All great things must come to an end – even an advanced stamp collection. Whether you’re selling your own collection or you stumbled across a loved one’s old gem, it takes time and care to properly sell your stamp collection. Large collections of stamps can be quite valuable ranging from $100 to upwards of $3,000. Finding the right buyer for your valued collection is a time-consuming process.
When you first decide to sell your stamps, it can often be quite overwhelming. There are countless vendors available who are ready to purchase your stamp collection and add to their own, but which one will get you the best value for your stamps? When selling your stamps, there are a few steps that must first be taken. Firstly, get a valuation of your stamps – know the price you could fetch.
Get a Valuation
Find a collector that you know you can trust to value your stamps and provide a proper price. Many collectors will take advantage of an untrained eye and will seek to provide a lower price than what you may be earning. Look for a collector that you either know personally or have been recommended by people within the business. If many people get quotes from them, they’re likely good and well-respected.
Once you have a value attached to your collection, selling it will be much easier on the mind. You won’t have to worry anymore about whether or not you’re getting the best price possible from your collection. If a dealer offers you a similar price to what your collection is valued at, then you know you’re making a good trade.
One of the most popular valuation companies for novice collectors is the Philatelic Traders Society (PTS). They’re an international organization made up of thousands of stamp collectors that can provide you with an accurate valuation of your collection. These collectors have the backing of the PTS so if any bad-faith valuations occur, you’re protected by the organization.
A Few Different Selling Options
Once you’ve found out the value of your stamp collection and placed a concrete number on it, it’s time to find the perfect place to sell. Some selling options will grab you the best price possible for your collection but will be difficult to locate or sell to. Other options will net you a much lower price but will be readily available whenever you want to make the final sale.
Here are just a few of the best-selling options for your stamp collection.
Sell to a Collector
By selling directly to another stamp collector, you’re probably going to fetch the best price possible. There’s no middle-man to deal with and so you won’t have to worry about price hikes and poor offers. Other collectors will likely know the true value of the collection and once you show your knowledge from the valuation, will be willing to pay for the stamps they need. Many collectors are always looking to add to their arsenal of stamps.
Selling to Dealers
Stamp dealers are people who essentially flip stamps. They’ll buy low and sell high to and from collectors. So, if you’re selling to a dealer, you might not get that massive price tag you’re looking for, but the payment will still be quite competitive compared to other buyers. You’re not going to be losing a massive amount of what you could have earned, just a small percentage as they’re trying to buy below the actual value. So why sell to a stamp dealer? They’re always willing to buy valuable stamps.
Consignment
Selling on consignment means that you’re having a professional sell your stamps for you. They’ll fetch the highest price they can find as it means more money in their pockets as well as yours. With consignment, you’re essentially guaranteeing a valuable sell close to the actual value of your stamps. The one drawback is the commission payment. Consignment sellers will likely ask for a percentage of the final payment as their fee.
Auction Houses
Many auction houses deal specifically with stamps. When you find one willing to purchase and sell your stamp collection, then an auction house might be a smart way to sell your stamps. They could potentially reach thousands of interested buyers who are in the mood to buy. When you sell through an auction house, the house itself will likely take a fee of your final sale around 15%.
Avoid Selling Online
Selling stamps online might seem like a quick way to reach plenty of interested buyers and make a fast sale, but there are plenty of drawbacks that really hinder the online selling process. For one, you might not be reaching the right parties willing to buy your collection at the best possible price. Many online buyers are looking for a quick addition to their own collection, not a massive collection as a whole.
Shipping is one of the most dangerous parts of a stamp’s life. You have to take care of the stamps, even when they’re in the hands of a shipping company, traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to the buyer. If the stamps weren’t properly packaged, they could be damaged and their value lost leaving you the likely party who has to pay.
Take great care when selling your stamps online. It’s a fast way to offload your collection and get money in your pocket soon, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the best choice. If you’re selling online, be sure that everything is in order and that you are ready to take care of your stamps for their long journey ahead.
Finding the Right Dealer
The hardest part of selling your stamps is finding the right person to sell to. There are so many options, but many of them could come with drawbacks. It’s likely that you’re not going to get the full price you’re looking for, so be prepared to negotiate. Finding the right dealer for your collection is all about knowing what you’re looking to get out of the collection.
