A few pointers for valuing your stamp collection
The rules that generally decide what a stamp collection is worth.
- Boxes of loose used stamps have no commercial value.
- Children's and beginners' albums, filled with stamps taken off mail from all over the world, have sentimental value — you or someone close to you probably built them — but very little commercial value.
- Philatelic documents and first day covers are no longer much sought after.
- French postage stamps printed between 1940 and 2000 are not sought after by professional dealers, whose stock for those years is plentiful.
The rise of philately in the 1940s led thousands of collectors to hoard the stamps newly issued by the French postal service. That in turn prompted La Poste to design and print more stamps to meet the growing demand.
As a result, almost every French stamp produced since the 1940s exists in quantities that far exceed what collectors are looking for.
How is a stamp valued?
The price of a stamp comes down to several things:
- Scarcity: is the stamp a common one? Were many issued at the time? How many are available today?
- Condition: a stamp can be in one of several states
Mint never hinged: the original gum on the back of the stamp is intact and free of defects.
Mint hinged: hinges are small double-sided mounts used to fix stamps to album pages. Unfortunately a hinge — even once removed — very often leaves a mark. A stamp with a hinge mark is worth less than a mint never hinged one.
Used: the stamp has served on mail and been cancelled by the post office. Its value is very often below that of a mint stamp.
Damaged stamps (creases, tears, thins and so on) are worth far less than those in perfect condition.
As with most collectables, and stamps in particular, condition is the deciding factor.
Today, collectors are mostly looking for mint stamps in very good condition.
If you have inherited a stamp collection, here are a few clues as to whether it is a significant one
- Does the will say anything about its value?
- Does the collection come with an insurance policy?
- Are there invoices, or bills of sale from dealers or auction houses? A large sum spent on a collection often points to a high value.
- Did the collector keep an inventory? If so, does it record catalogue numbers and quoted values?
Our advice:
- You have a few albums of used stamps taken off mail from all over the world: pass them on to a relative or a friend who will look after the collection and carry it on.
- You have a collection of French stamps from 1959 to 2001: you can still use them as postage on your own mail (convert the euro value back into francs).
o For a green letter up to 20 grams, use 6.40 francs
o For a priority letter up to 20 grams, use 7.60 francs