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why don't stamps sell well on Ebay?

Hi,


I work for a consignment business that storefronts on Ebay. A gentleman who was a retired postmaster for our town's post office brought in a stamp collection. It was "The History of the United States". The stamp collection numbered around 300 and were all mint in a hardback binder. The description we posted was given by the postmaster, so we were sure it was accurate and the face value of the stamps was about $350 and that was the reserve price we set

However, the auction never met the reserve price and I believe the highest bid was around $80.

Why is this? I felt a little guilty about this because we charge a $35 reserve listing fee which is refundable only if the auction meets the reserve price. The gentlemen is an elderly fellow and would have liked to pass his collection to his children or grandchildren but he said they have no interest in stamp collecting. Would his book do better at a stamp convention or has the age of internet auctions made it harder to get a better price?

Best Regards,

Ryan
Chattanooga, TN

Comments

  • dougwtxdougwtx Posts: 566 ✭✭
    Hi Ryan,

    Stamps are a weird thing. If they are all post 1930s, then you would be very lucky to get face value from a dealer. Heck, I even use those kind of stamps for postage as most collectors and dealers. There are a few better ones after the 30s but they are few and far between. Selling on eBay, the buyer doesn't know the condition of the stamp unless it was certified or you took good pics of the front and back; especially for older issues (like pre 1930). Were they MNH, damaged, off-centered, etc...? Also depends on who's looking at that time. If you post back what the cat numbers are and condition, we could give you a realistic starting price. Could you post the item#?

    Doug

    BTW, Welcome to the forums. image
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,911 ✭✭✭✭
    It sounds like he did about as good as he could considering the stamps were mint. Consider an average used album collection, I once observed a retail dealer tell the typical little old lady nicely, after a cursory examination, that he didn't want to insult her with an offer; that the best thing to do would be to give it as is, to a young person who might be interested in stamps. Alas!
  • I have a friend that has begun selling stamps on Ebay, with underwhelming results. The problem is limited assurance of quality. Ebay has developed a poor reputation for uncertified goods.


  • << <i>It sounds like he did about as good as he could considering the stamps were mint. Consider an average used album collection, I once observed a retail dealer tell the typical little old lady nicely, after a cursory examination, that he didn't want to insult her with an offer; that the best thing to do would be to give it as is, to a young person who might be interested in stamps. Alas! >>



    Then which is the second place ,where a person can put his stamps for sale?
    Best of luck forever
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