Stamp Expertizing Certificates
Stamp collecting has been an extremely popular hobby for several generations - almost since the day the world's first postage stamp was issued, in 1840. Stamp collecting is fun, educational, and not at all stressful; in fact it can be quite relaxing and rewarding in a laid-back way. But in addition to having all those qualities, stamp collecting can also, sometimes, be financially rewarding. It's likely that at least part of the reason stamp collecting is so popular is the stories we all hear about valuable stamps.
Almost all of us have heard of stamps that are worth thousands of dollars. In fact, a very few stamps are worth much more than that - a million dollars or more. Finding one of these stamps is every philatelist's dream.
Just like many other collectible items, stamps can be counterfeited or forged. And the great popularity of stamp collecting sadly motivates some bad people to create forged stamps. Fortunately, we can protect ourselves from these bad people because any stamp can be sent to a stamp expertizing service. These stamp expertizers carefully evaluate every stamp that is submitted to them and determine whether it is genuine and authentic or a counterfeit or forgery. They certify the result of their findings by means of an expertizing certificate that they issue.
Stamp expertizing services are especially helpful when a stamp collector is thinking of purchasing an expensive stamp. If the stamp is submitted and certified as genuine, the sale can go through. But if the result indicates it's a forgery, the stamp collector can back out and save a great deal of money.
The American Philatelic Society - the APS - runs one of the most sought-after expertizing services in the world, and it has been helping stamp collectors since 1903. It's called the American Philatelic Expertizing Service - APEX - and it's an official division of the APS. The process is simple: just send the stamp to APEX in Pennsylvania, along with their minimal fee. The stamp is numbered, photographed and examined by a team of up to five expert stamp collectors that are members of the service. It can take a bit of time to have a stamp expertized, and al the experts on the panel must agree. If they don't, APEX refunds the fee and declines to give an opinion. If they do agree, the expert opinion of the panel is set forth on a certificate and send to the owner of the stamp, along with the stamp itself. If the stamp owner disagrees the stamp can be re-examined within one year.
APEX opinions are limited to whether a stamp is genuine - they never comment on a stamp's value. But all items certified as genuine by APEX carry a guarantee - if a collector buys a stamp that's been certified as genuine by APEX but it later is shown to be a fake or misidentified, APEX will pay up to $5,000. APEX and several other stamp expertizing services have fees that are minimal, and it's an easy way to be sure.
Showing posts with label stamp expertizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stamp expertizing. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Stamp Expertizing
Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby all over the world, thriving with people young and old for many generations. One reason for its great popularity are the stories about valuable stamps that almost everyone has heard.
Finding a rare, valuable stamp is probably every stamp collector's dream, and it does happen. Unfortunately, some people forge or fake valuable stamps, hoping to fool the philatelist who comes across one. But the risk of buying a forged stamp that's an imposter for a rare, valuable stamp is much reduced by stamp expertizing services.
Stamp expertizers issue certificates that guarantee the authenticity of stamps that purchasers submit. Several reputable organizations expertize stamps, but perhaps the most well-known, at least in the United States, is the American Philatelic Society (the APS). The process is a simple one. A collector sends the stamp in question to the American Philatelix Expertizing Service (APEX), which is the division of the APS that certifies stamps. Their headquarters is located in Pennsylvania. When APEX receives the stamp, it is assigned a number, photographed and then examined by up to five expert philatelists. The process can take 90 days or so after APEX receives a stamp. A unanimous decision must be made by the experts, and if the expert panel cannot agree, APEX refunds the expertizing fee that was paid less its administrative charges. But if the experts are unanimous in their opinion of the stamp, a certificate is issued and returned to the owner along with the stamp. The opinion on the certificate relates only to genuine-ness, not value.
APEX expertizing fees are based on the value of the stamp being submitted, as determined by the appropriate Scott catalog. The fees are not substantial, and many avid stamp collectors find expertizing services quite valuable.
Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby all over the world, thriving with people young and old for many generations. One reason for its great popularity are the stories about valuable stamps that almost everyone has heard.
Finding a rare, valuable stamp is probably every stamp collector's dream, and it does happen. Unfortunately, some people forge or fake valuable stamps, hoping to fool the philatelist who comes across one. But the risk of buying a forged stamp that's an imposter for a rare, valuable stamp is much reduced by stamp expertizing services.
Stamp expertizers issue certificates that guarantee the authenticity of stamps that purchasers submit. Several reputable organizations expertize stamps, but perhaps the most well-known, at least in the United States, is the American Philatelic Society (the APS). The process is a simple one. A collector sends the stamp in question to the American Philatelix Expertizing Service (APEX), which is the division of the APS that certifies stamps. Their headquarters is located in Pennsylvania. When APEX receives the stamp, it is assigned a number, photographed and then examined by up to five expert philatelists. The process can take 90 days or so after APEX receives a stamp. A unanimous decision must be made by the experts, and if the expert panel cannot agree, APEX refunds the expertizing fee that was paid less its administrative charges. But if the experts are unanimous in their opinion of the stamp, a certificate is issued and returned to the owner along with the stamp. The opinion on the certificate relates only to genuine-ness, not value.
