Should I collect mint or used stamps?

Unused stamps. Have not been used in the post and are consequently not postmarked or otherwise defaced. They should have their original gum as issued in ‘mint’ condition by the post office, though traces of the use of a gummed hinge are generally acceptable.

How do you know what stamps are valuable?

Auction sites, stamp dealer sites, stamp forum sites, and stamp sites put up by stamp collectors and enthusiasts can easily be found online and these can give you an idea of the current market price of a particular stamp. You can easily and quickly find stamp values at StampWorld.com.

What are collecting stamps?

philately, the study of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, postcards, and other materials relating to postal delivery. The term philately also denotes the collecting of these items.

Is collecting stamps a good investment?

Stamps are not a financial asset and so may perform better than cash in times of high inflation. As a tangible asset, a stamp cannot go out of business like a company quoted on the stock market. Stamps are a relatively confidential investment.

What should I look for when collecting stamps?

Look for an inscription. While some stamps don’t display the country and currency, they have inscriptions, or letters, words, and numbers that are part of the stamp design. A simple internet search for the inscription on your stamp can help easily identify a stamp’s country of origin.

Are used stamps more valuable than unused?

For a stamp collectore, unused stamps are usually slightly more valuable – but not always. There have been times when large numbers of a stamp were printed, but for some reason very few were used to post letters: in those cases a collector may pay more for a used stamp.

Do stamp collectors collect used stamps?

used – Typically, people will collect either mint or used stamps. Used stamps may be easier to collect and may also be collected for the cancellations on them.

What would a philatelist collect?

A philatelist is someone who collect and studies postage stamps. Philatelists research, study and exhibit the production, use and collecting stamps.

Is stamp collecting a dying hobby?

In the end, philately is not dead, nor is it dying. Rather, it is changing every day in the people who pursue it and in the way that it is pursued. You will, indeed, get out of it what you choose to put into it. Good luck and happy collecting!

Do stamp collections have any value?

Stamp collections only rarely contain extremely rare and valuable stamps. Values assigned by stamp catalogues are very optimistic and seldom realized. In the real world, modern mint stamps are not worth their face value when sold at auction or to dealers unless there was a low print run or a printing error.