Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Determine the country of origin. Aside from Great Britain, which uses the silhouette of the monarch, most countries print their country names on each stamp (such as "USA" or "US Postage" in the United States or "Deutschland" for Germany. For determining more difficult country names, consult an international stamp guide.
Check the stamp's condition. Clean, unused, color-rich and properly centered stamps can be worth more than damaged, faded or poorly aligned ones. However (and here's where it gets tricky), sometimes imperfect stamps can be worth more than mint condition ones. For instance, a printing error or a rare cancellation mark on a used stamp can increase the value.
Determine the stamp's rarity. Factors at play in rarity include the stamp's age, printing period and denomination. Thus stamps that are older, printed as a commemorative release (released for a short span of time), or of strange or unusual denominations (such as the 2 1/2 cents or $5) are generally rarer and worth more than stamps that were printed more recently, printed for longer periods of time or printed in more common denominations.
Obtain the help of a stamp pricing guide such as the Scott (Scott Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps). Most public libraries have at least several stamp guides available in the reference section. Having determined the stamp's country of origin, age, condition and rarity, this resource will help you find the stamp's value. Search the illustrated volumes for your stamp and follow the grading guidelines listed.
Consult an expert. Only if the above steps prove too difficult or cumbersome for your limited stamp appraising skills, seek out a dealer or an experienced collector, preferably from the American Philatelic Society. Here you will find a wealth of human resources to assist your search.