APEX expertizing fees are based on the value of the stamp being submitted, as determined by the appropriate Scott catalog. The fees are not substantial, and many avid stamp collectors find expertizing services quite valuable.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Selling an Inherited Stamp Collection
As stamp dealers we often get emails that ask about that very question. The emails are often like the one below:
"About a year ago I inherited an old stamp collection from my father. We spent a long time trying to figure out what the stamps were and what they're worth, but we've given up because there are just too many stamps. After looking at your website I decided to contact you. We'd like to sell this old stamp collection, get some money for ourselves and at the same time find a home for the stamps with someone who will enjoy them."
Here are some of our thoughts on this situation:
Trying to value your stamps by using a stamp catalog is a logical first step in selling an inherited stamp collection, but it can often be very time-consuming and frustrating. It can also lead to disappointment - you need to be aware that peopple selling a stamp collection almost never get anywhere near the catalog value of their stamps. Here's why:
The value listed for a specific stamp in a stamp catalog represents what a dealer would charge you if you went to them to purchase that stamp. It is their selling price, not the price they pay when buying. And their selling price doesn't take into account any volume discounts, discounts because of past business dealings, or any other factor that might cause a stamp dealer to sell their stamps for less. For example, most of the 20 cent catalog values that you see in Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, for example, exist to compensate the dealer for his or her time and effort to secure that one stamp. In reality, many of these minimum value stamps are worth much less. But a dealer has to find them, identify them and stock them, even though they're not worth much. For stamps that have a higher catalog value, a dealer's selling price will be closer to the catalog value, simply because their catalog value is due more to their rarity than for recouping the dealer's time and overhead.
Extremely rare stamps that are in great condition can and do yield a premium value over the catalog value: they sell for more than the value listed in the catalog. But these types of stamps are very rare, and although it's possible, they aren't likely to be in Aunt Fannie's old stamp collection.
A reputable stamp dealer won't take advantage of your lack of knowledge of stamps and offer a ridiculously low price for your stamp collection. Most stamp dealers, especially those that have been in business for a long time, will offer you a fair price. But remember, the name of the game when you're a stamp dealer is to buy low and sell high when you can.
Another factor that works against a non-collector who tries to sell a stamp collection is that they tend to over-estimate the age and condition of the stamps they are trying to sell. Many stamps have to be in absolutely perfect condition to be anywhere close to their catalog value. That would include things like how well-centered the stamp is, if there are any damaged perforations, if the cancellation mark on a used stamp is light, etc. A stamp can quickly lose half of its value, if there is the slightest disturbance of the gum on the back of the stamp. Condition, condition, condition: it's everything in stamp collecting. We can't tell you how many times we've seen stamps where the person selling them has said they're in "good condition," but when we actually see them, they have tears, missing corners, holes, missing perforations, etc.
There are, however, a few thngs you can do to maximize the value of your inherited stamp collection.
1. Consider using the collection as a starting point for your own stamp collection. Stamp collecting is a hobby that can fit just about anyone's budget, and you can usually collect stamps well into your senior years because it is not physically demanding.
2. If you are determined to sell the collection you inherited, you can accept the price that was offered by a dealer. If the collection was inherited, you don't have anything invested in it, so any amount you get will be better than nothing. But try to get quotes from at least two stamp dealers before you sell.
3. If you think the collection has one or more rare stamps, meaning a stamp with a catalog value of more than $250 or so, you could send them off to be expertized. Expertizing is the process by which a philatelic expert will evaluate the stamp by determining if it is genuine and give a definitive opinion on exactly which stamp it is (some stamps have many, many different varieties, in which case it can be very difficult to determine which variety a particular stamp is. Some of those varieties may be valuable, but others may be very inexpensive, even though the stamps may look the same to a non-expert.) Some services will also grade the stamp by evaluating key aspects of the stamp: is it centered on the paper, is the paper in good condition, are the colors bold, etc. But most expertizers will not give an estimate of the stamp's value, they just look at its condition and whether it's a forgery or not. Expertizing services are not free, so you don't want to have it done for every stamp you own. Typically you'd want to expertize only those stamps that may be of significant value.
4. Sell the collection on a stamp auction site. You can sell the collection yourself or you can consign it to someone to sell it for you. If you sell it yourself, you'll make more money because you won't pay a consignment fee, but you'll have to spend some significant amount of time taking pictures of the collection and writing a careful, thorough and accurate description.
5. Consider donating the stamp collection to a charity. Many stamp magazines include ads from recognized charities that request donations of stamps. And local charities such as veterans' hospitals, schools and senior citizen centers might be interested. Be sure to check with a tax consultant regarding the tax implications of donating a stamp collection. Some donations are tax deductible, some are not, and some may trigger additional taxes; it all depends on your individual tax situation.
Oh, and one last thing. We get emails all the time from people who want to sell a "huge" or "very large" stamp collection they just inherited. When we ask how large it is, the person says "there must be at least a couple of hundred stamps in there, but they're too many to count." Well, no offense intended, but that number isn't "huge" or "very large" - in fact it's a very tiny stamp collection and most stamp dealers wouldn't even bother to look at it unless they knew that it contained rare stamps.
