O/T : Need Help W/Stamp Collection...

barrysloate · #1 05-11-2009, 06:24 AM

This may sound strange to someone who does not collect stamps, but most American issues sell for about 15-25% of the Scott catalog value. This applies to stamps in average condition with minor flaws. A gem quality stamp will be worth a larger premium, but very few stamps fall into that category.

tbob · #2 05-11-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barrysloate

This may sound strange to someone who does not collect stamps, but most American issues sell for about 15-25% of the Scott catalog value. This applies to stamps in average condition with minor flaws. A gem quality stamp will be worth a larger premium, but very few stamps fall into that category.

Wow! I had no idea that the stamp market was so distressed. My dad is 86 and he has a huge stamp collection which includes plate blocks of almost every stamp from about 1975 backwards to 1900, as I recall. I know he has stamps from the 1800's also but I think I will spare him the sad news so he can think his eventual estate will include a lucrative stamp collection for his son

birdman42 · #3 05-11-2009, 11:39 AM

Bob,

I have a carefully assembled collection that I put together in the 1970s and 80s. A couple years ago I figured I hadn't done anything with it in a good while, so why not get rid of it. (And turn it into cards, of course--alchemy!) After a good bit of investigation I decided it wasn't worth it, = I didn't want to take such a big hit--and that after 20 years of "appreciation." I wrote a note to my heirs about how to dispose of the stamps and placed it in the front of the album. Anything they get out of it will be more than they had before.

And Barry's right on with his numbers. To go for more than 30% of catalog value, a stamp has to have something really special going for it. Of course, that does bring up the question, what good is it to have prices in the catalog in the first place, but we have the same questions about card price guides as well.

Good luck with your Dad.

Bill

barrysloate · #4 05-11-2009, 11:47 AM

Bob- I don't know if the stamp market is so distressed (it probably is) or that the catalog is simply way off. We have the same issues in the baseball card hobby with printed prices that do not reflect the market.

If a stamp lists say for $800 but it can be bought on ebay for $125-150, perhaps that is the real value and the catalog is wacky. Could you imagine if Scott's decided to print next year's book to better reflect the true value of stamps, and proceeded to lop off 80% of the previous year's prices? It would likely cause the stamp market to collapse.

Regarding plate blocks- all the ones from the 1940's up are worth a little more than face value, with the exception of some high value ones (a plate block of the $5 Hamilton would have some real punch). If he has some between 1900-30, there's a chance some are valuable.

oldjudge · #5 05-11-2009, 12:39 PM

Many mint stamps from the 30s on up actually sell in bulk for less than face. That is why you sometimes see bunches of low value old stamps used as postage

sb1 · #6 05-11-2009, 12:44 PM

As others have stated generic, average condition stamps are and have always sold for a fraction of Scott catalogue value, mint stamps bringing a percentage of face +/-.

However high grade and or rare stamps are extremely strong right now. Many of the recent auctions have set many records for individual stamps. Graded or certified stamps are the area of strongest interest to collectors of US stamps at this time.

As an example a highest graded PSE 98 Jumbo used copy of Sc #8a that I was quite interested in recently sold at auction. The catalogue was $1,250 the estimate was $5,500, which was also the opening bid. The price realized was $20,000+ the juice. This is just one of many examples from that particular sale. There were many more from this auction and others this Spring.

Scott

barrysloate · #7 05-11-2009, 01:08 PM

Scott is correct, but the number of stamps that fall into that gem category is extremely small. Nearly all stamps typically transacted have at minimum small flaws, and often are poorly centered with narrow margins. And these sell for a fraction of catalog.

Scott 8a is an early 1850's stamp and quite scarce. Of course if it is a gem PSE 98 it is going to sell for a huge premium. But maybe 1 in 10,000 examples would fall into that category. You are citing a high end extreme, and that area of any market is always in high demand.

Please note each of my paragraphs begins with "Scott" but are entirely unrelated.

JamesGallo · #8 05-11-2009, 01:19 PM

I can relate, I am sitting on 10s of thousands of dollars in face value stamps from the 60s-70s. I have thoughta about going through them but I just don't think it's worth the time as I have yet to hear from anyone that there is anything worth a thing. Most are 6,8 10 or 12 cents, but damn sheet after sheet adds up to a huge value fast.

I found some neat baseball and football sheets from 69 that are probably worth more as a sports collectible then as stamps.

How I wish my grandmother collected cards or almost anything aside from stamps but that and coins were the in thing then....

James G