Getting stamp collection (honestly) valued/sold

[Bilkob]

As per title really. My dear long gone Dad left me with quite a few stamp albums/first day covers, etc…I don’t really have any interest in them, neither does my son, although I do appreciate the beauty and interest of some of them
I’d like to get them valued/sold but having a nagging feeling that I’ll be unaware of the unfranked Penny Black lurking somewhere and get offered £5.50 to ‘take them off my hands”……
Any thoughts anyone?

Edited by Bilkob on Thursday 31st August 15:16

[Seesure]

I may be in a similar situation in a few years as my father has a collection that must have at least 30+ albums of UK stamps that all catalogued and are currently stored in some wardrobes with me as he currently lives overseas and I didn't like the idea that they were left in his house in the UK which he left in 2011...

Have a look at this website and towards the bottom they do say they will evaluate stamps. Maybe give them a call to get their guidance.

https://www.warwickandwarwick.com/news/guides/how-...

[ScoobyChris]

I'd like to be the first to offer you £5.50 to take them off your hands.

Chris

[anonymous-user]

Before this gets moved to the lounge.

From what I understand, stamps on the whole are worth nowhere near what they were worth 10 or 20 years ago. I believe the people who collect stamps are dying out, and youngsters are not interested in the slightest.

[Bilkob]

ScoobyChris said:

I'd like to be the first to offer you £5.50 to take them off your hands.

Chris

You’re on! Shipping will be £10k. That sound about right……???

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

A friend is in the same boat. She's found a specialist stamp auction house in Derby (although they won't take the first day covers as they are apparently not worth the effort)

[Snoggledog]

In the same boat here. A collection that my grandfather put together. UK and Empire (then Commonwealth) stamps. A fair amount seems to have come from Stanley Gibbons but they don't seem to be particularly interested.

[AJS77]

Just before he passed away my father commissioned Cavendish https://www.cavendish-auctions.com/ to sell his quite extensive and rare collection. They were excellent and still seem to be in business from a quick Google search...

[anonymous-user]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

(although they won't take the first day covers as they are apparently not worth the effort)

Same with presentation packs, they are virtually worthless. I bought a few in the 80s when I collected stamps and they are worth less than the face value today.

Go to any antiques fair and there will be boxes and boxes on first day covers and presentation packs for £1 each.

[K87]

Try Yorkshire Auctions, Ryedale Auctioneers.

Unless there is something very special and rare then you can often get more for the albums than the stamps.

Old GB stamps still achieve the most interest, ideally Victorian

[Bilkob]

Thanks for all the replies, and keep any more useful ones coming. I SWEAR there were a few (franked) Penny Blacks when I last had a proper look, but they may have gone the way of my Grandfather’s WW1 Luger which he ‘liberated’ from a German officer when he was a paratrooper in WW2. Yes, I know, I know. I curse myself almost daily. Sigh…………

[shed driver]

Bilkob said:

ScoobyChris said:

I'd like to be the first to offer you £5.50 to take them off your hands.

Chris

You’re on! Shipping will be £10k. That sound about right……???

It won't be 10k, can't you just slap a few stamps on it?

SD.

[Bilkob]

[w1bbles]

Also worth trying https://martintownsend.com

[oldaudi]

I’ve got a massive GB stamp collection. Started as my Duke of Edinburgh hobby (had to learn something and then do a presentation on a new hobby)

I’ve got 100s of Victorian stamps, penny blacks various cancellations, Maltese cross, 1840 and 1841 2d blue with and without white lines, plate and perf variations. 1d black on cover, multiples of imperf blues and reds…. High value Queen Victoria all the way up to George vi high values. George Seahorses, mint Queen Victoria Jubilee set , rare plate numbers of the 1 1/2 and 1/2 reds…. I could talk all night!

The bottom has fallen out of the stamp market. The Chinese were interested for a few years but those that were interested in philately are all getting old and passing on.

The £1 black Postal Union Congress stamps were selling for £1000s 20 years ago, picked for a few £100 now.

