Is new stamp collecting a safe investment?
goldburger
Posts: 12 ✭
in Stamps Forum
I'm asking because my wife has been collecting blocks of new issue stamps for years. I tell her that when the post office goes out of business her stamps are going to loose all their value. I know at least, you will not be able to mail a letter with them. Should I keep my mouth shut? She thinks they are going to be worth something some day. [in her life time]
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Comments
It's a dying hobby, at least in America...
Recent stamp issues are NOT an investment. The popularity of stamp collecting has been fading for decades. Contributing factors are lack of interest from young people, too many issues, self-stick stamps that force the buying of sheets rather than single stamps. Don't rely on catalog values as many prices listed are base value service charge amounts for a retail buyer.
Virtually al of her stamps are probably worth about 50-60% of face value on eBay.
If she likes to look at them, that is where the "value" is. but they are NOT any kind of investment.
The Forever stamps has an immediate monetary value. If you bought the $0.39 Forever stamp and still have them and using them at today’s rate $0.50 then you have net savings of $0.11 each. As for any other value, probably not, as demand is low. Never know in the future, though.
As to your question, “Should I keep my mouth shut?”
Yes.
Christmas is around the corner.
For fun and also to help her understand the values, she should shop ebay and collect blocks and sheets of older stamps.