The Official® Stamp Collectors Bible is the ultimate compendium for all. The Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Postage Stamps 2015, 37th Edition.

• Stamp Collectors Near Me
• Stamp Collectors Price Guide Book

Price of Postage Stamps The price of stamps continues to go up with the latest US stamps price postal rate increase for first class mail becoming effective January 22, 2012. The Current Price of Stamps goes up to $0.45 for one ounce letters at the first class postage rate for domestic mail.

The price of postage stamps for two ounce first class letters is $0.65 at the new rate and current for three ounce letters is $0.85 with the maximum weight for letters at the first class service rate being 3.5 ounces being set at $1.05 for price first class postage stamps at the letter rate. Purchasing Forever Stamps can help consumers deal with the, because will always maintain the stamps value of the first-class letter postage rate no matter when they are purchased and even when the price of stamps increases, as the clearly demonstrates. Online Stamp Catalogue Old Postage Stamp Values The S.S.

Adriatic 12 cent United States Stamp US Postage Stamp Regular Issue: 1869 Unused Stamps Prices: $2,500.00 Stamp Price History: $22,000.00 - $520.00 The online stamp catalogue has old stamps prices and old postage stamp values for the SS Adriatic US postage stamp and old postage stamps from 1869. Adriatic was an 1860s ocean liner. Find old postage stamp values with the philatelic and postage stamp collecting price guide. US Postage Stamp: 1869 SS Adriatic. Stamp collecting can be a absorbing and rewarding pastime. While spending many wonderful moments with this facinating hobby, you become familiar with the culture of many lands, their arts, traditions and folklore.

You man also find yourself devling into various topics such as: politics, history, biography, zoology, architecture, painting, botany and geography. While this hobby may be popular with the well-to-do, a large stamp collection can be built with minimal resources. There can be just as much enjoyment out of the lower-grade stamps as from the rarest of the rare.

Stamp Collecting Equipment and Supplies Some supplies may be useful for the proper care of your stamps. Stamp Tongs - Tongs (or tweezers) are an important instrument in the proper handling of your stamps. They enable the stamps to be handled without coming into contact with dirty or greasy fingers. Magnifying Glass - Useful for reading and identifying various types and marks on a stamp. Stock Books and Binders - The sheets of a stock book have rows of transparent plastic pockets which stamps can be placed into. This allows the collector to preserve the the stamps without the use of hinges or other adhesives. Stamp Albums Many stamp collectors start out with an illustrated stamp album.

These albums are normally organized by country. Each page contains pictures of stamps corresponding to that denomination. To place a stamp into your album, simply look for the design that matches your stamp.

The more advanced the stamp album is, the more complete it will be. It is usually recommended to start with the most complete album you can afford. If there is no particular place for a stamp, you can use whatever empty slots are available. This space problem can be overcome by purchasing a loose-leaf edition of a stamp album.

In this way, you can add extra sheets as needed. How to Hinge Stamps Stamps should never be glued down into your album. Although there is some controversy regarding the use of stamp hinges, for used stamps, hinges are an economical way of mounting your stamps. You should never apply glue, tape or adhesive to a stamp.

Good hinges are available from stamp dealers or stamp supply companies. The adhesive on the hinge should allow for the hinge to be easily removed, thus avoiding damaging or taking off part of the stamp.

To apply the hinge, fold back the top portion of the hinge and moisten the gummed side. Apply this moistened part to the back of the stamp; on the top, below the perforation. The remaining portion of the hinge can then be moistened, and the stamp placed in your album. Do not remove a moistened hinge from a stamp. If you need to remove a hinge, wait a couple of hours until the hinge is dry and then it should come off with ease.

Stamp Hinge Controversy Gum or paper loss can make a stamp less valuable. Old style hinges are very difficult to remove and improper hinging can increase the chance for damage to a stamp. If one carelessly moistens the stamp in addition to the hinge, the stamp may stick in the album, increasing the chance for damage to the stamp with it comes time to be removed. Also, hinging a stamp too high may damage the perforations. Collectors seek stamps which are closest to original condition as possible.

Stamps in mint condition, that have never hinged or mounted, and still have the original gum intact, will maintain a higher value in the marketplace. For the more valuable mint stamps in your collection, the ease and convenience of hinges is not a real benefit when compared to the potential for damage and loss of worth.

Stamp Collectors Near Me

Stamp Mounts Stamp mounts are transparent pockets in which your stamps can be placed. The mounts are pregummed and some mounts are also available with a black background. To fit various sizes of single stamps, strips or sheets; mounts may also be cut from transparent acetate.