Can you detail what you have / some photos? I have a good idea for prices as I watch some of the local auctions

Unless those imperf stamps have good square margins (the white border around the edge) they can be almost worthless but money can be found in rare post marks and watermarks.

The pride of my collection is a set of “Cinderella’s”. Fake stamps that were used for postage services. It’s 4 on a Prisoner of War camp envelope used in Poland. Used to send a message between two prisoner sheds . Germany occupied postmarks , the lot!

Edited by oldaudi on Thursday 31st August 20:00

[Planet Claire]

Tennants auctioneers in North Yorkshire, one of the largest outside of London, have specialist sales. In fact yesterday it was stamps. You can see the results here.
https://auctions.tennants.co.uk/auction/details/st...

They also do no obligation valuations for sale, which would give you an idea what ithey are worth.
https://www.tennants.co.uk/landing-pages/valuation...

[Bilkob]

oldaudi said:

I’ve got a massive GB stamp collection. Started as my Duke of Edinburgh hobby (had to learn something and then do a presentation on a new hobby)

I’ve got 100s of Victorian stamps, penny blacks various cancellations, Maltese cross, 1840 and 1841 2d blue with and without white lines, plate and perf variations. 1d black on cover, multiples of imperf blues and reds…. High value Queen Victoria all the way up to George vi high values. George Seahorses, mint Queen Victoria Jubilee set , rare plate numbers of the 1 1/2 and 1/2 reds…. I could talk all night!

The bottom has fallen out of the stamp market. The Chinese were interested for a few years but those that were interested in philately are all getting old and passing on.

The £1 black Postal Union Congress stamps were selling for £1000s 20 years ago, picked for a few £100 now.

Can you detail what you have / some photos? I have a good idea for prices as I watch some of the local auctions

Unless those imperf stamps have good square margins (the white border around the edge) they can be almost worthless but money can be found in rare post marks and watermarks.

The pride of my collection is a set of “Cinderella’s”. Fake stamps that were used for postage services. It’s 4 on a Prisoner of War camp envelope used in Poland. Used to send a message between two prisoner sheds . Germany occupied postmarks , the lot!

Edited by oldaudi on Thursday 31st August 20:00

So I had a quick look through and cross referenced these two. The SEEM to be worth a bit, but I may be very wrong

[Bilkob]

[evoivboy]

Those are run of the mill 60s and 70s sets, they are worth more if unmounted (no hinge) probably a few pounds for those unless they have errors

[oldaudi]

Those appear to be regular 1960s commemorative issues. World Cup 1966. That’s the first ones, it was rereleased with “winners” later that summer in black text above the players.

The 1066 900th Battle of Hastings issue and some other designs that were created by children who had their drawings put on a stamp. These were the 1966 Christmas issue.

I also see 1966 British Technology (radar, nuclear power and a Hoover craft! etc) set and the 1966 British Landscape set.

I forget the issue with the E type Jag. It may be part of the U.K. technology set, I can’t remember.

These were some of the first U.K. stamps to use multiple colours. (The first being the 1897 Queen Victoria jubilee issue , but then ignored for decades) multiple colours resulted in multiple errors as they were printed….

The QE2 4d “wilding” blue can be valuable depending on the water mark and there were a few different accidents with the shade of blue that were issued. The one Shilling brown also suffered from the same issues, upside down sheets resulted in upside down water marks and wrong shades.

The King George issues are common I’m afraid. From that photo you’re missing the higher face value blue.

Then lots of regular QE2 Machin stamps. A few “Regionals” with a motif top left for Wales’s Scotland or Northern Ireland.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machin_series

https://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/explore/years/?y...

Anything Victorian or any showing a higher than 1 shilling face value!?

Don’t destroy them, they are a snap shot of British monarchy and history . They tell us so much about the times they were issued . Frame them and keep them out of the light. If interested you could probably complete the sets of these and frame the full set.

Edited by oldaudi on Thursday 31st August 22:09