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Quick question about unused sheets value
DNADave
Posts: 7,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Stamps Forum
Is there a percentage of face value that is fair/common to offer for common sheets?
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DNADave
Posts: 7,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
DNADave
Posts: 7,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
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Forget about "fair". Offer as little as possible as these are strictly discount postage at this time. Just how are you going to use things like common 3 cent/4 cent/5 cent stamps when the one ounce first class postage rate is 55 cents?
That bad huh?
I’m looking at a collection tomorrow which was started in 1965 and stopped with self adhesives when they came out.
The widow has two or three totes full described as full sheets in plastic sleeves in binders and individual stamps in sleeves in books. We’ll see.
Stop and think. Do you really want to tie up your money in that kind of "stuff". They made a huge mistake by buying it in the first place. Make sure you aren't the one who ends up taking the loss. Just how would you dispose of so many common stamps if you were to buy them? There are far too many to be used as postage by yourself.
This reminds me of a member of a stamp club I belonged to in the 1980s and 90s. He had starting collecting plate blocks by plate number in the 1930's and was still active until the time of his death in the late 1990s. The quantity of stamps he had was astounding. They filled a room full of large filing cabinets. I often wonder what his widow and sons did with them after his passing. (He was a very nice guy. A real old time stamp collector.)
If I end up with them, I hope to sell them in my booth in an antique mall. Depending on the topic and price, I could move them at face I think.
Selling them for under face will probably attract much more interest from the general public. They will think they are getting a good deal.
I ended up offering 40 cents to the dollar for unused sheets. There was a lot of them. Will be a lot of fun to sort through more individually.
As long as you have an actual physical sales outlet you should do OK.
Are all unused sheets valued below face value?
Are stamps no longer accepted at post office? I guess printed labels have taken over
http://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/publishedset.aspx?s=142753
https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/acrylic-colors-by-rocco.291/
Go to your local library and see if they have a current copy of Scott's US Specialized Catalog. If any of the stamps have values that are much higher than the base price for stamps of a particular denomination (I call that the service charge price) they may bring a bit more than face. Selling them may be a problem since few brick and mortar stamp stores exist anymore.
ALL U.S. Stamps are good for postage. If you are doing a lot of mailings and have the time, buying discount postage stamps saves money. However...there is quite a bit of common lower denomination stamps around. Kind of like buying under spot.
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The stamps issued prior to the Civil War are NOT valid for postage. They were invalidated in order to make them worthless to the Confederacy. So far as I know this was never reversed. Does anyone know otherwise?
Interesting, I did not know that about pre civil war stamps.
http://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/publishedset.aspx?s=142753
https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/acrylic-colors-by-rocco.291/
Have you ever seen mint sheets of pre civil war U.S. stamps at 40% of face?
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I'd be a buyer!
I believe all U.S. stamps are good for postage. During the Civil War the North was concerned about the value of all it's stamps in Southern post offices so they "Demonetized" their value. That's kind of it in a nut shell...maybe there's more to know out there...I'm no expert. (Not to confuse U.S. stamps with Confederate stamps). Take care...
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