Mounts offer better protection because your stamps can be viewed and examined with no need to actually touch them. Hinges may be inexpensive and easy to use, but mounts are a much better way to display the more valuable stamps in your collection. Stamp Collecting Categories There are numerous ways to categorize your stamps. A very good way to start is to categorize by the types of stamps you wish to collect. Broad categories might include: By Country - Most countries have a postal system. It's easy to start collecting stamps from the country where you reside. Stamps can be purchased new at the Post Office or from local dealers who will normally offer wider selection of stamps to choose from, albeit at a higher price.

Worldwide - It has become far easier to find and purchase stamps from around the world. You can buy stamps from numerous online dealers and Internet auction sites like eBay. By Topic - These are stamps issued to cover a special subject matter. The 'Elvis' stamp is probably the best example of stamps in this category.

Stamps are printed covering a wide variety of special subjects including art, architecture, history and famous personages. Service Type - Most stamps are issued for ordinary use. But the Post Office also issues various types of stamps for specialized services such as Airmail, Express, Priority and Certified Mail. Stamp Dealers and Stamp Auctions Gary Posner, Inc. StampWants.com is an online marketplace and community connecting stamp collectors and dealers around the world; offering auction, fixed price, and store inventory listings as well as free tools and services. StampWants.com stands out in its industry with unrivaled customer service and low selling fees. Mystic Stamp Company is one of America's leading stamp dealers and is well known for its expertise, superior customer service, and for its involvement in the most noteworthy events in modern postal history.

Prestige Philately brings to the market the best stamp and postal item collections, stamps, philately, stamp, stamp collecting, stamp auction, stamp auctions, postage stamps, postal history, postcards, and worldwide philately. The Kenmore Stamp Company offers stamps, stamp collecting, stamp collector, us stamps, foreign stamps, free catalog, postage stamps, postal stamps, philatelic, catalog and online ordering. Jamestown Stamp Company, www.stamp-co.com, is a mailorder stamps, coins, and banknotes dealer. IHobb.com is an Internet shopping source for collecting supplies. IHobb.com services the supply needs of stamp, coin, post card, currency and banknote collectors. IHobb's stock includes Scott, Coin World, White Ace, H.E. Harris, Whitman Press, SAFE, Lindner, White Ace, Showgard, Prinz, SuperSafe, Allsyte, Linns and more.

Northland International Trading is a stamp and coin dealer. Northland Auctions specializes in United States, Scandinavia, and Hungary stamps and covers auctions. Arpin Philately deals in quality postage stamp collecting and collectible stamps.

Croton Stamp Co. Sells US stamps, Canada stamps, and Newfoundland stamps to collectors by mail, as well as publishes a stamps newsletter about U.S. Stamps and Canadian postage stamps. Maresch & Son Auctions Ltd., is Canada's largest stamp auction firm and handles Canada, Provinces, British Commonwealth and Foreign material.

The auctions are unreserved, offering valuable rarities, large lots, stamps, collections, covers and anything of philatelic merit. Canadian Rare Stamp Auctioneers Sandafayre provides online stamp auctions, stamp collecting, stamps collections for collecting dealers, UK stamp auction, GB, US, british, foreign, rare, old, philatelic material, postal history, postage stamps, topical stamps, canadian stamps and auctions. Jack Nalbandian, Inc. Supplies superior quality stamps and services to collectors and dealers and offers Premium Quality Mint and Used, United States Classics, Essays and Proofs, Canadian and Worldwide Listings. Stamp Collecting Supplies Stamp Albums Hingeless Stamp Albums can hold up to 700 stamps on 9x12 inch pages. Stamps are placed behind strips on the page allowing easy mounting and arrangement. Hingeless albums feature semi-transparent glassine strips, crystal clear acetate strips and interleaves.

The Kenmore World Album features classic styling and a three-Ring design to provide space for hinge-mounting more than 10,000 stamps and allow for easy updating. This stamp album has over 600 pages, including 230 country pages with flags, histories, and geographic facts, four world map pages, stamp identifier, glossary, page backgrounds and mounting guidelines.

Liberty Album has quality stamp pages and is illustrated on one side with spaces for all American definitive stamps, commemoratives, airmails and postage due stamps. Stock Sheets provide collectors with the flexibility of utilizing multi-row layouts to protect stamps behind clear acetate overlays. These archival pages fit into three-ring binders and allow quick, hinge-free mounting and display. Canada Scott Master Album has fully-illustrated pages with stamp descriptions and Scott numbers. Canada Harris Album has over 1200 black and white llustrations printed on one side. Canada Tradition Album is made of light weightpaper and has llustrations in black and white and printed on two sides.

The Constitution Canada stamp album has black and white illustrations printed on two sides of lightweight pages. Canada Junior Album has Scott number description and identification for each stamp. North American Stamp Clubs and Organizations The American Philatelic Society promotes stamp collecting for people of all ages, offers services to its membership and to philately in general, including knowledge and education, which enhance the pleasure and friendliness of stamp collecting, initiates and coordinates new programs for the benefit of stamp collecting and of all collectors, represents the United States of America in the world body of philately, and assist its members in acquiring and disposing of philatelic materials.

