Help Me! What do I do with Old U.S. Postage! 1 1

[Gray Electric]

My mother pulled out a huge stamp, coin and currency collection that was passed down from her father. It's been kept in a safe for the last 30 years and I don't know where to even begin. Some stuff has old handwritten pricing on it but its seriously dated for instance he has a 1917 $2 bill that I would personally grade a 62 and he has it marked as $35, current value is $200 as is.  I offered to help my mother go through the coins and stamps. Coins and Bills are no problem for me to assess and determine if it should be sent in for grading with all the accessible knowledge here, but stamps I'm completely lost. Does anyone have a recommendation of an informative web site, tutorial page, or U.S. Stamp price guide. With the proper tools and knowledge, I should be able to figure out if anything is worth the trouble of having graded.  Appreciate anyone willing to toss knowledge or suggestions my way. Thank you!

[powermad5000]

NGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) of which ASG is the stamp sector and has stamp experts. You can access their main page at the following link. I hope this helps!

https://www.asgstamps.com/

[Gray Electric]

Appreciate the link. Unfortunately, it does not contain a price guide or any information other than how to submit for grading. This is where I'm hitting the wall. I look online and haven't found anything very informative. They must have a U.S. postage history or price guide literature somewhere. The hunt continues.

[cobymordet]

Hi, the cheapest bet is to buy a used price guide, you may find one at a used book store.  Anything 1990 or later should be adequate to get you on the right track.  Effectively, US stamps beyond 1940 have no/limited value.  Although not an accurate price guide, but Mystic stamp company has a catalogue with pics which could help you to familiarize yourself with visuals.  If your grandfather collected early US/World stamps, 1847-1900, you will want to consider seeking local organizations in your area.  I would also consider reaching out to friends and family to see if maybe someone you trust collects that can help you. 

[Fenntucky Mike]

$28 on Amazon.

[EGH49]

I feel your pain, and we're probably in good company.  

Is it true that unused stamps are always valid?  If so I'm thinking of just using as many of the common 1950s - 1990s as I can.  I don't care if I have to cover the envelope in 3 cent stamps!

[cobymordet]

Unused stamps are always valid.  One Christmas I used 15 old stamps per envelope that were colored red and green as a joke.

[Gray Electric]

That book is Perfect!!! Thank you!!! Thats exactly what I needed to start figuring out if its trash or treasure. Most of the stamps are pretty old. Late 1800's - roughly 1940's. There are a few unusual stamps that look to predate U.S. postage all together. They are Pony Express Wells Fargo Stamps. Very cool IMO. These have to be keepers. Appreciate all the comments and help! This is a great network for expert advice. Thanks Again! 

[Henri Charriere]

Looks like we have inadvertently dispensed with the usual greetings and salutations having been caught up in the moment of a newcomers in distress.

Welcome!  

You have a monumental time- and labor-intensive task ahead of you. A few years ago a member introduced a topic which, if memory serves, was reduced to a single question, in substance: what plans have you made for your heirs. One member made a practical observation: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Maybe not yourself, but certainly those to whom you would choose to entrust your possessions. He suggested leaving instructions or divestment.  I am not ashamed to say if I were faced with a herculean task like yours, I would very likely contact an auction house. By all means, separate the wheat from the chaff, but acknowledge you cannot do what you need to all by yourself perusing a stamp catalog.  Seek advice by calling auction houses like Heritage.  I am afraid those who were the most devoted philatelists may no longer be interested in buying, but better consulting them or running into Rick's Pawnshop (no criticism intended).

And let this be a cautionary tale for those who cling to the notion that life will let you know when the 11th hour is approaching. Sure it will: at a quarter to 12! Capiche?

In the absence of Yellow Pages, you may wish to try the internet.

As for me, I have given away most of what once was a legend in my own mind. The extent of my holdings now, at age 72, is 24 coins, and a few odds and ends. I'm good.

I wish you the best of luck!

[Just Bob]

On 6/8/2024 at 6:27 AM, EGH49 said:

I feel your pain, and we're probably in good company.  

Is it true that unused stamps are always valid?  If so I'm thinking of just using as many of the common 1950s - 1990s as I can.  I don't care if I have to cover the envelope in 3 cent stamps!

On more than one occasion, I have gotten packages in the mail that had several dollars worth of low denomination stamps glued on them. Some were from the 50s, 60s and 70s - possibly even older. I haven’t looked lately, but at one time a person could buy old stamps on Ebay for below face value. Sellers could save a lot of postage by using lots of old stamps on their packages.

[Henri Charriere]

On 6/8/2024 at 11:11 PM, Just Bob said:

.... Sellers could save a lot of postage by using lots of old stamps on their packages.

[ Philately has gone crazy lately.  The Forevers make no economic sense for the USPS.  And, truth be told, postage is a burden borne by buyers.  Case in point: it cost me $2.80 to send 20 crisp bills in a greeting card to France. The weight was 1.40 oz. I don't have a scale but shipping a coin the size of a nickel in a slab from the seller, which couldn't weigh more, cost  me $60. That's apart from the price.  I assembled my entire set of 🐓 and do not recall a single instance of the postage being so, er, memorable. I wouldn't be surprised if a special courier wearing a cap, suit, tie -- and white gloves, shows up on my doorstep to hand-deliver the package to me personally, that is, if Customs doesn't intercept it first.]

[USAuPzlBxBob]

Having collected US stamps since I was a kid, there is the Brookman catalog, and I have always enjoyed The Postal Service Guide To U.S. Stamps.

If you want to further the collection, the Scott National Album is really something to see.

Here are a few pages I photographed years ago.

I still have many stamps in glassine envelopes, unmounted, as life moved on, and coins for my puzzle box collection eclipsed everything.