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triber · ‎12-06-2023

My husband and I worked for a missionary organization for 30 years from 1976. One of my jobs was to correspond with the missionaries from 28 countries. I have saved hundreds of the stamps on envelopes, I mostly saved the pretty ones! Most are on envelopes, and few new ones in folders.

Are they are any value, or worth listing?

brettjet38 · ‎12-06-2023

I still have my mum's stamp album that she started in the mid-1940s in the UK when she was but 5, and I still have mine from my childhood, full of stamps given to me by my grandparents.

Stamps are a dime a dozen nowadays unless they are rare, and only researching each one can reveal that...

I will just keep mine until I leave the building, every once in a while, I go look at them and remember good times, back in better and nicer, politer times...

triber · ‎12-06-2023

Our son's collected stamps when we live in England, but they are in their 50's now and no longer interested. They are so pretty, it seems a shame to throw them out.

ricarmic · ‎12-06-2023

Stamps are almost always worth something.

There isn't any blanket way to give any idea with relatively little insight as to what is there.

Generally they are worth more on envelopes, however envelopes are heavy to ship.

Given the missionary clue, Asian stamps on cover from the 70s era may be good, esp China, PRC, Japan.

The "unused" depends on the country(s). China from the 70s is very good (relatively speaking) for example.

The research for a non stamp person to know if they're worth anything could be significant, especially against the low likelihood that there is anything extra special there.

Grouping the covers together into a lot, and the mint stuff a separate lot and putting in your title/description that you don't know anything about stamps might help actually, it helps bring out the treasure hunters (but don't start the lots at a low value, things are pretty weak these days, a 99c start might end up a 99c sale!).

Don't know if that helps at all or not.....

reallynicestamps · ‎12-06-2023

Basically pull out those Chinese stamps (don't fuss too much if you mix in other Asian countries) and head off to the public library.

Ask for the volume of the Scott Catalog that covers China. (There are 12 and they cost about $200 each, thus the library).

Look up how to read the catalog first. It's around page 13-14. There is a big picture of a George VI Nyasaland stamp on one of those pages.

Now look for your stamps.

The price you want is "on cover".

That is the price you would expect to pay in a full service stamp shop.

You will be selling wholesale. Perhaps 10-40% of the catalog.

If you consider selling on eBay still worthwhile you will need this, because shipping is the hardest part of selling online.

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/tools/find-a-rate.page

reallynicestamps · ‎12-06-2023

Pass your son's collection on to a grandchild when they are about eight years old.

Add a magnifying glass, because every kid should have a magnifying glass, a pair of tongs (not tweezers) and a stock book.

Christmas sorted.

triber · ‎12-07-2023

Thank you for all the suggestions, it seems that there is very little monetary value. We have a couple of grandsons in early teens, but sadly most kids these days are more into video games. I think I will donate them to a thrift store, there may be kids out there that would be interested.

ilikehockeyjerseys · ‎12-07-2023

If your goal is to get them in the hands of a collector, a thrift store may not be a good option.

The reality of thrift stores is that they dispose of a lot of stuff. Something niche like used stamps may or may not sell. If they do have any value, odds are it will be an older stamp enthusiast or seller who gets them.

If they will fit in a large flat rate box, auctioning them off with just the cost of shipping and a low starting bid, or offering them to one of the stamp sellers on this board might be a better avenue. At least, that would ensure they don't end up destroyed.