How do you price old stamps?

Answer 1

Priceless satisfaction

Good Answer! You never should expect to make money from a stamp collection. Unless you are going out and buying high value items, you won't be able to get as much as you paid for them.

A dealer will look at the overall collection and make an offer. If you have specific stamps that are worth great deal, they are going to do better individually then as a part of a collection.

If looking to sell the collection or appraise it for estate value, if the individual was a member of the American Philatelic Society, they will assist in finding a reputable appraiser.

Even if you were to identify and catalog every single item in the collection, you would expect to get only a fraction of the catalog value.

Answer 2

Your question is impossible to answer without more information, but I'll try anyway.

If it is a valuable collection you have to consider the tax liability you will have if you sell it, whether any of your heirs will like to have it , or would know how to sell it without giving it away to the first dealer they have look at it and whether any charitable institution that you favor is willing and able to sell it for what it is worth.

If it is not valuable, ie you have spent less than say $5000 on it, again try to find someone you like who collects stamps or might collect stamps if you can get them interested and give it to them, perhaps a little at a time. That failing, offer it on eBay and see what you get for it.

Answer 3

There are many factors to take into consideration. Rarity is probably the single biggest factor. Condition is going to be the next most important. A very rare stamp in bad condition can still have a very large value. A common stamp in bad condition has no value. Even a common stamp in very good condition will have a minimal value.

Answer 4

{| |- | The first step is to identify the stamps. Consult a stamp catalog such as Scott's, which include pictures and descriptions of all the stamps. It also provides details on identification as well as a description on how stamps are rated and graded. |}

Answer 5

Educate yourself on the hobby and the stamps you own. A standard postage stamp catalog, which can be borrowed from your local library, can provide a great deal of help in this area. The easiest way is to hand them to a dealer and ask them for a price. Even if you trust the dealer, the value is going to be a lot less then you are hoping for!

Answer 6

There are several ways of determining the value of a collection. One is to do it yourself using stamp catalogs. They are usually available in the local library. You could also ask a dealer in your area to appraise it.

Answer 7

Consult a catalog online or at your library. If you are doing this for an estate, there are specialists that can help. You can contact the American Philatelic Society for assistance in locating one in your area. Your local stamp dealer could also help.

Answer 8

You should research a few different ways to obtain a variety of opinions so you get every penny your collection is worth. Start looking on the internet by looking up the value of each individual stamps and collection of stamps. Also find dealers in your neighborhood whom you can take your collection to and get their expert opinion. But don't go to just one dealer, try a few.