Stamp collecting prices...
How do you get a good stamp appraisal?

Tell your story! The Internet is a good resource to study and research stamp collecting prices. New stamp enthusiasts know that. Stamp collecting books and catalogues can be purchased online, and you can visit a stamp collecting price guide online anytime as long as you have a computer and internet connection. Websites dedicated to stamp values and prices offer features like viewing the stamps (images) and indicating their prices.

But also online stamp aution sites, like eBay, show you the popularity of certain types of stamps and exactly what collectors and stamp dealers have been willing to pay recently. You can see at the eGlobals Stamp Collecting eBay site how it works.

You can also determine the stamp collecting price by researching your stamp in Google and look for past and current sale prices. These prices will give you a general indicator of the value of your stamp.

More and more websites offer online appraisals and valuations, simply by uploading a picture of your stamp. The stamp collecting appraisers and specialists give you their opinion on the value of the stamp. Such an online stamp valuation service is helpful to find out the value of a stamp before buying it from a stamp auction, a stamp dealer, eBay or privately. So you know beforehand whether the price you're paying is reasonable.

Four ways to check stamp prices

The Internet certainly is a useful platform and tool to check stamp prices online. But there are other ways to go about determining stamp prices:

1) Use stamp collecting software

You can consult a good stamp collecting software, a stamp collecting price guide on the Internet or go to the local library or bookstore and ask for a stamp catalogue. Comprehensive stamp catalogues and price guides could provide the values and prices of old and rare stamps to the ones recently released.

2) Ask local reliable stamp dealers

You should always take the latest stamp catalogue with you when you visit a local stamp auction or dealer. Because each stamp dealer's appraisal is likely to be different, it is a good idea to visit at least three dealers to get a rough idea of the value of your stamp and/or collection.

3) Determine the price yourself

Or you can estimate the stamp collecting prices by yourself. You need to have knowledge about the centering of the image in the stamp, the stamp condition, rips and repairs in the stamp, the rarity of the stamp, and whether the stamp has been used or not.

4) You can also talk to experienced stamp collectors and ask them to have a look at your stamp collection.

Rare stamp price

The rarer your stamp is, the higher the price and the more valuable it will be. Rare stamps often are error stamps. They have obvious mistakes or flaws.

The Blue Penny postal stamps, for example, lacked the country's name and they were sold for nearly $4 million in 1993.

It's every collector's wish to have a rare stamp in his or her collection. Do you possess a rare stamp?

What's the highest price you ever paid for a stamp? Please share your story here. You can also upload a picture of your stamp if you want.

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