Valuing my stamp collection?

Mark300

Have a collection from being a nipper and now it is taking up too much space, any ideas?

soolin

Mark300 said:

Have a collection from being a nipper and now it is taking up too much space, any ideas?

Bricks and mortar auction house will usually have free valuation days and you can have the option of leaving it with them for sale- just check their costs before you commit to selling. Don’t be surprised if the collection is valued quite low, stamps don’t have the value they used to have, people that collected them are getting older and decluttering and there’s always several for sale at most auctions I attend. However if you do have anything interesting in their a proper auction will mean that buyers who know what they are looking for will spot it and should pay up for it. 

RFW

soolin said:

Mark300 said:

Have a collection from being a nipper and now it is taking up too much space, any ideas?

Bricks and mortar auction house will usually have free valuation days and you can have the option of leaving it with them for sale- just check their costs before you commit to selling. Don’t be surprised if the collection is valued quite low, stamps don’t have the value they used to have, people that collected them are getting older and decluttering and there’s always several for sale at most auctions I attend. However if you do have anything interesting in their a proper auction will mean that buyers who know what they are looking for will spot it and should pay up for it. 

Good advice. I'm not a stamp expert but my FIL collects so I've dabbled in finding him some good ones as Christmas presents.
As with a lot of post internet things some of the more valuable ones are surprising and vice versa.
If you have time it may be more beneficial splitting them up.
Pull out some of your favourites and the more weird ones and check completed listing sales on Ebay.

You may also find that there are some international markets for them on Ebay.

jeffuk

Any post 1970/decimal stamps may be worth keeping for use as postage.

soolin

jeffuk said:

Any post 1970/decimal stamps may be worth keeping for use as postage.

Always a good tip. I bought sheets of mint wedding of Charles and Diana at auction at less than face value even after buyers premium and used them for a good few months to pay for postage afew years back. 

Rantband

If the collection contains anything of value and they are in your area Lockdales of Ipswich will offer a good service. I used them to sell my late fathers collection.

kalsha

soolin said:

jeffuk said:

Any post 1970/decimal stamps may be worth keeping for use as postage.

Always a good tip. I bought sheets of mint wedding of Charles and Diana at auction at less than face value even after buyers premium and used them for a good few months to pay for postage afew years back. 

I am doing the same.   Using up all the mint stamps bought in 1970's/80's.  You should see my parcels - a patchwork of different stamps of various denominations making up £3.20!

Alfrescodave

A lot of people who bought First Day Covers as an investment are surprised when they come to sell them as they are usually worth only a fraction of the original price.

soolin

Alfrescodave said:

A lot of people who bought First Day Covers as an investment are surprised when they come to sell them as they are usually worth only a fraction of the original price.

A very few small fraction as well - both my dad and I collected First day covers for a few years, I have put boxes of them in auctions that failed to even reach a £5 minimum house price and so I still have several boxes left that are basically worthless. I would have been better off buying the mint presentation packs as at least I could have used the stamps.

Zinger549

You could do a search to see if there is a local philatelic society near you. If your near London Stanley Gibbons have a shop on the Strand.

misterthrifty

Hi, I wouldn't get your hopes up, I value stamp collections & schoolboy stamp collections are almost invariably worth just a few £s, it almost all comes down to how much you spent on the collection. Most general auctioneers won't know the value and specialists like Stanley Gibbons won't be interested. You can try (https://www.warwickandwarwick.com/) who will give you some advice.