First time here?
Know next to nothing about stamps?

Stamps can be very valuable, sometimes surprisingly so. Or they can be worth nothing. Yet this site is a little technical to help you find if you have a treasure worth selling or keeping I have written this guide for you.

HOW DO I FIND MY STAMP?

Go to the easy identification guide. Match your stamp against the picture and click the picture.

BUT THE STAMP GUIDE SOMETIMES HURTS MY HEAD!

Sometimes the guide will show a stamp which would seem to have a million different varieties and you have no clue how to find out which one yours is. My advice, go for the cheapest option. 99% of the time that is the one you have. If the stamp is a 1¢ green stamp (it has Ben Frankins bust on it) or a 2¢ red stamp (with George Washingtons bust pictured) then the stamp is probably worth a dollar or less.

THERE ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT COLUMNS ON THE STAMPS PRICE - WHAT THE HELL IS MNH ANYWAY?

The stamps value varies greatly depending on if it has been canceled or used (has any trace of postmark) or if it has the barest trace of a stamp hinge (MH) on the back of the stamp either on the stamp of having looked like one might have been there. If the stamp has all the original gum on the back, without the slightest mark or disturbance it is MNH.

WHY ARE THE NEW YORK PRICES HIGHER AND HOW CAN I GET THOSE PRICES?

The New York Stamp Auction houses sell only the best of the best. If you feel you have a great stamp and my guide gives it a value of over $1,000 the auction house MAY be interested in selling it. First you have to have the stamp graded. As a general rule, if it grades less than 95 don't bother the auction house, unless this guide says that a grade 90 is worth more than a grand.

WHAT DO MEAN THE STAMP IS WORTH $1-$50? WHICH DO I CHOOSE?

No two stamps are alike, it's a fact. Ask yourself these questions

Is the design in the center of the stamp so that the margins are equally balanced?

Is it free from faults, such as tears, thin spots (hold the stamp to the light to see any thin spots in the paper), or perforations that are short or missing?

Is the stamp faded or of bright appearance?

If you can answer yes to all of these than err towards the higher price. The more you answer no, the more you should look towards the lower price.

HOW CAN I SELL MY STAMPS?

The best place, still, is ebay. The next best is StampWants.com. The advantage about stamp wants is that you do not need to set up a Paypal account, which is a real pain. The bad thing about Stamp Wants is that you do not get as many folks seeing your stamp.

WOULD I BUY YOUR STAMP?

Sorry but no, believe it or not, I do not collect them or even sell them. But I do have a list of folks who may be interested in better stamps or collections. I choose them based on your location and feedback from viewers like yourself. If you think your collection is worth of $2,000 then I noticed that New York Stamps on ebay gets the best prices and charges the lowest commission (no I do not get any advantage from plugging him).

MY STAMP IS NOT WORTH MUCH, SHOULD I KEEP IT?

Yes, because most stamps that are over seventy years old now have value, your grandchildren will thank you for saving them.

MY STAMP IS WORTH A LOT, WHAT NEXT?

If you want to sell it then as I write above, go to ebay. If it is worth a fortune I like Gary Posner as resource to sell great stamps. He has wide variety of resources and an unbelievable knowledge (100 times what I know) so you will be in the hands of an expert, who has a great reputation. Again, I get no kickback from this plug.

LASTLY

If you can think of any way I can make this site easier for you write to me at info@rkirby.com

Thanks for reading this!

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