Selling Your Stamp Collection
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Welcome to the Selling Your Stamp Collection Lens.
If you want to sell a stamp collection and don't know what to do, here is the information you need. You can follow the steps outlined here, or you can email me at eCOLLECTables@msn.com and I will personally help you.
SELLING YOUR COLLECTION
Uncle Harry passes on to his proper reward, and you inherited his fabulous stamp collection. It must be valuable as Uncle Harry spent so much time and money on it. How much is it worth? This simple, straight-forward question elicits a straight-forward answer, right? Wrong! As with anything, a stamp collection is only worth what someone will pay for it. So, what are you likely to be offered if you take your collection to a stamp dealer?
It is almost always easier to find the value of a collection by categorizing the collector and collection as you look at the stamps. Collectors tend to fall into categories depending on how long they have collected and how seriously they collected. Below you will find the steps you need to take in selling your collection. You will see several categories of collections and collectors and can examine your collection to see where it fits into one of these categories (or probably in between two of the categories). Further more, I have attempted to estimate a range of value a dealer might offer you on a wholesale basis.
While you are evaluating your collection, you might want to see the value of certain of your stamps. An excellent site for pictures and values is The Swedish Tiger at http://www.theswedishtiger.com/ Some of the stamp pictures for this site have been used with permission from this site.
It is almost always easier to find the value of a collection by categorizing the collector and collection as you look at the stamps. Collectors tend to fall into categories depending on how long they have collected and how seriously they collected. Below you will find the steps you need to take in selling your collection. You will see several categories of collections and collectors and can examine your collection to see where it fits into one of these categories (or probably in between two of the categories). Further more, I have attempted to estimate a range of value a dealer might offer you on a wholesale basis.
While you are evaluating your collection, you might want to see the value of certain of your stamps. An excellent site for pictures and values is The Swedish Tiger at http://www.theswedishtiger.com/ Some of the stamp pictures for this site have been used with permission from this site.
Look at the first page of your United States stamp album. Are these the first two stamps in your collection?
Above are the first stamps issued by the United States. Collectors greatly covet these stamps, but they are expensive and few small collections have them. If they are in the collection you are evaluating, you probably have a nice collection. This is one way to judge the value of your collection.
Scott # 230 - 245. How about these, the Columbian Series?
The complete Columbian set of stamps is one of the most coveted sets of all US stamps. You can often evaluate the value of the entire collection by looking at which of these stamps are in the collection. And, if the stamps are mint, the value is higher.
None of them would be a beginner's collection
1 or 2 might indicate a small collection
3 to 5 would probably indicate an advanced small collection
6 to 10 would most likely indicate a classy collection
11 to 14 would indicate a first-class collection
15 or 16 would indicate a highly advanced collection, perhaps a dealer
None of them would be a beginner's collection
1 or 2 might indicate a small collection
3 to 5 would probably indicate an advanced small collection
6 to 10 would most likely indicate a classy collection
11 to 14 would indicate a first-class collection
15 or 16 would indicate a highly advanced collection, perhaps a dealer
COLLECTION CATEGORIES
Below I have separated common collections into categories. Look at the collection you have and estimate the category in which it fits in order to figure out an estimated value.
Very Small Collection: A collector's album with a few hundred to a couple thousand worldwide stamps.
