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How Do I Know If My Stamp Is Rare?

A rare stamp can be worth thousands of dollars. It is only natural to hope for a stamp of such value to land in your personal collection. There are several elements to a stamp that you can look for that will give clues as to just how rare your stamp may be.

Things You'll Need

Stamp
Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Check to see if your stamp has no visible defects or cancellation marks and if the stamp still has its original gum. If so, the stamp is probably unused and is therefore considered to be in mint condition. This increases the value of the stamp.
- 2
  Research the type of stamp to find out how many of its kind were ever printed. The fewer stamps of its kind, the greater its rarity.
- 3
  Research the details of the type of stamp you have and determine if it has any errors. For example, if the stamp you have is printed backwards as compared to the type of stamp it is, this error will increase the rarity of your stamp.
- 4
  Take your stamp to an appraiser to have it professionally graded if your stamp has any of the above elements of rarity. The appraiser can name the value of your stamp and may be able to give you more information about it.

Stamp Collecting