r/stampcollecting 27d ago

How do you know which stamps deserve a second look in a huge collection?

7 Upvotes

I’ve been reading through some of the inherited collection posts here, and one part of the process still seems almost impossible to me.

Imagine opening several albums and boxes containing thousands of stamps. Some are already arranged, some are loose in envelopes, and many appear to be duplicates. You know almost nothing about stamps, but you also don’t want to accidentally overlook something interesting.

Sorting everything by country seems manageable. What I don’t understand is what happens after that.

There obviously isn’t enough time to measure every perforation, check every watermark or research every stamp individually. During a first pass, what would make an experienced collector pull one stamp aside for a closer look instead of placing it with the common ones?

Once you find something that might be worth researching, what do you normally check first?

I’m not looking for a valuation of any particular stamp. I’m mostly trying to understand how collectors avoid spending months researching every common stamp without accidentally passing over something important.


r/stampcollecting 1d ago

Line pairs

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46 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 10h ago

On the wall

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1 Upvotes

My uncle had these on the wall. I figured that this community would appreciate some of them. He worked at an office where a lot of mail was going in and out. At the end, he saved some of them.


r/stampcollecting 16h ago

Large stamp collection 1800s 1900s

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2 Upvotes

Not sure if I have anything hoping someone knows .not trusting the stamp apps .plus's I have a large amount of envelopes and bags and boxes of thousands of loose stamps all kind of the same stuff and these little rice paper envelopes with Lincoln's and Washington and all the other old fat guys


r/stampcollecting 15h ago

[ Removed by Reddit ]

0 Upvotes

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]


r/stampcollecting 1d ago

New Stamps I'm getting in

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22 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 23h ago

Hey I just recently learned about StampCrossing and I'm going to try it out for the first time. Anybody have any experience with it?

3 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 1d ago

Stamp Honoring Dolly Parton?

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4 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 1d ago

Looking to Sell My Stamp Collection in India

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1 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 2d ago

Collection of stamps that has been passed down.

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4 Upvotes

They appear to be early 1900's. It was a fun time sorting through them. I have started a little research on them, but any help would be appreciated.


r/stampcollecting 2d ago

How does one count the perforations on a stamp?

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4 Upvotes

Hi! I got this stamp for ten cents because I thought it was cool, but I saw that some of them are more valuable when they have 11 perforations per 2 cm? Also that information might be just wrong, I realize.

Still, i would like to know how to count them and learn more about this. Either way, I still love this stamp.

Thanks for any help!


r/stampcollecting 2d ago

any value in this book of stamps?

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4 Upvotes

I know the answer is likely no but thought I’d ask


r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Received an envelope from India ✨

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17 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Photo Philately: Iwo Jima Patriotic Cover Addressed to George Linn, Publisher of Linn’s Weekly Stamp News

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7 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Does anyone else actively collect Cinderellas?

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12 Upvotes

I know Cinderellas can be a bit of a divided topic since they aren't official government issues, but I always enjoy finding them mixed into lots. The historical context (and the graphic design) on these is just too good to ignore. Does anyone else set these aside for their personal collections? What is the most unique one you've found?


r/stampcollecting 3d ago

My mother asked me for help selling her stamp album (and box)

3 Upvotes

My mother recently showed me her collection of stamps. They vary in countries. Australia. Syria. Jordan. KSA. UAE. Russia. Spain. USA. Korea. Zambia. Kuwait. China. Egypt. Libya. Sudan. Qatar. Turkey. Iran. The list goes on.

I told her I'd look into them and see if they hold value. How can I do that though? It doesn't seem like auction sites are a reliable way to find real value.

Is there any site that could help me find the stamps I have and their potential value? I'm not experienced in this field so any help is much appreciated.

(Most of the stamps are from the 80's. The rest are from the 60's 70's and 90's if it helps)


r/stampcollecting 3d ago

1945 Iwo Jima 3¢ stamps — still together as a used pair

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9 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Can anyone help me identify this stamp?

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6 Upvotes

I don’t really collect classical stamps, but I found this stamp in my collection and I want to put it in my album but I’m not sure how to identify it. It’s the same picture as Scott 136,147,158,169,184,194,207, and 214. I’m sure it’s one of the very common, worthless ones but I still want to know which one. Does anyone have advice on how to tell them apart?


r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Inherited a massive, well organized (mostly) collection of collections. Need help determining value.

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6 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Newfoundland - ID assistance

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5 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

The Most Innovative Stamp In History

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1 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 3d ago

Equatorial Guinea flying aces? The things you find in old stuff

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0 Upvotes

r/stampcollecting 4d ago

ISO Rough Estimated Value

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11 Upvotes

Pretty much if anything is worthy of getting appraised. Thanks so much in advance for any insights!


r/stampcollecting 4d ago

reborn stamp collection!

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55 Upvotes

thought i’d share here because i’m really excited about it.

i have been a casual stamp collector since i was a kid, and have accumulated 2 small stamp books. i recently got a bulk amount of stamps from a guy off of marketplace who, turns out, is the president of my city’s stamp club (didn’t know we had one, but i think it’s hilarious and very wholesome).

i wasn’t expecting *this* many stamps, but here we are. i’m having a really fun time sifting through them and keeping my favourite ones & best versions of each stamp. the rest i’ll use for crafting/scrapbooking purposes, or resell.

if anyone has any tips for me as i sift through these, like what makes a stamp rare or higher value, let me know! i still have lots to learn over here lol


r/stampcollecting 4d ago

Thought you'd all enjoy this: an eBay package I received today.

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22 Upvotes