($5 - $10) Most dealers will not make an offer on this kind of collection as they don't need the common stamps usually found in them, and/or they feel it would make the seller feel bad to be offering such a small amount to what the seller thinks the collection is worth. There are hundreds of these little collections with stamps from the 1930s to the 1980s. Most often it is better to try to interest a young person to use the collection as a springboard toward a fulfilling hobby that might last a lifetime than to try to find a buyer. Small Collection: Established collector with one or two nicely filled albums and a couple thousand loose stamps with some covers
($10 - $100) There is little difference between this collector and the above category except that this collector has accumulated more. The stamps are usually of limited value as the collector generally collected only the most common stamps; such collectors usually do not spend money on the high value stamps. Look toward giving it to little Timmy or donating it to a charity. Average Collection: A sometimes collector with 4 or 5 albums, a specialized collection or two, several hundred loose stamps
($100 - $500) Generally, a life-long collector starts accumulating some stamps with more value. Dealers can sometimes separate out the stamps and/or covers with value to sell separately to help recoup what they paid for the collection. Dealers have a hard time selling this type of collection as a collection, although in recent years, more and more of these small collections are being offered whole in online auctions. Large Collection: A life-long, continuous collector with 10 to 12 albums, several specialized collections, 1000s of loose stamps
($1000 - $3000) These are collections that can sometimes be re-sold as a collection to other collectors although they are often broken up into country collections. Not many small stamp dealers are willing to pay more than $3000 for a collection no matter what it is; therefore, many of these collections are broken up and sold at auction where they usually have more value. Very Large Collection: The stock of an active collector/small stamp dealer.
($2000 - $3000) Most stamp dealers are extremely successful collectors who buy and sell adding needed stamps/covers to their collection and selling what they don't need. A stamp collector/dealer of this size almost always sells their collections to another stamp collector/dealer, but once in awhile a person will inherit such a collection. Since it was established by a dealer or an extremely knowledgeable collector, many of the stamps have good value. Companies who buy these collections (sometimes you can consign your collection to them) are fairly easily found in stamp publications or online (see below). Dealer Collection: A large well-established over years stamp dealer or substantial, eminent collector.
($3,000-$8,000+) Today, sale of this type of collection is almost always handled through a stamp auction house where they are broken into lots and sold to dozens or hundreds of individuals. Even so, a collection like that shown on the right can usually be sold as a collection. The seller must understand that this "wholesale" selling price will almost never be as much as it was purchased at on the retail market. However, really rare single stamps are heavily advertised in glossy catalogs and sold separately; they often bring extremely high prices, especially on the auction market, thus distributing these valuable stamps into many different collections. First Day Cover Collection
Sometimes, not often, a nice collection of first day covers might be a part of a collection. First day covers are envelopes with a design or picture (cachet) on the left and a stamp with a cancellation on the first day it was issued. After the 1950s, most can be found without the address. Virtually every collector has a few covers, but a specialized collection of several hundred covers, some in albums, makes a great collection. Dealers will sometimes offer $.10 to $.15 each for large numbers of these covers; however, not all dealers specialize in first day covers. Plate Blocks of Four Collection
Quite a few collecters bought plate blocks of four for all the new issues. These are four mint stamps with a number attached on the selvage. Almost invariably these collections are from 1960 to present and are worth no more than face value to a dealer; so be prepared to be offered 20 percent or less than face value. Selling Your Collection To a Dealer
If you wish to sell your collection without help, you might want to contact these dealers who might be interested in buying your stamp collection. (click on the blue title) Also, please feel free to contact me at eCOLLECTables@msn.com.
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- Dealer with Shop
- See if a dealer has a stamp shop in your city or a large city near you. There are not many left; most dealers are selling their stamps on the Internet or in stamp shows. It is nice to look someone in the eye when you are selling your stamps. You can probably sell smaller collections here.
- Stamp Shows
- If there is a stamp show near you. you might want to take your collection there These are often small dealers who sometimes will buy smaller collections. Ask the greeter at the desk as you go in who is buying collections.
- Making Yourself a Dealer
- If you have the desire to sell your collection yourself, you can do it on eBay or BidStart, the ones I use, or several others that do an equally good job. There are also several other Ebay dealers who will sell mid-sized collections at auction for you on commission. Small collections are rarely worth the time and effort to sell.
- Email Me For Help
- I answer virtually all inquiries. If you have questions, comments, or want someone to help you sell your collection, email me at eCOLLECTables@msn.com.
The Ebay Connection
You might want to sell your collection yourself. Ebay is the leading seller of stamps and collections in the world. Below are some examples for you to see what other persons are asking for their collections.
Stamp Books on Amazon That Might Help You
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