Home >> Collecting >> Stamp Collecting

How to Determine the Value of a Postage Stamp

Stamp collecting has been a popular hobby ever since the first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in Great Britain in 1841. Today, there are millions of collectors worldwide, many of them topical collectors focusing on a single country or theme. The value of a postage stamp depends on various factors, including age, scarcity and collectibility, as well as condition. Unused stamps are always worth more than used ones.

Things You'll Need

Computer with Internet connection
Scanner

Instructions

- 1
  Identify the stamp you're attempting to value. Obtain a Scott's stamp catalog, available through the Linns Stamp Monthly website, and most likely you will find your stamp. (See Resource 1.) The five-volume standard catalog covers stamps from every stamp-producing country in the world; there also are specialized catalogs for U.S. stamps only and a digital edition available for $9.99 a year.
- 2
  Check eBay, the online auction site, and see if your stamp happens to be up for bid. At any one time eBay has upwards of 60,000 stamps or stamp collections up for bid, most of them with photographs. Be sure to check completed auctions. If you find your stamp, you'll also get to see what it sold for -- a good indicator of value since most price guides are based on auction results.
- 3
  Browse through an online price guide such as The Swedish Tiger, which maintains an extensive online price list for U.S. postage stamps only. (See Resource 2.) The Swedish Tiger lists prices for stamps based on recent sales on eBay as well as auctions at New York auction houses.
- 4
  Visit an appraiser or send him a digital scan of your stamp. The American Philatelic Foundation offers various appraisal services and will even travel to examine and appraise big stamp collections. (See Resource 3.)
- 5
  Contact a stamp shop or dealer. The American Philatelic Society as well as the American Stamp Dealers Association maintain extensive online directories of stamp dealers the world over. Write, email or call a dealer close to you and ask if he could take a look at your stamp or stamps. Then either send a digital scan or pay an in-person visit.

Stamp Collecting