How to Select Rare Stamps

Understand Types of Rare Stamps

• 1

  Understand that the rareness of a stamp is directly related to its market value. According to the American Philatelic Foundation, a stamp is considered rare only if its value is over $5,000.

• 2

  Know that there are several different types of rare stamps sought by collectors. These include stamps of limited quantity, errors, stamps with special cancellations, first-issued stamps of a country and antique stamps of all kinds. Types of errors include inverted designs, color errors and printing errors.

• 3

  Use a stamp catalog to find and identify rare and valuable stamps that you may want to acquire for your collection.

Select a Reputable Stamp Dealer

• 4

  Choose a stamp dealer with whom to do business based on his reputation and associations to which he belongs. The American Philatelic Society and American Stamp Dealers Association are two groups that hold their members to a strong code of ethics in their business dealings. With these dealers, you are generally assured authenticity. Other countries also have similar professional associations for stamp dealers.

• 5

  Find out some important information about the stamp dealer or seller at auction before you buy a stamp, particularly your rights to have the stamp appraised and returned if it is found to differ in any way from how it was advertised by the seller.

Get Stamps Expertised

• 6

  Take the rare stamps that you have a acquired from a reputable dealer to be expertised. An expertiser will appraise your stamps for authenticity, grade and value, and can also help you categorize them as well. Upon completion of the expertising process, you will receive a certificate of authenticity for each stamp.

• 7

  Select an expertiser based on years of experience and reputation within the philatelic community. Keep in mind that expertisers charge a fee that is generally based on a percentage of the stamp's catalog value.