As stamp dealers we often get emails that ask about that very question. The emails are often like the one below:
"About a year ago I inherited an old stamp collection from my father. We spent a long time trying to figure out what the stamps were and what they're worth, but we've given up because there are just too many stamps. After looking at your website I decided to contact you. We'd like to sell this old stamp collection, get some money for ourselves and at the same time find a home for the stamps with someone who will enjoy them."
Here are some of our thoughts on this situation:
Trying to value your stamps by using a stamp catalog is a logical first step in selling an inherited stamp collection, but it can often be very time-consuming and frustrating. It can also lead to disappointment - you need to be aware that peopple selling a stamp collection almost never get anywhere near the catalog value of their stamps. Here's why:
The value listed for a specific stamp in a stamp catalog represents what a dealer would charge you if you went to them to purchase that stamp. It is their selling price, not the price they pay when buying. And their selling price doesn't take into account any volume discounts, discounts because of past business dealings, or any other factor that might cause a stamp dealer to sell their stamps for less. For example, most of the 20 cent catalog values that you see in Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, for example, exist to compensate the dealer for his or her time and effort to secure that one stamp. In reality, many of these minimum value stamps are worth much less. But a dealer has to find them, identify them and stock them, even though they're not worth much. For stamps that have a higher catalog value, a dealer's selling price will be closer to the catalog value, simply because their catalog value is due more to their rarity than for recouping the dealer's time and overhead.
Extremely rare stamps that are in great condition can and do yield a premium value over the catalog value: they sell for more than the value listed in the catalog. But these types of stamps are very rare, and although it's possible, they aren't likely to be in Aunt Fannie's old stamp collection.
A reputable stamp dealer won't take advantage of your lack of knowledge of stamps and offer a ridiculously low price for your stamp collection. Most stamp dealers, especially those that have been in business for a long time, will offer you a fair price. But remember, the name of the game when you're a stamp dealer is to buy low and sell high when you can.
Another factor that works against a non-collector who tries to sell a stamp collection is that they tend to over-estimate the age and condition of the stamps they are trying to sell. Many stamps have to be in absolutely perfect condition to be anywhere close to their catalog value. That would include things like how well-centered the stamp is, if there are any damaged perforations, if the cancellation mark on a used stamp is light, etc. A stamp can quickly lose half of its value, if there is the slightest disturbance of the gum on the back of the stamp. Condition, condition, condition: it's everything in stamp collecting. We can't tell you how many times we've seen stamps where the person selling them has said they're in "good condition," but when we actually see them, they have tears, missing corners, holes, missing perforations, etc.
There are, however, a few thngs you can do to maximize the value of your inherited stamp collection.
1. Consider using the collection as a starting point for your own stamp collection. Stamp collecting is a hobby that can fit just about anyone's budget, and you can usually collect stamps well into your senior years because it is not physically demanding.
2. If you are determined to sell the collection you inherited, you can accept the price that was offered by a dealer. If the collection was inherited, you don't have anything invested in it, so any amount you get will be better than nothing. But try to get quotes from at least two stamp dealers before you sell.
3. If you think the collection has one or more rare stamps, meaning a stamp with a catalog value of more than $250 or so, you could send them off to be expertized. Expertizing is the process by which a philatelic expert will evaluate the stamp by determining if it is genuine and give a definitive opinion on exactly which stamp it is (some stamps have many, many different varieties, in which case it can be very difficult to determine which variety a particular stamp is. Some of those varieties may be valuable, but others may be very inexpensive, even though the stamps may look the same to a non-expert.) Some services will also grade the stamp by evaluating key aspects of the stamp: is it centered on the paper, is the paper in good condition, are the colors bold, etc. But most expertizers will not give an estimate of the stamp's value, they just look at its condition and whether it's a forgery or not. Expertizing services are not free, so you don't want to have it done for every stamp you own. Typically you'd want to expertize only those stamps that may be of significant value.
4. Sell the collection on a stamp auction site. You can sell the collection yourself or you can consign it to someone to sell it for you. If you sell it yourself, you'll make more money because you won't pay a consignment fee, but you'll have to spend some significant amount of time taking pictures of the collection and writing a careful, thorough and accurate description.
5. Consider donating the stamp collection to a charity. Many stamp magazines include ads from recognized charities that request donations of stamps. And local charities such as veterans' hospitals, schools and senior citizen centers might be interested. Be sure to check with a tax consultant regarding the tax implications of donating a stamp collection. Some donations are tax deductible, some are not, and some may trigger additional taxes; it all depends on your individual tax situation.
Oh, and one last thing. We get emails all the time from people who want to sell a "huge" or "very large" stamp collection they just inherited. When we ask how large it is, the person says "there must be at least a couple of hundred stamps in there, but they're too many to count." Well, no offense intended, but that number isn't "huge" or "very large" - in fact it's a very tiny stamp collection and most stamp dealers wouldn't even bother to look at it unless they knew that it contained rare stamps.
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