ANY PHILATELISTS ON HERE?

[crazyphil]

Way back when I was 10 or 11 I collected stamps. I recently
came across the old spiral notebook that I pasted the stamps
in. Around 300 or so. That was over 70 years ago, and some
of them were old when I collected them.

Well, I looked at some rare stamps on ebay this morning. I
found some being offered for big bucks, that appear to be the
same as some that I have.

So I'm thinking wow, if I have some stamps worth big bucks,
just think of the guns, holsters, etc. that I can buy.

So if you are a philatelist, please tell me how I can find out
what my stamps are worth and how is the best way to sell
them if any of them are worth big bucks.

 

[Onomea]

I was, as a child, like you were.

I lived in Germany as a child and I recall having Adolf Hitler stamps, although we were there in the mid 50’s to early 60’s... I recall Soviet stamps, too. A bunch of stamps from around the world... I think my father must have given them to me, although he was not a collector himself....

Long gone at this point.

Good luck, Phil, selling yours!

 

[crazyphil]

I was, as a child, like you were.

I lived in Germany as a child and I recall having Adolf Hitler stamps, although we were there in the mid 50’s to early 60’s... I recall Soviet stamps, too. A bunch of stamps from around the world... I think my father must have given them to me, although he was not a collector himself....

Long gone at this point.

Good luck, Phil, selling yours!

Thank you. Some of mine are Hitler, and I also have some
Russian stamps. The ones that might be valuable are the
early George Washington and Benjamin Franklin stamps.

 

[5-Shot]

Stamps are probably different from baseball cards...at least I hope they are...but this story needs telling any way. My best friend and coworker had an extensive collection of baseball cards he'd accumulated as a child. Each year some kind of book was published that listed values for each card and each year my buddy would dutifully report those values to me. As the company's market researcher my recommendation was always a resounding, "Sell 'em!" This went on for years and card prices continued to soar.

Finally, one day he called to report that he was ready to follow my recommendation. A big baseball card swap meet was coming to town for the weekend and my buddy was going to go unload all of his $100 cards.

As soon as possible Monday morning I got him on the phone. "How was the swap meet?" "Grumble...grumble...grumble!" "Oh, they weren't worth $100?" "No. They were were all worth precisely $100." "I could have traded one for two $50 cards, four $25 cards, 10 $10 cards etc.... but no cash ever changed hands."

Hope stamps are different.

Ed

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I hope they are worth a bunch of money!
Then you can have you private jet fly you down and take me to lunch!

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Have not philated since I was a young child.

 

[billwill]

Wow...glad I read past the subject line...thought you were calling all of us names. Was gonna wait for the hammer to drop.

I guess I'm one of you cause once a month i give some of my collection to Mr. Mailman. Have a good day

 

[KKECK5]

WHEN i was a kid, the go to book on stamp collecting and price was by H.E. Harris Co..........i'm sure they are still around....

 

[Rule3]

Perhaps contact this group. They can get you in the right direction.

American Philatelic Society

 

[Texas Star]

Stamps are probably different from baseball cards...at least I hope they are...but this story needs telling any way. My best friend and coworker had an extensive collection of baseball cards he'd accumulated as a child. Each year some kind of book was published that listed values for each card and each year my buddy would dutifully report those values to me. As the company's market researcher my recommendation was always a resounding, "Sell 'em!" This went on for years and card prices continued to soar.

Finally, one day he called to report that he was ready to follow my recommendation. A big baseball card swap meet was coming to town for the weekend and my buddy was going to go unload all of his $100 cards.

As soon as possible Monday morning I got him on the phone. "How was the swap meet?" "Grumble...grumble...grumble!" "Oh, they weren't worth $100?" "No. They were were all worth precisely $100." "I could have traded one for two $50 cards, four $25 cards, 10 $10 cards etc.... but no cash ever changed hands."

Hope stamps are different.

Ed

Yes, different. You can't mail a letter with a baseball card on it...

 

[nedlate]

I recently came across the old spiral notebook that I pasted the stamps in.

Phil-Unfortunately pasted is the key work, kind of worse than polishing and rebluing!! Unless you really meant hinged into the book? They would probably be considered place holders now if they were pasted! I collected stamps when I was young and then again at about 18 so I am not an expert, not even close! How about a couple of pictures just for fun?
Ed

 

[swsig]

Not me! I'm serious about my marriage vows.

 

[glenwolde]

Not me! I'm serious about my marriage vows.

There's a whole bunch of guys getting fired for that stuff right now...

 

[swsig]

There's a whole bunch of guys getting fired for that stuff right now...

I agree. Making corny malapropisms should get you fired. Fortunately, I'm retired.

 

[johnt671]

I have a nice collection that I haven't looked at for years. I have mint unused stamps from the early 30's to the early 80's other then the ones that I couldn't afford.

The old rule of thumb was to get a catalog from H.E. Harris and never pay more than half of what Harris was selling them for. As with most other things, in the early 80's investors got involved in stamps, and forced the price of older stamps sky high, in many so cases paying twice of the Harris prices. This forced prices sky high for the small collector, and the investors will long be dead before the stamps they bought will be worth what they paid, if ever.

 

[hardcase60]

Growing up my stamp interest was plate blocks. Those are the blocks of four or six stamps with the plate number on the selvage (border). The catalog I recall was Scott's. The extensive collection is now gathering dust safely tucked away in a closet. Yes, they were all properly mounted in albums or otherwise properly stored. Guns are more fun. And more expensive........hardcase60

 

[nedlate]

Growing up my stamp interest was plate blocks. Those are the blocks of four or six stamps with the plate number on the selvage (border). The catalog I recall was Scott's. The extensive collection is now gathering dust safely tucked away in a closet. Yes, they were all properly mounted in albums or otherwise properly stored. Guns are more fun. And more expensive........hardcase60

I was also buying plate blocks and also some sheets of stamps, they are in the special folders for stamps, or so I thought!! Years later I start pulling them out to look-plate blocks, sheets of stamps are all glued onto the sheets they were stored in! Thought about cutting them out and using for postage!
Ed

 

[gregintenn]

I just opened this thread to find out what that word meant!

 

[BigBoy99]

Stamps are like guns. Only the rare, new and unused ones are valuable.

My father had a large stamp collection. He would buy the common stamp by the sheets and say they were his investment because in the future they would be worth a whole lot more. When he passed away, we had to sell his collection. It turned out the sheets of stamps he bought 40 and 50 years ago were worth just their face value. We used those old stamps on letters for several years before they were all gone.

 

[federali]

Memories

I was an active U.S. stamp collector in the 1950s and I still have my collection. I believe that stamp collecting, like many other hobbies, waned with the explosion of electronic games and computers to distract America's youth.

I don't know a single person today who will admit to being a stamp collector.