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Old Stamps Price Guide
Learn how to find the price and value of old stamps
Old Stamps Price Guide: You’ve found an old-fashioned box of postage stamps that you have found in your attic. You’re not sure which are the old postage stamps, but you have an inkling that you’ve discovered the old stamp collection of your grandfather which dates to the 19th century.
Then you are intrigued and want to know “how do you determine how much value old stamps have? When will the value of old stamps rise?”
Postage stamps come with their own value. Postage stamps from the past, particularly those with uncommon stamps have a higher value than modern stamps.
The value of postage stamps that are old is dependent on the number of similar stamps. The rarer the stamp you have from your past its value is.
How much is an old stamp worth?
Remember that apart from the stamp’s age the condition of the stamp, the rarity, and grade is also a factor.
Postage stamps used dating back to 100 years ago are sold at the highest price not just due to their age, but also because they are difficult to locate. There are many methods to calculate the cost of postage stamps…
You can make contact with a stamp dealer, or calculate the value of the stamp yourself.
There are numerous stamp dealers that provide professional stamp appraisal services. Get recommendations from fellow philatelists regarding the best merchant who will give you an accurate value for the older postage stamps.
Beware of counterfeit stamp dealers or those who may try to trick you into buying untrue bargains.
If you aren’t willing to pay to cover a stamp dealer’s fees it is possible to determine the worth of the old postage stamp yourself. These steps will allow you to determine the value of your old stamps.
How to find the value of old stamps?
Find the postage stamp of the past. Stamp identification is essential to know the significance of postage stamps that are old. Find your old stamps in a catalog.
Scott Specialized stamp catalog is extensively used by American Philatelists, while the Stanley Gibbons catalog is used in Great Britain.
It contains photos and prices for postage stamps arranged by date of issue. It is also possible to refer to an old guide to the price of stamps that is generally sold at stores that sell philatelic products.
Find what is central. Centering is the initial step in determining the stamp’s quality. You can check whether the postal stamp’s design is balanced in relation to other elements that make up the stamp like its margin as well as the Vignette. The stamp’s centering affects the stamp’s quality.
There isn’t a standard procedure to determine the stamp’s center and therefore, it’s carried out using eyeballing, which is an approach to check if a stamp is centered by flipping it upside down.
When you view it in an upside-down fashion your eyes will be focused on the stamp’s principal design. In this way, you will be able to evaluate the stamp’s positioning.
Learn about whether or not the stamp is in good condition. The stamp condition or grade is among the primary factors determining the worth of your old stamp.
As we said earlier the stamp grade is a reflection of the manner in which the stamp’s design was placed within the margin of the stamp. Postage stamps are classified as extremely fine, extremely fine, fine, excellent fair, average, or below.
In addition, the condition of the stamp is the overall design of the stamp. The value of an old stamp diminishes in the event of the tooth that is missing or not perforated tear marks and wrinkles on the stamp’s surface or faded design and so on.
Pay attention to chewing gum. The stamp gum is the glue on the back of the stamp. Mint or very fine postage stamp is made of pristine gum that is original and unaltered. It does not have gum skips or large natural gum wrinkles.
Stamp collectors pay a premium cost for old postage stamps that have mint gum. But, if the postage stamp was never used, but was attached to an album of stamps using a hinge for stamps the value of the stamp will decline.
Hinges on stamps cause damage to the stamp gum. Philatelists categorize the gum of old stamps as being used or not used, but they are still in use and never hinged.
Pay attention to the level of cancellation. Stamp cancellation is an approach to applying the stamp with a mark to show that it has been employed.
Old canceled stamps may be lightly canceled, meaning that the image of the stamp can be seen and moderately canceled. Or heavy canceled, the original design is not visible, and the cancellation is dark.
A heavy cancel mark reduces the value of postage stamps in comparison to stamps that have light cancellation marks.
Determine the perforation type. Stamp perforations are circular holes punched on the printed stamp in order to aid in the separation of it from other stamps on the sheet.
Perforations vary in both size and number but they should all have complete teeth and clear holes. Perforations on stamps are measured with the gauge for perforations on stamps.
Find out how rare. The rarity of the stamp is determined by its market value. To determine the value of uncommon stamps and rare ones, the rarity could outshine the value of condition or grade due to the fact that some collectors prefer to have an uncommon postage stamp than not even have it.
Stamp auctions that are held in person and online are reliable sources to determine the value and rarity of postage stamps from the past.
Certain stamps with defects in their design are thought to be precious rare and old-fashioned stamps. These stamps are known as error stamps and are sold at large premiums at the prices of stamps.
The majority of error stamps are valid as long as the imperfections are limited in the form, and can be thought of as rare stamps.
Find out the stamp’s time and the type of substance. Every collector loves stamps with a rich background. The history of the original postage stamp is simply revealing which time period it was created, the place it was produced, and the kind of material employed.
In addition to a high-quality grade and stamp old postage stamps will increase significantly when they have a proven history. This makes vintage stamps extremely desirable to stamp collectors.
That’s why there are philatelists that specialize in collecting sea mail since the majority of these vintage stamps have interesting stories to relate to.
The Four Main Elements of a Stamp
| Stamp | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Inverted Jenny | 1918 | $1.35 Million |
| 1c Benjamin Franklin Z Grill | 1868 | $935,000 |
| 3c George Washington w/ B Grill | 1867 | $900,000 |
| Tiflis Stamp | 1857 | $700,000 |
FAQs
How do I know if my old stamps are valuable?
- Option 1: Discover the Stamp Values on Your Own. Find the stamp. …
- Option 2: Look up an e-Reference. …
- Option 3: Search for Stamp Values on the Internet. …
- Option 4: Go to an event at the Stamp Show. …
- Option 5: Determine the Stamp value through an expert Stamp Dealer, Expert, or Appraiser.
Can you use old stamps when the price goes up?
Short answer: No they will never expire, even though rates for postage are growing in 2020! They’re good forever for as long as they are able to be proven to be legitimate postage. That means that if you apply an old stamp that appears dirty and worn on a letter by using tape, it is likely to be rejected.
Can you use old stamps that are not forever stamps?
They can be used at any time. A variety of stamps can be used to satisfy postal requirements. Some may find it “tacky” to use several stamps on an envelope, however, it is the case that Post Office encourages you to make use of all stamps that you own.
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