I know one that has posted here that he feels that a stamp is not worthwhile unless it's on cover.So, yes, save them.

You mean, If everyone started doing that it there wouldn't be any left. Also, your statement isn't logical, in this case: it makes a scarcity argument that presumes that all stamped envelopes ("covers") are equal, which of course they are not. The value of a cover, is a combination of the stamp(s) used, the cancellation, the date, the origin, the route, the destination, and the condition.

There are two broad ways of looking at this, stamps vs postal history, AND let's put a $ value on the table for sake of discussion.

1. "Stamps" The stamps shown here are the common workhorse stamps of their era issued in huge quantities. Removed from their envelopes, they are worth maybe $10 retail, with the caution of the "Antiques Roadshow" mantra, everything is "condition, condition, condition", which is hard to evaluate from one image.

2. "Postal history" Or the value for the entire mail piece, which would likely be 2x-5x (or more) for these, depending on the postmark, whether interesting letters are enclosed, overall attractiveness, etc. etc. - and of course conditon. Valuing/pricing postal history is more of an art which takes into account many factors. The overlapping making it impossible to be very specific. The general point being that stamps on their entire mailpieces are almost always worth more than when removed, thus the previous comments to leave the stamps on the envelopes and not to trash them.