another inheritence

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Like a follow poster from the coin boards, I too have a rather large inheritance of stamps that I am rediscovering. It was left to me perhaps 25-30 years ago and spurred a number of years of interest, which lapsed a number of years ago. Many of the US stamps ended up in an album I still have today.

There is a slew of stuff that did not interest me then, but I figure I owe it to myself to figure out what it may be worth. On the US side, I have mint sheets, plate blocks and first day issues from the 1930s- 1960s. What is the latest and greatest resource for values of those items? I've been told the sheets are worth face value and I could just as well use them - do you see any chances for price appreciatation. For the first day issues, some appear to be on special commemorative envelopes - do these bring any premium?

It is on the foriegn side that I'm not even sure to begin. A good number are mixed from a number of countries, I assume from the WWII period or slightly before or after. Is a good starting point sorting them by country, then what? Some are still in there original glassine (sp?) envelopes from Mystic Stamp and have some identifying marks of what they are. If something sold for a buck or two in the 1940s, any prospects they have appreciated (I realize an impossible question in the abstract). The stamps them selves seem all over the place: 19th centry airmail, 1930s China airmail, a host of stuff from contries that no longer exist. Where can I hope to find info on these.

LabMan

LabMan

It is true that many mint stamps from the 1930-1960 period sell for face value and sometimes (believe it or not) less than face value (at shows). That said, there are major and pricey exceptions. You should get a Scott U.S. specialized catalogue available many places such as Amazon.com, in stock or ordered from Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million or other bookstores. If you are in a good sized city the public library may have these as well. There is also a series of Scott Albums for foreign stamps. You might also consult a stamp club or go to a stamp show. If your not going to collect stamps, take a good long time to research the stamps before selling. If you don't you might regret it later.

I find that foregn stamps often sell for 10 cents on the dollar (Scott catalogue). U.S. Materials usually 10-50% Scott (depending on the material) when selling to a dealer. You can join a stamp club and have the opportunity to sell to collectors, possibly getting a little better return.

For the most part stamp collecting is a hobby for pleasure rather than profit. I have both an extensive U.S. and pre 1940 foreign collection and have amassed about 20 albums full. I wouldn't sell them to anyone and will leave them to my son. What he eventually does with them is out of my control.

Good luck with your collection