Newbie help

[je177]

My family in NY is in possession of a a fairly extensive stamp collection that has been handed down over the years. No one in the family currently knows anything about stamps and is considering selling the collection. Because of the amount of stamps, and the general lack of stamp knowledge, I was wondering what the best method of selling such a collection would be without getting low balled or ripped off. We’ve looked at some of the stamps and some seem to have the potential for real value. Any info would be great to point us in the right direction. Thank you!

PS- this is one of the stamps that seemed to be of at least some value from what we could find. However, I know there are intricacies of stamp collection that will effect value not just the type of stamp.

Great Britain 1884 QV 1# brown-lilac


Jim

 

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[Slingshot]

That is either a Great Britain Scott's # 110 of 1884, or a # 123 of 1888, depending on which watermark it has. Either way it is a valuable stamp - DEPENDING on condition. There could be thins, repairs, etc., which are very common on these older stamps, but then again maybe not. You will get no where with this collection until you find someone local who is knowledgeable about stamps.
You would do well to try and locate a stamp club locally, and get a group opinion as to your best course of action.
Catalogue values are pie in the sky, as stamp collecting has suffered a serious decline in the population of active participants in the past 4 decades, but despite that you could have some value there and need to have them looked at. This is something that really can't be done online, as there are too many variables that come into play when determining the value of any stamp.
Wishing you the best of luck in your quest!

 

[Mine Shaft]

There are a number of good stamp appraisers out there and most will come to you and give you a free appraisal. Try Gary Posner, Inc. if they are still around (800)323-4279.

 

[Mackaydon]

Can you post a pic of the first page of your USA and Great Britain collection?
Don.......

 

[Willy Garrison]

I agree with the other forum participants. You should find evaluators, but if you, for example, prefer to deal with problems yourself. Then, you can scroll through your collection and sort by date and country. You can then find stamps in numerous catalogues. This includes online catalogues. For example, https://colnect.com or https://findyourstampsvalue.com/. As a result, you can estimate the value of your collection remotely (approximately). But it is still better to look for professionals.

 

[EQ8]

You might find some of them on Ebay or Pintrest also.
These would tell you what to expect regardless of what books or catalogs say.
Coins are like that also.
Red Book says "$100.00"!!
But in reality you'd be lucky to get 75..
LOTS of variables in ANY collectibles unless they are really special.