The American Stamp Dealers Association is a professional organization serving philately since 1914. The ASDA is dedicated to promoting integrity, honesty and reliability, and we are the hobby builders of philately. The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) features membership information and anonline library. The British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) is devoted to the collector and researcher of stamps, postal markings, and postal history of Canada, the pre-Confederation colonies, and Newfoundland.

The collector stamp price history of any country has been going up in the past generations. This is cannot be avoided due to the economic changes. Stamp price or stamp value?

The term ‘stamp price’ can be ambiguous. Some philatelists use it interchangeable with ‘stamp value’. While others think of it as the price of stamps to pay for the postal rate.

The collectible stamp price, also known as the stamp catalogue price, is a fixed amount printed on the. Although the term ‘fixed’ does not mean it is the absolute price used to sell postage stamps. The fixed catalogue price of collectible stamps becomes the median of the stamp dealer’s price.

A may buy or sell postage stamps either higher or lower than the philatelic catalog price. On the other hand, the is the appraised price of a postage stamp relative to its stamp grade and condition.

Simply put, if Aunt Martha wants to sell her grand pa’s stamp collection to the local stamp dealer Mr. Smith, she refers to the stamp catalogue for a quick price guide. However, Aunt Martha’s stamps, though they date back to the 1940s, are wrinkled.

Smith gives Aunt Martha a postage stamp value that is lower than the listed stamp price. Why do stamp prices go up?

To understand the postage stamp price better, think of the stamp - whether it is a collectible stamp or merely a postage payment - as a commodity. Just like all things for sale, the price of stamps depends on the supply and demand. Create the demand for philatelic stamps., since their demand exceeds their supply, therefore has a higher stamp price. Postage stamp prices also go up during inflation. To address the rise of stamp cost during economic instability, the United States Postal Service issued. These stamps are valid for first class postage even if stamp prices go up. Times of social unrest also trigger the rise of postage stamp price.

For example, the US stamp price history rose to three cents in 1917 during the onset of World War I. Are always sold higher than ordinary postage stamps. Commems carry a premium or mark up price which goes to the beneficiary of the commemorative stamp program. Has a more volatile stamp price. Topical philatelists are known to be vigilant in completing a philatelic album of their favorite topic. From space shuttles, for instance, have sky high philatelic prices during the course of the space mission. When the philatelic market for these thematic items becomes lukewarm, their prices go down.

Collectible stamp prices are also relative to the philatelic bureau selling the postage stamps. If you are in Canada and you want to buy Indian stamps at the local stamp shop, you might have to pay a higher collector stamp price to shoulder the shipping costs. Secrets of the philatelic market The stamp collecting market is where philatelists and stamp dealers do business either in actual or through the internet. New stamp collectors should know the customary practices between philatelists and stamp dealers before taking the big leap to stamp investment.

The philatelic market analysts study the collector stamp price trends. In stamp trading between one collector to another, they usually keep their collectible stamp price lower by 3/4s than the catalogue price. Philatelic dealers often disregard the stamp catalogue price.

Rather, they set their own standards known as the stamp dealer’s price. If a dealer got his postage stamp from a stamp auction and it was sold higher than its catalog price, you can not expect the dealer to resell his stamp at a lower value. In, dealers base their price on the stamps that they deem valuable. Or the common postage stamps have low turn over rates.

Rarer stamp specimens have higher philatelic values and can easily be disposed. Suppose you want to sell your philatelic collection to a stamp dealer. Your stamp album contains 125 pieces of definitives and a 10 pieces of. Upon appraisal, the value of your entire collection is set on the price of the error postage stamps which have a bigger philatelic value. How to do a stamp investment?

Acquiring collector postage stamps is considered an alternative investment. Your rare postage stamp investment is a good inflation hedge. For a cunning postage stamp investor, it is wise to buy collectible stamps during inflation. Economic instability leads to a bear market.

This is the time when people start to sell things they do not really need. Remember, the cost of stamps as a postage payment increases, but the price of collector stamps decreases. Most collectors dispose their valuable stamp collection during this period.

Stamp Collectors Price Guide Book

For a philatelic investor, this is the chance to buy the best quality of collectible postage stamp. When the economy starts to get better and stamp collectors are once again ready to, stamp investors sell their stamps for a higher price to gain profit. What are the disadvantages of philatelic investment? Just like all other investments, it is not all the time that you are guaranteed to have high returns in a postage stamp investment.

High quality stamps need to be expertised to certify it is genuine. And philatelic expertizing entails a fee. Even if stamps can easily be stored and transferred from one place to another, you still need to ensure them incase they get damaged. Although the philatelic market is global, it is still small. The patrons of stamp investors are not their fellow philatelic investors but the stamp collectors. This is because collectible postage stamps do not yield interests and dividends.