Buying Stamps at Wholesale Prices - Stamp Kiloware and Stamp Mixtures


When I first began collecting stamps I bought all of my stamps in low-priced mixtures. Either on-paper kiloware or off-paper stamp mixes, I didn't care which. Most of the time, those stamp mixtures I bought as a kid didn't have much in them that had any significant value, but I always hoped that there might be a nice find or two. And even when all the stamps in a particular mixture were pretty common (which didn't always happen, sometimes I did find some nice stamps worth a few bucks each), they sure did fill in a lot of holes in my stamp collection.

Filling in the "missing links" in a stamp collection is one of the main purposes of buying wholesale-priced kiloware and stamp mixtures. Sometimes those pesky holes are very common stamps that should be very easy to find, but just aren't. And sometimes you'll find nicer stamps even in a low-priced mixture: one or two of these can more than pay for the whole bunch.

If you collect used US or used foreign stamps, there's no cheaper alternative than buying stamp mixtures. Generally you'll get better mixtures when you pay more per ounce, but even high-priced mixtures are far cheaper than buying stamps individually.

Compare the mixtures you receive from different dealers - good stamp dealers will provide good quality and a lot of variety at a reasonable price. There are stamp mixtures being offered today that have good stamps in them, so shop around. When you find a stamp dealer that sells mixtures that you like, buy more from that dealer.

Buying Stamps Online For Your Collection - Some Stamp Purchasing Tips

Are you wondering how to go about purchasing stamps online? Here are a few guidelines.

Tip Number 1 for Buying a Stamp Online: Read the complete description and study any and all pictures that are available. Carefully consider these vital pieces of information about the stamps you're interested in.

How else could you learn pertinent details such as gum condition (never hinged, lightly hinged, hinge remnant, etc.), centering, perforation condition, any faults (thins, tears, creases or bends)? After all, you don't have the stamp itself right in front of you.


Tip Number 2: Find an online stamp dealer (or a few stamp dealers) that you trust, and stick with them.

Good online stamp dealers will post thorough and accurate descriptions and provide pictures that accurately portray their stamps. They also will provide superior customer service: they'll respond quickly to any questions you might have, acknowledge your order and your payment, and let you know when your order has shipped.

Try to build an ongoing relationship with this type of stamp dealer. You'll be able to trust the accuracy of their descriptions and pictures, and if you buy from them again and again, you just might get more favorable prices, too.


Tip Number 3: When in doubt, ask questions before buying.

This will actually serve two purposes. The first, of course, is to get the answer to your question before you buy (rather than finding out after your purchase). But you can also ask questions for another reason: to determine how responsive a dealer is. A good online stamp dealer will respond quickly, professionally and as thoroughly as possible. Some other stamp dealer may not respond at all, may take an undue amount of time to reply, or otherwise not provide good customer service.

Keep the first type (the good stamp dealers) on your short list of stamp sources. Don't bother ordering from the unresponsive ones.


Tip Number 4: When you find good online stamp dealers, cherish them.

Recognize that good online stamp dealers are worth their weight in gold to your stamp collection. By definition they're trustworthy and reliable stamps sources. But in addition to those golden qualities, they will often go out of their way for you. Don't abuse this valuable relationship.