Interested in Selling your Stamps?

The information below will help you to better understand what types of stamp collections we are looking for            and are most likely to purchase.  
 
If you feel the collection you are selling meets the conditions below, please complete the SELLING FORM at the bottom of the page.
  
Sorry, we do not do appraisals for insurance or estates.

 

"Stamps aren't rare, but there are rare stamps."




Items we ARE INTERESTED IN

Worldwide collections of specific, individual countries, which are organized and mounted with care are a delight.  Well organized collections in albums are far more desirable than loose stamps stored in envelopes or bags.   Please let us know which countries or areas were collected.  It is also helpful if you know (approximately) the years when the collector was putting together the collection.  

If the collection has many different countries organized alphabetically, or by region, in several volumes, please take note of the countries that you see which are most filled with stamps.  These are most often in very thick binders (4 inch to 6 inch) and will almost always be branded as Global, Worldwide, or International on the spine.  

REMEMBER: A stamp collection should be stored like a book – upright, on a shelf.  Stamp albums that are piled up can cause the stamps inside to stick to the pages over time.  If the stamps have become stuck down to the pages, or show signs of moisture (spots from mildew, mold, etc.) that is a process that cannot be reversed.   

If the collection consists ONLY of Worldwide stamps on paper we will not be interested.  We don’t have the space to handle this type of material.  

We donate surplus stamps, used supplies, dated catalogs, and stamps on paper to local stamp youth groups in Wisconsin and Illinois.  If the collection you have was put together when the person was a youth, it most likely consists of this type of inexpensive or common material.  When we buy a collection, we take all of the material and donate or recycle what we cannot use or resell.  




Items we ARE INTERESTED IN

United States stamp collections that are neat and orderly are a pleasure to buy. Even better if they are filled with mint, unused, uncancelled US stamps in mounts.  Mounts are a clear or black protective plastic covering surrounding each stamp.  Hinges are ok on used stamps, but dramatically impact the value of mint stamps.   

Large volumes of mint (unused) United States Stamps still have value, although it will be below the face value of the stamps.   It is inconvenient to use 5 or 6 gummed stamps to mail a letter. In order to sell these excess stamps to mailers, we need to discount them.  In order to stay in business we need to buy them for slightly less than we sell them for.  We pay more for full sheets than for single loose stamps.  

Yes, we know that 3c stamps are very old.  Unfortunately old does not always translate to value.  The postage rate in the U.S. to mail a letter was just 3c until 1957!  You would need to put 28 of those old 3c stamps on an envelope to mail a single letter today.  Billions of 3c stamps were issued, making them extremely common.  People sent letters and postcards in leu of more expensive telephone calls and modern text messages.  Think of every text you send today, as a letter that exists in the past with a stamp.  See how they could pile up very quickly! 

We buy INTERESTING old mail.  Old picture postcards, letters sent from the far reaches of the globe, and old advertising mail are something that we do buy.  Condition is very important.  If the postcards were pasted in a scrapbook, or the stamps were removed, we would not be interested.  

Letters with contents, especially if they are of historical interest should be evaluated.  Everyday mail, like birthday cards, electric bills, and letters from Aunt Mildred to her sister in Boise aren’t usually of interest. 

We do buy flight covers, Zeppelin mail, and other unusual event covers.  

We are generally not interested in First Day Covers – unless they are hand painted (most will be signed by the artist), or are from before 1930.

 

Duck/Hunting stamps were issued as proof of payment for your hunting license.  They were meant to be attached to your hunting license and the hunter signed the stamp. There are both federal duck stamps, issued by the federal government, as well as state duck/hunting stamps.  These are collected both attached and off of the license. Generally federal duck stamps are more valuable than the state ones. The value of both kinds vary greatly based on age and condition.  Fishing licenses may also have stamps, but condition is important.  If the license and the tackle box went overboard, neither probably survived in great condition. 

We BUY stamp books.  If the collector had books related to their collecting area we may be interest.  Please reach out to us before disposing of a philatelic library. 

 
Selling Form