How to Find Out the Value of a Postage Stamp: 13 Steps

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2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Many people first approach stamp collecting after seeing the unusual illustration of one or more stamps used to send a letter or postcard. However, determining the value of a stamp is about more than just the sticker. The following steps show you how to find out the value of a stamp by looking at the factors that change it, giving you the resources to research it.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Factors that Determine the Value of a Postage Stamp

Step 1. Note the age of the stamp

Unlike coins, stamps generally don't show the date they were issued, making their age more difficult to determine.

In some cases, the approximate age of a stamp can be determined based on the "vignette" (ie the illustrated part), if the stamp in question was issued to celebrate a historical event at the time of the event itself.
The older stamps were also made with different grades of paper than the more modern ones.
Postage stamps used for special purposes, such as military mail, have a simpler history to trace, making it easier to determine their age.

Step 2. Determine where the stamp was issued

The historical importance of a country at the time of issue can have an impact on the value of the stamp. The name of the country that issued it could be written on the stamp in an unfamiliar language or in an alphabet other than Latin; if you can find the name of the country transposed into the Latin alphabet, you can search the Internet to identify the equivalent in Italian.

Step 3. Check the centering of the drawing

More important than the sticker itself is the centering of the illustration on the face of the stamp. You can evaluate it by looking at the stamp upside down, to see how well the design is positioned.

Step 4. Check the rubber of the stamp

Older postage stamps had a rubbery side that had to be licked for it to adhere to the envelope or the surface of the postcard. The rubbery material and its condition affect the value of the stamp.

the new stamp must have intact rubber. Traces of tongue or oxidation decrease its value.
A well distributed and more complete rubber makes a stamp more valuable than one whose rubber has cracks, missing parts or has been partially or completely removed. For this reason, a used stamp is generally more valuable if it is still glued to an envelope or postcard, as opposed to one that has been removed.
At one time, a strip of gummed paper, called a hinge, was used to make stamps adhere to albums, but this practice reduced their value as it damaged the rubber of the stamp.

Step 5. Look at the indentation

The old stamps were printed on single sheets, then a perforation was made along the edges of the stamps to separate them from each other. The size of the indentation can be measured with an instrument called an "odontometer". The cut should also be clean and clean.

Step 6. Check if the stamp has been stamped or not

Stamps (or stamps) prevent a stamp from being reused for mail; moreover, they reduce its value if they are too invasive. A light stamping is preferable to one that interferes too much with the design of the stamp.

Step 7. Determine how rare the stamp is

First, the rarity of a stamp depends on the number of copies that have been produced. Generally, the value of the stamps issued in the last 60 years corresponds to that indicated on the facade, as there are so many examples. Similarly, Benjamin Franklin's 1861 1-cent stamp has a low monetary value, as an estimated 150 million copies were produced.

Stamps with errors in the cartoon, such as the famous stamp featuring an inverted biplane or the "Pink Gronchi" are both rare and valuable to collectors. These stamps are among the few to have escaped quality control inspections which must eliminate these types of errors before distribution

Step 8. Evaluate the condition of the stamp

All the aforementioned factors help determine the condition of a stamp which can be indicated in two scales.

The conservation of a postage stamp can be expressed in broad terms using three simple terms: intact, used or damaged. A used stamp has small imperfections, such as a small crease in the corner. A damaged stamp has major imperfections, such as large creases, holes, abrasions or stains. An intact stamp has no imperfections.
The condition of a stamp can be more accurately assessed on seven levels, similar to those used for coins: conditions below average, acceptable, average, fair, good, very good and extremely good.

Step 9. Find out how much demand there is for a stamp

Even if a stamp is in excellent condition, it may not be sought after by collectors. The connection with an important historical event, or even just a generic agreement on the value of a stamp, can determine how much this stamp is sought after.

Method 2 of 2: Ways to Find Out the Value of a Postage Stamp

Step 1. Consult a printed reference

You can research both the value and the history of a stamp by consulting a specific encyclopedia or a dedicated catalog.

Step 2. Research the value of the stamps online

There are numerous online resources for determining the value of a postage stamp.

Online auction sites, such as eBay, can give you an idea of the current market value of a stamp. Be sure to carefully compare your stamps with those described in the auctions, down to the specifics of their condition.
Stamp merchant websites, such as Zillions of Stamps, provide a kind of online marketplace where anyone can offer their wares, which gives you a basis for comparing the value of your old stamps to those for sale.
On the websites of stamp enthusiasts you can find discussion forums where you can ask questions and learn from other philatelists (stamp collectors). An example is the StampCenter.com forum (in English).
While the Scott and Gibbons catalogs are not available online, the Stanley Gibbons catalogs are available through their websites, and the Scott catalogs can be ordered through the stamp dealer sites.

Step 3. Visit of the stamp exhibitions

Stamp collectors exhibitions will give you another opportunity to check the market shares of various stamps and to talk to other collectors, some of whom may give you their opinion on the value of your stamps.

Step 4. Have the stamps professionally appraised

A professional valuation is the best way to find out the book value of a stamp, which will typically be higher than the market value you can expect to receive from its sale. Some admirers are also stamp dealers.

You can also get recommendations of dealers or admirers from other philatelists, or you can consult the websites of philatelic associations, such as the American Stamp Dealers

Advice

Regardless of the actual monetary value of the stamps, it is perfectly acceptable to collect them for their intrinsic value, especially if the sticker has special meaning to you

Warnings

When there is a sudden increase in the number of collectors in a given historical period, the monetary value of the stamps produced during and after that boom is reduced. A boom in collectors in the 1930s led to an accumulation of stamps which resulted in over-production, which in turn reduced the collectible value of those stamps. A similar boom also happened in the early 1980s.
The transition from traditional mail to electronic communication has contributed to lowering the collectible value of stamps, even if it has raised the price of the face value.

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